Councillor quits Tories after social media row

A COUNCILLOR who was suspended for retweeting a post from a “far right” party has resigned from the Conservatives.

Kevin Bulmer now sits as an independent member of Oxfordshire County Council for Goring.

The post referred to an “Islamist squatter”, who it said wanted to “invade us and replace our culture with savagery”.

Councillor Bulmer said that reposting the message was an “unwitting mistake” and he removed it.

He was suspended from the Conservative group on the council in March, pending an investigation, which was completed last month. The result has not been made public.

Cllr Bulmer, who did not appeal the decision, is unhappy with the way he was treated by the party.

“The way they treated me was a disgrace,” he said. “On the basis of one mistake, they decided I was beyond the pale but had no other evidence. I just made the mistake of retweeting it. Nobody has said the tweet itself was incorrect.

“It was my decision to resign. I just wasn’t happy with the way it was dealt with. The burden of proof that they were using was so low and laughable.

“That was the only thing against me. Basically, they wanted me to go away.

“I have very harsh feelings regarding the party. The fact I spent 11 years there didn’t count for the slightest.

“You can do 1,000 things well and nobody cares — you make one mistake and you’re buried alive.”

Councillor Eddie Reeves, Conservative leader on the council, said: “Councillor Bulmer was suspended as a Conservative councillor pending the outcome of a party disciplinary panel hearing.

“The process was fair, rigorous and robust and I am content with its conclusions, which are confidential between Cllr Bulmer and the party.

“The Conservative Party expects the highest standards of personal conduct from its Councillors. Cllr Bulmer failed to meet those standards and is no longer a Conservative councillor.”