A Sherborne councillor, who was accused of describing "all Muslims as terrorists" during an equality and diversity training session, has been found guilty of breaching the code of conduct.

Former mayor Marjorie Snowden, a town and district councillor, was sanctioned by West Dorset District Council's standards committee on Wednesday, when the panel unanimously decided she had failed to show a former council officer respect during the training session.

Investigating officer Roger Greene presented a report which recommended she had breached the code of conduct relating to lack of respect after two complaints were made.

Sue Bickle, a community development team leader and lead officer for equalities at the district council at the time, and Molly Rennie, a district councillor for Dorchester, filed the complaints relating to an equalities and diversity training session held at West Dorset District Council on June 28, 2012.

Western Gazette, 8 March 2013

Will Sherborne Conservatives be taking disciplinary action against Snowden? Don't bet on it. Her fellow Tory councillor, deputy mayor Dominic Elliott, told the standards committee "I feel Mrs Snowden's questions were acceptable in any debate or discussion".

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A local councillor has been suspended for posting a comment on Facebook comparing Muslim children wearing burkas to bin bags.

Chris Joannides also messaged friends during meetings with his constituents asking for updates on football scores and complaining about missing his favourite television programmes.

The Conservative councillor for Enfield, in north London, has denied being Islamophobic and defended his comments as "blokeish banter".

Mr Joannides posted a photo showing a woman and child dressed in burkas standing next to two bin bags. He wrote underneath: "I saw her standing there and I told her she had three beautiful children. She didn't have to get all p***ed off and threaten me. It was an honest mistake!"

"I am not, never have been and never will be Islamophobic," he said this week. "The comments I made were against Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism including the demonisation of women, something the whole world is concerned about in the light of terrorist attacks on the West since September 11."

Daily Mail, 7 February 2013

In other words, Joannides is arguing that Muslim women who wear the niqab are associated with "Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism". Does he really think that makes things better?

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A Conservative councillor has been suspended and is under investigation after allegedly making anti-Muslim comments and sectarian remarks on a social media website, The Guardian has learned.

Chris Joannides's Facebook page contained material comparing Muslim women who wear the burqa to rubbish bags. Another post included sexual remarks in a discussion about a flasher, and a comment that his work as a councillor was getting in the way of his social life.

Joannides is a councillor in Enfield, north London.

News of the incident comes as the Conservative party leader, David Cameron, considers measures to try and increase the low levels of support the party receives from ethnic minority voters. The Conservatives are trying to shed their "nasty" party image and appear more inclusive.

His fellow Conservative councillors decided to suspend Joannides over the comments, which are being investigated.

Over a picture of a woman and child dressed in burqas, with a black bin bag either side of them, Joannides appeared to have written: "I saw her standing there and I told her she had three beautiful children. She didn't have to get all pissed off and threaten me … an honest mistake." In another posting he appears to have "liked" a picture of an Arab woman holding her injured child.

Azad Ali, chair of the Muslim Safety Forum, said: "This is a shocking example of institutionalised and normalised Islamophobia. We expect the Conservative party to take a robust stand against this behaviour and prove that their drive to engage with black minority ethnic communities isn't tokenistic. Further we will follow up with the Metropolitan Police Service and see that full weight of the law is applied."

Guardian, 1 February 2013

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County Hall says it is powerless to compel a councillor do training he was told to undertake for sending out a leaflet criticising Muslims.

Councillor Graham Partner was censured "in the strongest possible terms" by Leicestershire County Council's standards committee this summer for undermining good race relations and told he would have to have equality training.

However, since the standards hearing on June 27, Coun Partner, who represents Coalville as an independent, has declined to do the training.

Coun Partner, who was elected as a British National Party candidate before quitting the party, was censured for a new year message he circulated to more than 5,000 voters in Coalville.

It featured part of an article from a national newspaper and said victimhood "comes easily" to the followers of Islam. It also made derogatory references to a Nigerian convicted of rape, Palestinians, the Third World and Pakistan and prompted complaints from two county council colleagues and two parish councillors.

At a recent meeting of County Hall's corporate governance committee, county solicitor David Morgan told councillors the authority had no power to take the matter any further.

The standards regime under which Coun Partner was censured was abolished in the summer. Political parties are now required to issue sanctions to their members. Coun Partner is not a member of a party so no action can be taken against him.

Leicester Mercury, 14 December 2012

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A Sinn Fein councillor has challenged former Craigavon Mayor Alan Carson to "make a full public apology to Muslims living in Craigavon" after remarks he made during a debate on Monday night. However the DUP man insists that Councillor Johnny McGibbon is "simply scoring political points from a genuine mistake I made and for which I apologised immediately".

In the heat of the exchange, Mr Carson stated that Muslims were "causing bother in the Middle East". He said that the British Army represented all sides, "Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Jew, Muslim whatever – well, maybe not Muslim". Afterwards he said, "I realised immediately that I'd put my foot in it and apologised without reserve. But that wasn't enough for Councillor McGibbon who saw fit to issue a press statement, accusing me of all sorts and inferring I am racist, which I certainly am not."

The McGibbon statement claimed, "These remarks reveal the mind set that has prevented unionists from developing a realistic political programme for the future. To make insinuations against any section of the community is outrageous and unacceptable. Only a very arrogant or politically immature individual would presume to deny to others the right to voice alternative views.

"We must all accept differing points of view, but we should never allow any section of our society to be isolated or labelled during debate. Given that Councillor Carson was a recent Mayor of Craigavon, it is reasonable to assume that he understands this fundamental principle. The least therefore that can be done to make amends is a full public apology to the citizens of Craigavon and in particular our sizeable Muslim community."

Portadown Times, 28 November 2012

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Rotherham's councillor responsible for community cohesion has written to Home Secretary Theresa May describing the impact of the far right English Defence League's march in the town – and calling for membership of the group to be banned.

Coun Jahangir Akhtar said there were "several arrests" and a number of skirmishes between groups of people in the town centre after the march. He estimated the cost of the police operation during the event, and a rival gathering by Unite Against Fascism, was £300,000.

Coun Akhtar said: "The damage to the wider economy is also significant – possibly of greater magnitude to the policing costs as many town centre businesses decided not to open for fear of staff and customer safety, damage to their premises, the rise in insurance costs and the down-time in making repairs."

Coun Akhtar said he has since asked South Yorkshire Police why they did not apply to have the EDL march banned.

He said: "The EDL's expressed reason for this demonstration was to protest against 'the sexual exploitation of young girls'. The EDL has misused this issue in Rotherham, as it has misused other issues in local communities, not because it has a great sense of justice for these communities but instead because it serves their racist, Islamophobic objectives."

Coun Akhtar urged Ms May to ban the EDL. He said: "It is high time the EDL was added to that list of proscribed organisations for creating fear and promoting hatred."

The Star, 26 October 2012

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The former leader of the city's BNP was ordered to carry out community service after he was found guilty of disturbing public order outside a former councillor's house.

Kieren Trent was ordered to carry out 18 hours community service after harassing Mike Galloway, when he and fellow BNP members protested outside the former Councillor's home in Wolverton.

Members of the BNP approached Mr Galloway, who was cabinet member for development at the time, because he had voted in favour of plans for a mosque to be sited at the former Plough pub in Bletchley.

Mr Trent, who told the court he was no longer a member of the BNP, was also ordered to pay Mr Galloway £500 in compensation and an additional £500 in legal fees.

MK News, 1 August 2012

See also Milton Keynes Citizen, 1 August 2012

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A former councillor for the anti-immigration PVV in Noord Holland has close ties to the neo-nazi group Stormfront and submitted 2,200 items to the organisation's website, the Noord-Hollands Dagblad reported on Friday.

Monica Nunes is one of three provincial councillors who left the PVV earlier this year to go it alone.

In her writings on the site, which ended around three years ago, Nunes says all Muslims should be sent back to their country of origin and "Jews have a good nose for money", the paper said. Nunes used the name Doubt while active on the site. Her role was uncovered by anti-facist research group Kaftka.

In a statement Nunes said she had been a member of the Stormfront website, but with the aim of persuading other members to think differently.

"I might have been stupid to join a debate with these nazis," she said. "But I argued against their most insane racial theories and always defended the Jewish community and existence of Israel."

Dutch News, 5 July 2012

See also "Monica Nunes, (oude) medestander Brinkman actief op neonaziforum", Antifascistische Onderzoeksgroep Kafka, 1 June 2012

Nunes' comments on Stormfront included the following, which gives an indication of her motives for joining the PVV: "I wish we had a leader who would expel Muslims from the country, back to their country of origin. I don't want to smash or kill these people. I just want them to go away .... far away."

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The leader of a racist BNP protest has been found guilty of disturbing public order outside a former councillor's house.

Kieren Trent pleaded not guilty to four counts of public disorder when he appeared at Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court for his part in causing former Councillor Mike Galloway "undue distress and alarm" as he and a group of others protested outside Mr Galloway's home in Wolverton. [See here and here.]

Mr Galloway, former cabinet member for planning at the council, was at his Wolverton home on Sunday, April 24 2011, when the gang arrived with racist banners and a megaphone.

The protest, led by Trent, was against the decision to give the go-ahead for a mosque to be sited at the former Plough pub in Bletchley. Two weeks prior to the protest, Milton Keynes Council had approved the plans.

The Citizen reported in April last year that six people were part of the protest outside Mr Galloway’s house, though only two were arrested when police were called to the scene.

At the time, Trent was the leader of the BNP's youth section, known as "the Resistance".

The court heard Trent had approached Mr Galloway in Wolverton earlier in the day with a video camera to document the impromptu meeting before the protest.

Trent claimed in court he was no longer a member of the British National Party.

On Tuesday, District Judge Vickers found Trent guilty of breaching public order, and he will be sentenced on Wednesday, August 1.

Milton Keynes Citizen, 5 July 2012

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A Bournemouth councillor made a public apology for controversial online comments about the English Defence League.

Conservative Cllr Sue Anderson read out the apology at Tuesday's full council meeting. The mum of four, who represents Moordown, had said "nobody else except the EDL stick up for the English". She also tweeted to an account jointly run by a woman of Asian descent: "If you don't like it here go back to where you came from."

She told the full council the tweets were made in haste during a late night conversation without understanding the EDL's policies. Cllr Anderson added that her tweet to the joint account "could have been offensive" and she made an unreserved apology. She concluded by saying she abhorred any sort of intolerance.

Cllr Anderson, who referred herself to the standards board after the controversy broke, has also been told to do equality and diversity training.

Bournemouth Echo, 18 June 2012

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A Bournemouth councillor has apologised "unreservedly" after saying online that only the English Defence League "sticks up for the English".

Conservative councillor Sue Anderson said she had suspended herself from the party and referred herself for disciplinary procedures.

She made the comment via her Twitter account on Saturday.

Ms Anderson said she had also referred herself to Bournemouth Council's Standards Board.

The married grandmother has been a councillor for the Moordown ward in the Dorset town since 2007.

Her Twitter comment posted in a conversation on Saturday read: "but nobody else except the EDL stick up for the English." The account has since been taken down from the site.

On Sunday Ms Anderson issued a statement saying the comment had been made in haste.

"As a result of the attention it has attracted, I have been made aware that a previous comment may also have been offensive. For both comments I apologise unreservedly. I would like to make it clear that I in no way support the English Defence League or any other organisation that promotes intolerance."

She said she realised her comments were "incompatible with active participation within the Conservative Party" so had suspended her membership of the Bournemouth East Conservative Association and Bournemouth Conservatives Council Group.

BBC News, 7 May 2012

The comment that Anderson concedes "may also have been offensive" read: "If you don't like it here go back to where you came from."

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