How have we got to a world where an elected representative can post stuff like this?
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has hit out at a Reform UK councillor for ‘inciting racism and hate’.
Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor, has slammed Durham County Council’s Darren Grimes for a video that he shared via his X (formerly Twitter) profile.
Cllr Grimes shared a video of his brother on a boat ride in Scarborough, who is alongside a number of families from different ethnic backgrounds.
The Durham councillor made reference to the small boats crisis in his social media post, which has been slammed by many on social media.
The post said: “My brother in Scarborough for a bank holiday weekend away.
“I had to ask him if he was on a dinghy to Dover, but then I realised there are women and children on board.”
Among those who have challenged Cllr Grimes for his post is Kim McGuinness, who has called out Grimes for his “hideous” social media comments.
“Is this not just inciting racism and hate?
“How have we got to a world where an elected representative can post stuff like this unchallenged by his own party leadership or by journalists?
“This is not how Britain thinks.”
In a video response to the Mayor’s post, Grimes claimed that his post was a “joke” and claimed that Mrs McGuinness is “virtue signalling”.
He added: “Let me tell you Kim what is really hideous, mass migration on a scale British never ever, not once, consented to.
“Racism is believing that people are inferior because of their race - I don’t believe that, I didn’t say that.
“What I do believe is that we are letting in huge numbers of people who don’t share our values and in too many cases, don’t wish us well.
“And we don’t have time for this virtue signalling nonsense, smearing ordinary people while our nation changes before our eyes.
“I was elected dear Kim to speak up for my residents. Love of your country, it isn’t hate. Defending your culture and communities, it ain’t racism.
“I’m going to keep speaking my mind, report me all you want - call me, accuse me, whatever you want, we do not have time.”