Councillor resigns from party over Facebook post

Councillor Pauline Giles resigned from the Conservative party

The former chair of a council has resigned from the Conservative party after she was criticised by two MPs over a Facebook post.

Pauline Giles, councillor for St Blazey backed a petition on the platform for "mass deportations", originated by former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe.

In her post she wrote: "If you want mass deportation of illegals in dinghies sign this petition! We cannot sustain the volume of young black males flooding our country. It jeopardises the security of our country and is slowly bankrupting us!"

Ms Giles issued a statement on Thursday apologising for her post and said she would now represent her division as an independent non-aligned councillor.

Pauline Giles has resigned from the Conservative will remain as a councillor

She was one of only seven Conservative councillors left on Cornwall Council and was the authority's chair until the May election, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Noah Law, Labour MP for St Austell and Newquay, said he wrote to Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, about whether Ms Giles should have a place in the Conservative Party.

Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, Ben Maguire, said: "Racism has absolutely no place in our country or in Cornish politics."

Following media reports, Ms Giles said on Facebook on Thursday: "I understand that I singularly mentioned one race and colour in my personal Facebook post, which was wrong, I should have said those illegally entering or country. I sincerely apologise to anyone who I have offended.

"In order to put blue water between myself and my fellow Conservative councillors, who had no input in my post, I have resigned from the Conservative party with immediate effect. I shall now be an independent non-aligned councillor and continue to do my best for the residents of St Blazey."

'Heartfelt apology'

Mr Law responded to her resignation on social media: "I would like to thank Cllr Pauline Giles for her heartfelt apology for her recent remarks and the example this sets to others to take care in what they say and treat people as individuals, not as a product of the colour of their skin."

Ms Giles she would not be part of the Reform offshoot independent group.

Four former Reform UK councillors who broke away from the party last week to form the Cornish Independent Non-aligned Group.