Lincolnshire Conservative councillor Ian Stokes who made racist remark in meeting reinstated

Cllr Ian Stokes
Cllr Ian Stokes was suspended after remarks made at a meeting of South Kesteven District Council. Credit: Google/SKDC

A Conservative councillor who was stripped of his party membership after using a racist term in a meeting has been reinstated.

Ian Stokes resigned as from his role as vice chairman of South Kesteven District Council in Lincolnshire last November after his offensive remarks were live-streamed on YouTube.

The authority received 21 formal complaints over the incident, in which Mr Stokes claimed he had meant to say "needle in a haystack".

He was found to have breached the council's code of conduct.

But the Local Democracy Reporter Service said a spokesman for the council's Conservative group had confirmed Mr Stokes had formally apologised in front of a meeting of the full council and been through equalities and diversity training.

He has now had the Conservative whip restored.

Mr Stokes said said: "I would like to take this opportunity to apologise again for using such inappropriate language. I regret it unreservedly and it was a mistake."