Durham Constabulary has confirmed it will take no action against a senior Reform councillor accused by the North East mayor of “inciting racism and hate”, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.
Darren Grimes, Reform’s deputy leader of Durham County Council, was accused by Labour mayor Kim McGuinness of making “hideous” comments on social media.
The former GB News presenter posted a video to his X account last weekend which showed his brother on a boat trip in Scarborough alongside a number of non-white people, including children, which Cllr Grimes said led him to ask “if he was on a dinghy to Dover, but then I realised there are women and children on board”.
In response, Ms Guinness wrote: “This is hideous. Is this not just inciting racism and hate?
“How have we got to a world where an elected representative can post stuff like this unchallenged by his own party leadership or by journalists? This is not how Britain thinks.”
Durham Constabulary confirmed on Wednesday that it had received multiple complaints about the post but would not take any action against Cllr Grimes, who was elected this May as a councillor for Annfield Plain and Tanfield as Reform took control of the county council.
A police spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We received reports relating to a social media post made on Sunday, August 24. Those reports were reviewed, however the content of the post was found not to meet the threshold for a criminal offence.”
Afterwards, Cllr Grimes said: “I welcome this confirmation of the obvious by Durham Police, but regret the complete waste of police time.
“What’s really at stake here is free debate. Labour’s instinct is always to smear anyone who notices reality as a criminal, while they allow mass migration to continue on steroids.
“And instead of taking the measures Reform UK has set out this week to stem the tide, they double down on open borders and empty slogans.
“I was elected to speak up for my residents. I won’t be cowed into silence while Labour ignores the public and our country changes beyond recognition.”
Bill Edgar
Reporter for the Local Democracy Reporter Service.
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
