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Reform councillor suspended after alleged social media post about hanging of ex-Commons Speaker John Bercow

David Rowan, who served on Kirklees council, appears to have said 'Hang the Dwarf' on social media in response to a post about John Bercow in 2019, Hope Not Hate's research showed

[The comment was in response to a post about former Commons Speaker John Bercow]

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The comment was in response to a post about former Commons Speaker John Bercow(Image: PRU/AFP via Getty Images)

A Reform UK councillor has been suspended after allegedly posting about the hanging of former Commons Speaker John Bercow on social media.

David Rowan, who served on Kirklees council, appears to have said Hang the Dwarf on X, formerly Twitter, in response to a post about Mr Bercow in 2019.

Hope Not Hate, which unearthed the account, also pointed to a post from the same year in which Mr Rowan appears to say he doesnt believe gays should have kids full stop.

Elsewhere, Mr Rowan allegedly called for his followers to get our pick forks [sic] and whippets and demolish London and turn Westminster into a Witherspoons. It is assumed this is referring to a Wetherspoons pub. This post was in relation to a commentator calling for riots over Brexit.

[David Rowan, who served on Kirklees council, appears to have said Hang the Dwarf on X, formerly Twitter, in response to a post about John Bercow in 2019]

View 3 Images

David Rowan, who served on Kirklees council, appears to have said Hang the Dwarf on X, formerly Twitter, in response to a post about John Bercow in 2019(Image: x)

A Reform UK spokesman said: "Cllr Rowan has been suspended from Reform UK pending investigation." The posts referred to were published on X in 2019 under an account named david rowan, with the handle @davidro63287194.

After releasing its research, Hope Not Hate said: In recent weeks Nigel Farage has been raising concerns about his own safety and the safety of elected officials.

In the wake of the horrifying murders of Jo Cox, David Amess and Ann Widdecombe, its absolutely right that all politicians should be careful about the words they use.

Mr Farage earlier this week said he would give Zia Yusuf, Reforms home affairs spokesman, a ticking off after he branded ex-Tory defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace a traitor to Britain.

Mr Yusuf launched an attack on Sir Ben on Monday, branding him a moron before suggesting he should be prosecuted for treason for importing thousands of unvetted Afghans to Britain.

[A Reform UK spokesman said: 'Cllr Rowan has been suspended from Reform UK pending investigation']

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A Reform UK spokesman said: 'Cllr Rowan has been suspended from Reform UK pending investigation'(Image: Kirklees Council)

Speaking to the Sun, Mr Farage admonished the Reform UK home affairs spokesman, saying calling Sir Ben who served in the Scots Guard a traitor was too strong a word. The Reform leader said: I should give him (Mr Yusuf) a ticking off, dont worry.

Asked if he would be encouraging Mr Yusuf to delete the social media posts in which he criticised Sir Ben, he added: Ill speak to him. Ill speak to him today, but, yeah, its over the top.

In a press conference in July, after Ms Widdecombes murder, Mr Yusuf appeared to accuse politicians and the media of creating a narrative tantamount to incitement against Reform.

Mr Yusuf cited Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy calling Miss Widdecombe a bigot, which he did on social media in 2019, and saying we must stand up to them (bigots) before its too late.

But he was quizzed on his own use of language about political rivals in a media Q&A afterwards, including his claim last week that the Tories were open borders lunatics that deserve their extinction.

Asked whether he would look at his own rhetoric if he was asking other parties to do the same, he suggested there was a clear difference between what he had said and what other parties had said.

Likening Reform to the Nazis, likening Reform to the fascists, regimes that are clearly the most brutal and horrific in history and saying they pose an urgent threat that needs to be stopped, I think those are in different categories, he said.

Mr Rowan was contacted for comment.

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