.png)
4 hours ago
1
A Reform UK councillor has been accused of being expelled from the Conservative party last year over allegations he sent an unsolicited picture of his “private parts”.
Jaymey McIvor had been due to stand as a Tory parliamentary candidate in July but was suspended before the election. Sources say he was expelled after an investigation into the allegations.
He told the BBC that he denied having sent a picture of his genitals and had resigned from the party.
Reform, which accepted McIvor as its first Essex councillor last year, has stood by him. He spoke at a rally held by Nigel Farage in the east of England last week.
The allegations emerged a council meeting this week, when the Labour councillor Aidan McGurran told the room: “I will take no lectures from someone who’s sat here under false pretences. He was elected as a Conservative councillor.
“He was elected as a Conservative councillor [repeat], he’s now representing Reform, and he hasn’t had the decency to hold a byelection and has no intention to do so. And if you’re really interested in transparency and democracy, Jaymey, tell the people of Ongar why you were expelled from the Conservative party and jumped ship.
“The reason is you sent an unsolicited picture of your private parts, which is a criminal offence. Tell people that and see what they think of it then.”
McGurran was ordered to sit down by the chair, and McIvor did not address the allegations during the meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, McIvor said: “I honestly didn’t hear him say that – there was a lot of shouting going on. What I will say is, he is referring to why I am no longer in the Conservative party.
“All I would simply say is people should worry about their own residents and things going on in their own communities rather than what other councillors are and are not doing.”
He added: “I do not know why any sensible councillor would start saying things like that in the council chamber. But, I honestly didn’t hear him say that, so it would be very wrong of me to comment.”
When asked if he denied the claims, he added: “I don’t think this meeting is about me; it’s about democracy.”
The BBC later reported that McIvor had told them he did not send a picture of his genitals.
The party also said McIvor had been subjected to “abusive and threatening” emails by McGurran, the Labour councillor. McGurran had emailed McIvor last week, telling him to “fuck off you tedious little shit”.
A Reform UK Essex spokesperson said: “Labour and the Conservatives are so worried about losing their seats in May that their councillors are resorting to gutter politics and personal attacks on a young, hardworking public servant.
“Cllr Aidan McGurran has sent threatening and abusive emails to Cllr McIvor from a local government email address. This breaks the code of conduct for members and he should apologise for his behaviour.”
McIvor did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.
Asked by the Guardian about the email, McGurran said: “I’ve got no intention of ever apologising to Jaymey McIvor. It was perhaps a bit hasty but I don’t feel he’s worthy of an apology. As I said in the meeting, he talks about openness and transparency, why doesn’t he tell the people of Ongar the real reason he joined Reform?”
