Bournemouth councillor ‘sorry’ for Twitter comments on race

A Bournemouth councillor made a public apology for controversial online comments about the English Defence League.

Conservative Cllr Sue Anderson read out the apology at Tuesday’s full council meeting. The mum of four, who represents Moordown, had said “nobody else except the EDL stick up for the English”. She also tweeted to an account jointly run by a woman of Asian descent: “If you don’t like it here go back to where you came from.”

She told the full council the tweets were made in haste during a late night conversation without understanding the EDL’s policies. Cllr Anderson added that her tweet to the joint account “could have been offensive” and she made an unreserved apology. She concluded by saying she abhorred any sort of intolerance.

Cllr Anderson, who referred herself to the standards board after the controversy broke, has also been told to do equality and diversity training.

Bournemouth Echo, 18 June 2012