Elham Asaad Buaras
A decision on the future of an Ipswich councillor who shared Islamophobic tweets has been postponed by the “holiday season.”
Last month, it was revealed Councillor Steve Flood, who represents Sprites Ward, had retweeted two Islamophobic posts.
Following a special meeting of the Ipswich Conservative Association’s executive, a party spokesman confirmed Flood remained suspended from the party pending an investigation.
A spokesman for the Ipswich Conservative Association said: “Due to it being in the middle of the holiday season, it is taking a little longer than usual to get the right people together for the process to be completed.”
“We will endeavour to get it completed as soon as possible, and in the meanwhile, Cllr Flood remains suspended.”
Ian Fisher, leader of the Conservative group at Ipswich Borough Council, previously said: “We take extremely seriously any allegation made against a party member, especially those in elected positions, and will deal with them swiftly.”
One of the tweets called for Islam to be outlawed in the UK, another said Islam was a faith that does not allow free speech. Ipswich MP Tom Hunt expressed his outrage at the posts – saying they were Islamophobic and there was no place for them in a mainstream political party.
He added: “I represent numerous Muslim constituents who I work with closely, as I do with all religious groups across the town.
Many of my Muslim constituents have spoken to me before about the Islamophobia they often have to endure, and I want them to know that as their MP I feel strongly that there is no place in politics or social media for Islamophobia. “We need to take a firm line against all hate.”
Flood is listed as an independent on the Ipswich Borough Council website.
Earlier this year, fellow Tory Councillor Shayne Pooley was suspended for several months and ordered to get social media training after he posted on Facebook to support Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The party also said it would monitor Pooley’s social media activity.
