Dudley councillor to face standards committee over alleged Islamophobic tweets
A Dudley councillor accused of tweeting Islamophobic comments is to face a hearing of the council’s standards committee.
Councillor Colin Elcock, who represents the Norton ward, will answer claims he wrote tweets saying Islam was ‘domination not integration’, and asking whether people in Iran were ‘all on the dole’.
He is also accused of making a sexist comment when responding to another tweet which contained a picture of woman’s bottom.
The tweets posted in January have since been deleted.
Councillor Elcock was suspended from authority’s ruling Conservative group and now sits as an independent member for Norton after being elected for the ward in 2012.
Conservative leader, Councillor Patrick Harley, said at the time: “His conduct does not reflect the values of the modern Conservative Party.”
Councillor Elcock faces possible disciplinary action for allegedly breaching the council’s code of conduct.
Dudley Council has now confirmed the allegations will be referred to the authority’s Audit and Standards Committee.
Kevin O’Keefe, Dudley Council’s chief executive, said: “An independent investigation has been conducted and the matter will now be referred to the standards committee for decision, on a date to be determined.”
The next scheduled meeting of the audit and standards committee is not until December 7.
Councillor Elcock's suspension came only weeks after the Stourbridge Conservative Association former vice-chairman, Kyle Pedley, resigned after he made accusations of Islamophobia within the party.
Councillor Elcock has been contacted for comment.
