Jo Cox comment: Councillor 'should resign' over offensive post

Councillor Dominic Peacock was expelled by the East Riding of Yorkshire Conservative Group after making the offensive remark

A councillor who posted an offensive message on social media in the wake of MP Jo Cox's murder should resign, a committee has concluded.

Dominic Peacock, 60, was expelled from the Conservative party for mocking a fundraising effort in memory of the MP.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council's standards committee called his comments "offensive, crude and disrespectful".

Mr Peacock can continue until the 2019 election. He is yet to comment on the finding.

Responding to an appeal raising £1m in funds, which started soon after Mrs Cox's death, Mr Peacock wrote "I've just donated..." before making an offensive comment.

He later posted on a Vote Leave page and said: "I shouldn't have put it on in the first place."

The committee ruled the councillor for the Minster and Woodmansey Ward had breached the code of conduct for both the authority and Beverley Town Council, on which he also serves.

Margaret Chadwick, a Conservative councillor and committee chairwoman, said his actions "brought both councils into disrepute" and was "very disappointed" he did not "tender his resignation immediately".

Mr Peacock made his offensive comment after an appeal reached £1m

She made it clear the council has no power to remove Mr Peacock from his post, which carries expenses entitlements of about £12,000 a year.

Mrs Chadwick said it was the committee's recommendation that both councils should call upon him to resign.

Mr Peacock is yet to respond to the council's report which concluded his "remarks were an insult to the memory of a young woman who died in shocking circumstances".

Jo Cox was Labour MP for the Batley and Spen constituency in West Yorkshire

George McManus, head of the Beverley and Holderness Labour Party, said Mr Peacock would "continue to attract bad publicity" if he did not resign and called for the law on removing councillors to be reviewed.

Thomas Mair, 52, was jailed for life in November for murdering Mrs Cox, who was the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, outside her constituency office in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on 16 June.