A newly elected Reform UK councillor in Barnsley has been suspended after photographs emerged appearing to show him with a swastika tattoo. Andy Arnold, who was elected to Barnsley Council earlier this month to represent Wombwell, can be seen with what appears to be the symbol on his arm in Facebook images dating back to 2018.
The images were posted on an account linked to a tattoo studio called Tattoo Wombwell, registered under Theresa Arnold, a fellow Reform UK councillor who is understood to be Arnold's wife. The swastika is strongly associated with Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, and is widely regarded as a hate symbol.
Theresa Arnold told the Sheffield Star that the tattoo had been “misunderstood” and was connected to her husband’s brief interest in Buddhism when he was younger. She said the tattoo had since been covered because people “incorrectly associated it with something entirely different from its original religious context”.
Labour politicians in Barnsley have called for Arnold's resignation. Dan Jarvis, the Labour MP for Barnsley North, said the reports were “deeply concerning” and that “for over 100 years the swastika has symbolised evil, antisemitism and the murder of millions”. James Higginbottom, leader of the Barnsley Labour group, said Arnold was “totally unfit to serve as councillor” and should resign immediately.
Reform UK's council leader, William Brown, defended Arnold, saying “there is no evidence that Councillor Arnold supports or endorses extremist or hateful views”. He described the symbol as “a Buddhist symbol of peace” and said no further action was required. The row comes after another Reform councillor in Sheffield was suspended over far-right imagery online.
