Reform UK deputy leader reshared social media post calling for Labour MP to be shot

We reveal how the deputy leader of Lancashire County Council is to face no action for the shocking post he shared on Facebook

Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead - coming to you early this week with an exclusive story about the actions of a senior Reform figure in the county.

We can reveal Reform UK will take no action against their deputy leader in Lancashire after he reshared social media content calling for a Labour MP to be shot.

The party considers the post, which was aimed at Labour MP for Bolsover and grooming gangs inquiry campaigner Natalie Fleet, to have been an ‘honest mistake’.

Labour, nationally, are now calling for Nigel Farage to step in and suspend Cllr Evans for his actions branding the post “grotesque and misogynistic”.

Cllr Simon Evans removed the post on Tuesday morning and posted an apology.

Reform UK deputy leader reshares social media post calling for Labour MP to be shot

Cllr Simon Evans

By Luke Beardsworth

A Reform UK councillor and local deputy leader reshared content on social media calling for a Labour MP to be shot.

County Cllr Simon Evans reshared a post on Monday (23 February) on Facebook which showed an image of Natalie Fleet, Labour’s MP for Bolsover and who has spoken out about grooming gangs, with the caption “i voted against the grooming gang enquiry.”

The original post, from a Malcolm Bulmer, included the text: “YOU DOZY COW… YOU SHOULD BE SHOT.”

But The Lancashire Lead was told that no formal action will be taken against Cllr Evans by Reform UK - who are aware of the post.

The party investigated the post but, after speaking with Cllr Evans - who is deputy leader for Reform UK at Lancashire County Council and the party’s county councillor for Skelmersdale Central - on Tuesday morning (24 February), they said that they considered it to be an ‘honest mistake’. Cllr Evans has since switched his Facebook profile to private.

They added that Cllr Evans was ‘mortified’ when he saw that the post had called for an MP to be shot.

The Lancashire Lead approached Lancashire County Council, Cllr Simon Evans and Reform UK’s Lancashire leader Stephen Atkinson for further comment.

In a post on Facebook, Cllr Evans said: “Yesterday, I shared a post featuring Natalie Fleet MP highlighting how she voted on the grooming gang inquiry. As many of you know, this is an issue close to my heart and something I have been campaigning on tirelessly even before I was elected.

“Unfortunately, what I did not notice was the accompanying text of the Facebook post that was created by an unknown user. As soon as this was pointed out, I immediately deleted the post. I would never intentionally call for or wish violence upon anyone, regardless of their political beliefs. This sort of rhetoric has absolutely no place in our politics.

“I would like to sincerely apologise to Ms Fleet and anyone else for the offence caused. This was completely unintentional and was a genuine mistake that we can all make from time to time, especially on social media.”

Natalie Fleet MP said in a post on X: “Posts like this are so common I don’t bat an eyelid.

“But they remind me why my husband & kids *begged* me not to stand.

“I felt huge responsibility; last lab gov helped me, I wanted to help others.

“But…we should be able to fight for our areas w/o death threats as standard.”

The Lancashire Lead has approached Natalie Fleet for further comment.

Alex Davies-Jones MP, Labour’s Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, told The Lancashire Lead: “This grotesque and misogynistic call to violence has absolutely no room in society.

“Yet Nigel Farage continues to insult the public by tolerating these extremist views in Reform. It’s completely unacceptable.

“Farage should grow a backbone and immediately suspend his councillor for this vile and dangerous threat.”