Calls for senior Lincolnshire councillor to resign after using racial slur in meeting

There are calls for one of Lincolnshire's most senior Conservative councillors to resign after he used a racial slur in a council meeting.

The Vice-Chairman of South Kesteven District Council, Cllr Ian Stokes, was chairing a public meeting being broadcast on the authority's YouTube video channel when he used offensive racist language. 

He has apologised and been suspended by the Conservative Party pending an investigation, but there are some demands for him to quit as a councillor altogether. 

Cllr Stokes was chairing the Governance and Audit Committee to discuss the authority’s finances, when in response to another councillor's comments, he made a response using racist language which his own Conservative group has described as completely unacceptable. 

In a statement, the Conservative council leader Kelham Cooke said: “We take any form of racism incredibly seriously, especially when remarks are made that could cause serious offence.

"As a Conservative administration we consider the use of this type of language by any member completely unacceptable.”

The monitoring officer - a senior council official - was also in the meeting. He spoke to Cllr Stokes after the meeting about his language and the authority says the councillor issued an unreserved apology. 

The local Labour group has called for him to consider his position as a councillor, and one national anti-racism group says it's dismayed by what has happened.

Labour group leader at South Kesteven District Council, Cllr Charmaine Morgan, said: "I think what's been said is really quite shocking, it's old terminology that simply has no place in today's society, and really, in view of the situation and in view of his role, Cllr Stokes really should be considering his position."

"It's really disappointing, you kind of think or hope that in this day and age people's language and thinking has evolved. These are public representatives, these people are responsible for defending the rights of their residents and some of those residents will be black, and to use a term like that is appalling."

ITV News Calendar has approached Cllr Stokes for comment, but so far has had no response. 

Maurice McLeod, Chief Executive of Race on the Agenda, said: "It's really disappointing, you kind of think in this day and age people's language and thinking has evolved. These are public representatives - these people are responsible for defending the rights of their residents and some of those residents will be black and to use a term like that is appalling."