The Labour Group local to Thurrock in Essex has described the apparent inaction by the area’s MP Jackie Doyle-Price as showing a ‘complete disregard’ for constituents.
Councillor Shaun Slator, who represents the St Mary Cray ward for Bromley Council, was removed from the Tory Party last year following two posts from his account on X at the end of 2022.
He now sits as an independent councillor.
He was suspended by the Bromley Conservative Group in January 2023 after he replied to a post on X from the News Shopper, reporting on an alleged rape in Plumstead Park.
In his reply, which has since been deleted, Cllr Slator wrote: “More likely that it’s a punter that didn’t pay.”
The Conservative Party subsequently expelled Cllr Slator from the party in April 2023 in accordance with its code of conduct and formal complaints process.
However, documents published by the UK Parliament on March 28, 2024 list Cllr Slator as a parliamentary passholder working for Jackie Doyle-Price, Conservative MP for Thurrock.
Jen Craft, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the Thurrock constituency, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I am astounded that our Member of Parliament Dame Jackie Doyle-Price [appears to continue] to employ Shaun Slator after her own party considered his despicable comments so beyond the pale as to cancel his membership.”
She added: “By [apparently] refusing to take action against Cllr Slator, despite her own party believing his actions to be worthy of censor, Jackie Doyle-Price has demonstrated a complete disregard for her constituents, some of whom may now feel unable to contact her for assistance when they are at their most vulnerable for fear of interacting with this individual who holds such repugnant views.”
The Bromley Lib Dem Group also told the LDRS it was surprised an MP in the Conservative Party appeared to be continuing to employ someone the party considered to be unsuitable to be a member.
The group added that it questioned what standards of behaviour were expected from the party’s staff, but acknowledged that it was the MP’s own decision on who to employ.
Bromley Council received 18 complaints about Cllr Slator’s original controversial reply in January last year, but decided not to punish him.
A document shared with the LDRS stated an independent investigator felt ‘agonised’ about their conclusion but said Cllr Slator was not acting in his capacity as a councillor at the time.
The LDRS also understands the Conservative Party looked into a second tweet posted from Cllr Slator’s account in December 2022. Referring to Conservative MPs, it said: “Noncing and legalised drugs. There are a bunch of them on our benches.”
A Bromley Conservative member, who wished to remain anonymous, called it ‘bizarre’ that Cllr Slator is still listed as working for one of the party’s MPs.
Cllr Slator apologised for his comments in response to the alleged rape at a Bromley Council meeting in February 2023.
He claimed he had intended to highlight the issue of women being exploited in Plumstead and had since deactivated his Twitter (now known as X) account.
He said at the time: “I’m not ashamed to admit that I am fallible, and I have made a mistake. I now understand that with the privilege afforded to me as a councillor to better serve my community comes a responsibility to reflect more deeply on what I say and post online.”
Cllr Slator, Dame Jackie Doyle-Price and the Bromley Conservative Group were approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
The Conservative Party declined to comment.
