Flintshire: Council vice-chairwoman subjected to racist abuse

Mrs Healey's husband alleges the leaflets were targeted at her after they were distributed in her council ward of Hope

The first woman of colour to be elected vice-chairwoman of Flintshire council has vowed to stand up against racist abuse.

Gladys Healey was appointed to the role at the local authority's annual general meeting on Tuesday.

It comes after she is alleged to have been the target of a racist leaflet sent to residents in her ward of Hope.

The contents of the publication were not disclosed at the meeting, but were described as "most disturbing".

Mrs Healey, who is of South African descent, was first elected to the council in 2017.

The following year she warned attitudes towards people from different racial and religious backgrounds needed to change after a rise in race and hate crime in the county.

'Most disturbing'

Her husband, David Healey, who represents the neighbouring village of Caergwrle, put his wife's name forward for the position of vice-chairwoman after she was re-elected on 5 May.

He said it would send out a message that the council celebrates diversity.

"In the course of the most recent local election, Hope was blanketed with a racist leaflet which was designed to incite racial hatred.

"It was the most disturbing, and although it coincided with the elections, I do not believe it was in any way linked to any [other] candidate standing or any group," he said.

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Mr Healey said as neighbouring wards did not receive these leaflets, they assumed the Hope ward had been targeted.

"I think we can assume it was targeted because Gladys is the first BAME councillor on Flintshire county council.

"The electorate were not influenced by that and they were very supportive of Gladys, which says a great deal for the people of Hope, but I would hope also that within this chamber we ourselves can show that we favour diversity and we are saying no to racism," he said.

Independent councillor Dave Mackie was also nominated at the meeting, but Mrs Healey won by 38 votes to 28 according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Speaking afterwards, she said: "Today I am very proud and I stand up here as a woman of colour.

"I will do my best for the council and for every one of you I will be the right hand of our chair. We will bring diversity in this council and we will not let racist abuse take over anything in Flintshire."