The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has been suspended from the Conservative Party after being photographed dressed as Adolf Hitler.Mike Gardner, who was pictured giving a Nazi salute at a fancy dress party, said he had done "nothing wrong". He has vowed to remain as leader of the Conservative-controlled council, serving as an independent. Conservative Party headquarters said he had been suspended pending an investigation into his conduct.
Asked why he had chosen to wear the Nazi-style uniform, Mr Gardner said: "It's one of those situations, you had to be there. There was nothing wrong, it was just good fun. I was at a fancy dress party, it was nothing more."
He said the Conservative Party's decision to suspend him had been "very improper".
The images were taken from a Facebook page, which Mr Gardner said was a "total violation of my privacy".
He said: "I am a councillor who represents the people, politics is not my thing, serving the people is my game. I am disgusted about what the Conservatives have decided to do. I serve the people of Harrogate and serve them very well actually. If I have gone wrong I will apologise now to the people of Harrogate, if I have offended them in any way."
A council spokesman confirmed that Mr Gardner was still leader but nobody from the local authority was available for further comment on Friday.
BBC
11 comments:
Oh Come on dont go an a witch hunt for a guy who dressed up as a fucking lunatic from history. would anyone have said out if he he'd dressed up as Stalin, Genghis khan, saladin, Richard the lion heart or numerous other historical figures . the fact that he dressed up as a moustachioed arse hole does not make him a Nazi.
please lets have some common sense
Could this possibly explain why Brons kept his teaching job ?
Old Sailor
DOWSON AND GOLDING REALLY HAVE GONE! PAT HARRINGTON AND CLIVE JEFFERSON NOW IN CHARGE. WHAT A HOOT!!!!!
He looks more like Blakey from On The Busses - I'll get you Eddy Butler
He looks a major twat.
DOWSON AND GOLDING REALLY HAVE GONE! PAT HARRINGTON AND CLIVE JEFFERSON NOW IN CHARGE. WHAT A HOOT!!!!!
Maybe Griffin should bring back Derek Holland, Mark Alder and Graham Williamson too and it'll be like the late 1980's all over again!
Griffin will be off to Libya next touting for funds.
I tend to agree with the first post. It's just tasteless fancy dress.
That Republican candidate in Ohio, Richard Iott, did something far more serious in that he joined a reinactment group glorifying the WW2 SS division 'Wiking' and he went on CNN afterwards stating that the Danes, Dutch and Norwegians who joined it during the War weren't collaborators. A lot of the people who join SS reinactment groups here and in America are actual fascists and racists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV37LrNG7KI
@ Anon 2.10pm
I kind of agree: During the 80's I was part of a band who were so successful that we played 3 gigs in 3 years and had to change our name after each one.
That's why there are photo's of me fronting a Country & Western band dressed as (Rockin') Joe Stalin (and his Balalaika Beatboys).
Doesn't mean I ever had any time for the bloke.
On the other hand, you have to question this guy's judgement, if only in giving a gift to his political opponents that will just keep on giving.
(Afficionados of fine Country music in Derby may also remember "Texas Jocko McNuts & the Bayou Beatniks" and "Rockin' Jack Falstaff & his Goodtime Elizabethan Cowpokes". We decided to quit while we were at the top, sit back and watch our legend grow...)
L.U. I made the first post about the witch hunt. Im glad to see most people feel as I do. PC has gone to far that's not to say we have unlimited bad taste and any thing goes,but Im glad to see your not baying for his blood.I was at a fancy dress years ago and 2 Klu Klux Klan figures walked in, it was even funnier when they took there hoods of. One white guy one black.Was funny [maybe you had to be there lol]
Wander if he's a friend of Andrew Brons.
I thought he was pretending to be Prince Harry
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