Reform councillor resigns after filmed racist remarks surface

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 23:57 · Archive

A Reform councillor has resigned from two councils after being filmed making racist remarks about Asian homeowners.

Alan Feeney, a Reform UK councillor for Solihull and Birmingham, has resigned from both councils following the broadcast of an ITV News investigation featuring undercover footage of him making racist comments. The footage, gathered over a year during the run-up to May's local elections, showed Feeney calling Asian homeowners 'parasites', describing an area as 'infested' with Asian families, and stating that no more than 1% of the UK population should be non-white.

Feeney apologised for the remarks in a Facebook post on Friday, writing that there was 'no excuse' for his comments and that he had resigned every post he held on both councils. He stated that his remarks 'were wrong, offensive and completely unacceptable' and did not reflect his true beliefs or opinions, particularly of the communities mentioned in the report. He added that these were communities he had 'supported countless times' over many years.

Following the investigation, Feeney also stepped down as deputy mayor of Solihull. He has been suspended from his position as a custodial manager in the prison service, with the Ministry of Justice describing his comments as 'despicable'. Feeney had initially left Reform UK for 'personal reasons' but retained his seats as an independent councillor before resigning entirely.

How it is being reported

• Reform councillor resigns after being filmed making racist remarksAlan Feeney, who sat on Solihull and Birmingham councils, said there was ‘no excuse’ for his comments Alan Feeney has resigned as a Reform councillor for Solihull and Birmingham after backlash over racist comments that were captured in an undercover investigation. In a Facebook post on Friday, Feeney wrote: “There is no excuse for my comments. With responsibility comes accountability, and it is for that reason that I have resigned every post I hold on both Solihull borough council and Birmingham city council.” Continue reading...Guardian World · 16 Oct, 23:30
• Reform councillor quits over offensive remarksAlan Feeney was captured on undercover filming calling Asian homeowners "parasites".BBC Politics · 16 Oct, 16:18

In this story: Alan Feeney · Reform UK · Solihull · Birmingham · ITV News · Ministry of Justice

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