Sandwell Conservative leader suspended over abusive tweets
Councillor Laured Kalari said the tweets came from a fake account
The Conservative leader at Sandwell Council has been suspended over alleged abuse tweets aimed at a number of people, including Labour MP Angela Rayner.
Councillor Laured Kalari denied any involvement with the tweets that were published in 2020 and in 2021.
The tweets took aim at a host of people, including the Labour MP Angela Rayner, branding her a "yappy ****".
One tweet posted from the account also made derogatory comments about the family and friends of Sarah Everard, who was murdered last spring.
But Cllr Kalari categorically denied any accusations made against him, saying that the tweets were made by a fake account on Twitter.
The social media posts have since been deleted; however, Cllr Kalari believed that the accusation were part of a campaign to undermine his leadership.
Conservative for West Bromwich East MP, Nicola Richards, said she was "shocked" at the nature of the tweets and welcomed Cllr Kalari's suspension while an investigation takes place.
In a statement, the local politician said the comments made by the account were "abhorrent".
“It has recently come to my attention that a number of historic tweets have come to light, claiming to have originated from my Twitter account. I categorically deny that these were written by me and the view expressed, which are abhorrent, are not the ones I hold.
“The handle from which the tweets claim to have originated, do not match the handle on my verified account – @KalariLaured. I will be contacting West Midlands Police and Twitter as well as seeking additional legal advice.
“I will continue to lead Sandwell Conservatives who are committed to working hard for the people of Sandwell, as well as holding Sandwell Labour to account.”
An investigation has been launched into the posts by Sandwell Council Federation, which confirmed his suspension.
The incident comes as Sandwell Council continues to make the headlines over its organisation.
Last week, the Council was forced to accept external intervention into the day-to-day running of the local authority as a result of in-fighting between councillors.