Councillor blasted by MP over racist posts

A councillor's sharing of racist messages on social media is "completely unacceptable", an MP has said.

Robin Vickery, a Conservative Suffolk county councillor, shared a post calling for black and Asian people to be deported.

Conservative MP Dan Poulter said there was "no place" for racism in the Conservative Party.

Mr Vickery has not responded to the BBC, but told the Ipswich Star he was "very sorry" for any offence caused.

He also said he was "not aware" the comments about deportation were in the thread when he reposted it on Facebook.

The leader of the Conservative group on Suffolk County Council, Matthew Hicks, said in a statement: "I have requested an investigation takes place into [Mr Vickery's] social media activity and I have asked that the investigation is held as soon as possible."

Mr Vickery has been suspended from the party group on the county council and Ipswich Borough Council where he also sits.

He also reposted two messages on Facebook comparing the reaction to the death of George Floyd with the murder of Lee Rigby.

Dr Poulter, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, said the posts "on the face of it, individually and collectively, appear to be racist and this is completely unacceptable".

He said: "That behaviour has no place in any civilised [political] party".

New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, were Mr Vickery was appointed as an observer on the board by the county council, said his actions were "vile".

The arts venue said it had contacted the authority "to express our disgust; he will not be welcome at board meetings again".

It comes as thousands of people attended largely peaceful anti-racism protests cross the UK over the weekend, including in London, Manchester and Glasgow.

About 1,000 people gathered in Christchurch Park, Ipswich, as part of a Black Lives Matter protest on Saturday.