Tory councillor apologises after being suspended for claiming Putin wanted to give Ukraine independence and branding media ‘blatant liars’
- Shayne Pooley, a councillor in Ipswich, has been suspended for pro-Putin posts
- Cllr Pooley wrote online that the Kremlin are giving ‘independence’ to Ukraine
- The social media post accused western media outlets of being ‘blatant liars’
- Following his suspension by the Tories, Cllr Pooley apologised for the remarks
A Tory councillor has been suspended and forced to apologise after using social media to claim that Putin wanted to give Ukraine independence and accused the media of being liars.
Shayne Pooley who sits on Ipswich Borough Council has been suspended from the Conservative Party after apparently backing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The posts, sent from Cllr Pooley’s account, contain Russian propaganda and conspiracy theories about the invasion of Ukraine.
One post includes part of an online news story with a comment from Cllr Pooley’s account stating that ‘Putin just wants to give the people of Ukraine independence, it’s what they want. The media are nothing but blatant liars’.
A further post allegedly backs another Kremlin claim that the state of Ukraine does not exist.
Shayne Pooley, a councillor who sits on Ipswich Borough Council, has been suspended by the Conservative Party after he made social media posts backing the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Fact-checkers from the London School of Economics have previously refuted this, writing that the claim was ‘based on a dangerously distorted reading of the past’.
Cllr Pooley has now apologised for the posts saying: ‘On reflection, I can see that my social media posts were wrong and were made as a result of believing false propaganda that has been presented as facts.
‘I profusely and sincerely apologise for any offence that I have caused and offer my support to the people of Ukraine.’
Conservative Group leader at Ipswich Borough Council, Ian Fisher, said: ‘We were made aware of a social media post by Cllr Pooley relating to the conflict in Ukraine.
‘After investigating we immediately took the decision to suspend him from the party and the Conservative Group on the council pending further enquiries.
Cllr Pooley, who has since apologised for his comments, wrote online: ‘Putin just wants to give the people of Ukraine independence, it’s what they want. The media are nothing but blatant liars’
‘The post does not reflect the opinions of the Conservative Association who wholeheartedly stand behind the people of Ukraine in their struggles against the ferocious aggression from Vladimir Putin.
‘We all wish for a quick, peaceful conclusion to the aggression shown by Russia and a return to Ukraine being a self-determining democratic country in its own right.’
David Ellesmere, Labour leader of Ipswich Borough Council, said: ‘Yesterday was a dark day for Europe, for democracy, and for the values we hold so dearly in the West.
‘While the rest of the continent looked on in horror and stood in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, we saw a Conservative councillor here in Ipswich apparently making excuses for Putin and his assault on the people of Ukraine.
‘To suggest that Putin is somehow liberating Ukraine, a sovereign country whose people deserve the basic right to self-determination, is nothing short of a disgrace and puts a stain on the Conservative Party’s name.
‘I’m glad the Conservative Party has taken action, but these comments should never have been made in the first place.’
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