Reform in Reverse
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN
Reform UK has withdrawn its threat to report Barry Ashley, the owner of the Grumpy Cook café in Robertson Street, to the police, along with local Labour MP Helena Dollimore. The party, which now controls East Sussex County Council (ESCC), had accused them of “inciting hatred and potential violence” against Council Leader Andy Woolley, following the Council’s decision to scrap summer holiday food vouchers for children.
Helena Dollimore had described the Council’s decision as “disgraceful” while Barry Ashley promised to “provide free lunches to those who need them most to ensure that no child goes hungry during the school holidays.”
Local anger over the council decision was picked up by the national media, sparking sharp criticism nationwide. In response, Cllr Woolley addressed the hostility directed at him and his family in an email to Ms Dollimore and Mr Ashley. He pointed out that it was a collective decision by the ESCC Cabinet to stop issuing the vouchers and claimed “Your continued naming of me personally has led to an increase in online abuse of me personally and has now reached a point where you could be responsible for inciting hate and potential violence against me, a political official, and members of my family. You of all people should be aware of the increased sensitivity of these sorts of posts since the sad murder of Ann Widdecombe. As such, I shall be reporting you both to the police and to the Parliamentary Standards Committee.”
Mr Ashley said he was taken aback by the Council Leader’s response to his Help Feed a Child This Summer initiative. He has been providing kids with free meals each day to ensure that no child goes hungry during the school holidays and said he never expected this would end in threats of police action.
Initial disbelief over Cllr Woolley’s threatening emails quickly gave way to ridicule across social media, as the Council Leader, an advocate for free speech, was mocked for seemingly opposing it.
Following the backlash, a spokesperson for Reform UK issued a statement clarifying that Cllr Woolley was not pursuing a personal complaint against either Mr Ashley or Ms Dollimore. Instead, “was seeking advice through Sussex Police’s procedure for supporting elected members who receive threats and abuse.” The spokesperson went on to say: “No one should face a police report for simply criticising a decision the council has made.”
The spokesperson concluded by saying Cllr Woolley and his family had received a “large amount of highly abusive and threatening messages from other people across the country, well beyond Sussex. The decision to end the vouchers was taken collectively and has been personalised in a way that a collective decision should not be. Andy has always been clear that he does not hold Mr Ashley or Ms Dollimore responsible for the abuse itself, which has come from others.”
Ms Dollimore welcomed “the clarification”. She said “politicians and members of the public should be free to comment on and criticise decisions made by their opponents. I know that Reform UK includes ‘defence of free speech’ as amongst its policies.”
Mr Ashley said he would continue to provide free meals to struggling families.
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