Monmouthshire councillor who linked minister’s actions to Holocaust quits with rapid impact

A county councillor has stop her cupboard put up after she accused a authorities minister of “whipping up anti-Traveller feeling”.

Councillor Sara Burch’s feedback at the start of August had been made in reference to Wales Secretary David TC Davies and fellow Monmouthshire county councillor, Frances Taylor, a member of the Independent Group.

Gwent Police mentioned they’d be taking no further action over the Wales Secretary’s flyer which he denied was discriminatory.

The flyer, entitled “Gypsy and Traveller site coming to your area soon!”, attacked the native council over an absence of session.

Mr Davies, who was appointed Wales Secretary final October, went on to ask residents of his Monmouthshire constituency: “Would you like to see a Traveller site next to your house?”

Monmouthshire County Council on Wales’s japanese border had a Conservative majority till May final yr when Labour grew to become the most important group.

Cllr Burch, who had served because the council’s member for inclusive and energetic communities since final yr, quoted a put up of X, previously often called Twitter, commemorating the victims of the Roma and Sinti Holocaust on 2 August.

In her put up, she mentioned it was “shameful that on this day [Cllr Taylor] and [Mr Davies] were out whipping up anti-Traveller feeling in Magor with Undy in advance of consultation about future sites”.

In an announcement on Tuesday, Monmouthshire County Council confirmed Cllr Burch had resigned from her place “with immediate effect”.

Councillor Mary Ann Brocklesby, chief of the council, mentioned she acknowledged Cllr Burch’s “genuine regret and apology for her social media post linking the actions of David TC Davies and Cllr Frances Taylor to aspects of the Holocaust”.

“It was wrong and unacceptable,” she added.

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Cllr Brockelsby mentioned that Cllr Burch can be “missed” from cupboard and had been a “dedicated and hardworking member”.

Cllr Burch won’t get replaced and as a substitute her duties have been shared between different members of the cupboard.