North Yorkshire councillor should quit over 'antisemitic' tweets

A North Yorkshire councillor has been suspended following a string of comments on social media

A North Yorkshire councillor has been urged to resign over her "appalling antisemitic views".

Pat Marsh posted a number of tweets on X, formerly Twitter, which prompted her suspension from the Liberal Democrat Party.

The comments related to Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza, but Ms Marsh denied she was antisemitic.

She has been urged to resign from the council by the Conservative leader who said her comments were "outrageous".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Marsh said her tweets, made between 22 January and Friday, highlighted her opposition to Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

"I am against what they are doing to the Gazan people," the Harrogate councillor said.

"I'm just trying to be a human being. I'm not antisemitic."

However, she has been suspended by the Lib Dems at national and local level.

"These appalling antisemitic views have no place in our party," a party spokesperson said.

"Ms Marsh has been removed from the council group and reported to the council's standards officer."

'Outrageous and offensive'

The council's Lib Dem group leader, Bryn Griffiths, said Ms Marsh's comments "in no way" represent the group, or its views.

Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council, said Ms Marsh should "consider her position".

"The comments I have seen are outrageous and offensive.

"I understand a number of complaints have been made to the monitoring officer."

Mr Les has previously said he understands prejudice having grown up as the son of a refugee from Poland.

"There is no place in our society, in our county or in our council for discrimination, prejudice or hate in any form," he said.

The leaders of the authority's Independent and Labour groups have also condemned her comments, with Labour leader Steve Shaw-Wright also calling for her to resign.