Parish councillor reported by MP to police over 'threatening' social media posts
Northampton South MP Mike Reader has taken issue with posts made by farmer and parish councillor Philip Weston.
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By Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
A Northants parish councillor, who is also the husband of a candidate standing in West Northants’ only local by-election, has been reported to the police by the MP for Northampton South over comments he made on social media.
Cllr Philip Weston, who sits on Hartwell Parish Council, has been accused of making threats on his social media account, calling for the Prime Minister to be ‘hung and slaughtered’, as well as suggesting that a military coup is needed. Cllr Weston, a farmer from Hartwell, is the husband of Reform UK candidate Laura Weston, who is standing for election in tomorrow’s Hartwell by-election.
MP for Northampton South, Mike Reader, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:
“We are aware of threats made by Philip Weston towards senior politicians, including calling for them to be hung and slaughtered.
“No one deserves to have their life threatened for doing their job.”
He said that police have been notified of the behaviour. Northamptonshire Police have told the LDRS that the posts have been reviewed and no offences have been committed.
The Facebook posts, which were made under an account in Mr Weston’s name, show him allegedly sharing posts about Keir Starmer, commenting he “deserves to bloody hang” and to ‘slaughter the bastard’.
On a post about how Keir Starmer’s fuel tax will destroy British farming, the text reads “we need a military coup or something to put a stop to this now”. Another post which shares a news article about a ‘migrant boat’ bonfire says ‘If only!’.
A Hartwell Parish Council spokesperson said:
“Hartwell Parish Council treats allegations of racist or hateful conduct very seriously. The council stands firmly against all forms of racism, prejudice, and discrimination in council life and in society in general. We are committed to fostering a community that is inclusive, respectful, and fair to all.
“It would be inappropriate for the council to publish commentary on allegations about an individual councillor while the matter is being considered through the proper processes. Complaints about councillor conduct are dealt with through the Monitoring Officer/standards framework and, where relevant, are referred to Northamptonshire Police.
“The council cannot add anything further at this stage.”
A spokesperson for Northamptonshire Police, said:
“We received a complaint about the content of a number of social media posts.
“The posts provided to police have been reviewed and it has been determined that no offences have been committed.”*
Philip Weston has been contacted for comment, but has not responded at the time of publication. Since the LDRS reached out, all posts on the page referenced are no longer visible or appear to have been wiped.
The Facebook page has also recently shared support for his wife, Laura Weston, who is standing for Reform UK in the Hackleton and Roade by-election for West Northamptonshire Council. A post from last month says that “the only choice for change, and to get our country back on the straight and narrow is a vote for Reform UK and in West Northamptonshire a vote for Laura Weston”.
Both Mrs Weston and Reform UK have been approached to ask if she would like to condemn the posts. No response has been received.
The full list of candidates for the Hackleton and Roade seat are:
Maggie Clubley – The Conservative Party
Peter French – Labour and Co-operative Party
Ron Johnson – Independent
Dave Pearson – Green Party
Stephen Gordon Shellabear – Liberal Democrats
Laura Christine Weston – Reform UK
Northamptonshire Police statement added after publication on May 7.
I don’t grasp why this isn’t an offence, especially since the murders of Jo Cox and David Amess.
Anyone, from the Parish Council have a duty of care for all their residents in their Parish. It is incomprehensible that no one in that Parish has spoken out against all the violence statements being promoted by Cllr Weston on social media. For the Parish Council to say due process has to be fellowed is nonsensical and should be treated as such. There is a limit to loyalty to your fellow Councillors.