A Conservative Gedling councillor has been confronted on film by demonstrators in Manchester after allegedly ‘stealing and damaging’ their EU flag.
Cllr Sam Smith, who represents Trent Valley on Gedling Borough Council, told demonstrators in the video, with flag in hand: “We don’t want the EU’.
He also called the protest ‘anti-democratic’.
As well being the youngest councillor on Gedling Borough Council, Mr Smith is also the youngest Conservative Party branch chairman in the country.
He dismissed the claims made by the protestors in the video and also on Twitter.
He told Gedling Eye: “I saw and removed what I believed were a couple of EU flags left abandoned from a protest. When we were told they belonged to someone I gave them back and they were given a small sum in recompense.
“I engaged in a low level act of direct action protest of my own to express my intense frustration at the refusal to accept the result of the referendum and I consider that people should be much more concerned about the theft of democracy.
Im sorry, he stole the flags and the police made him pay compensation. Its very clear on the video. As a school governor, councillor and customer sevices manager, he has broken every code of conduct. He would be the first to condemn anyone else behaving in this manner. A disgrace to the council.
His denial is not worth anything against the video evidence. His entire attitude was one of arrogance and privilege.
He is also vice chair of the Governors of Priory Junior School. We should ask if he is an appropriate person to be involved in the education of children.
Get him removed from his position of influence.
He will not learn otherwise.
The irony of proclaiming “theft of democracy” when this twerp is attending CPC 2019 in the shadow of 11 Supreme Court Judges unanimously finding that Cummings/Johnson lied to the Monarch & tried to shut down Parliament to avoid scrutiny.
Johnson is furthermore still intent on breaking the law to try to force through a country-damaging No Deal.
Time for the electorate to take back control from the arrogant Tories & their illegitimate minority Government.
Everyone expects doctors, teachers, lawyers, the Police etc to have standards and to stick to them. We expect the same of our MPs and Councillors.
I hope this incident will be taken to Gedling Borough Council’s Standards Committee.
Despite Councillor Smith’s assertion that he didn’t do what is in the video, it is quite obvious he did.
Taking his lead from Johnson who goes into denial mode even when the facts are staring him in the face.
Seriously Mr Smith, when you’re in a hole, stop digging. Anybody who has actually seen the video knows his version of events is nonsense. The headline here exactly sums up what happened. Well done to the police officer who handled it well. Oh and for the record, a peaceful protest by citizens is a fundamental thing in our democracy. Even if you don’t like their views. Disturbing that any elected official – of whatever party – does not realise that.
If what he claimed is true why did he hang on to the flag when the lady tried to take it back?
“The party of law and order”?
You’d almost expect almost this kind of behaviour from a beered-up EDL goon, when Tommeh had been in court. But this is a councillor. Elected representative. Probably with aspirations for higher office. SHAME!
Though resolved at the scene, there was theft and criminal damage.
Are you happy for this braying, entitled twit to represent you?
He is, quite clearly and plainly, a liar. Why are people (especially in the media) allowing liars and their lies to go unchallenged. If I behaved like this, even in a job in the private sector, I would be subject to investigation and potential disciplinary. This spoilt man child is there, in Manchester, representing both his political party and Gedling Council. He should be held to account instead of being given carte Blanche to lie in a feeble defence, easily undermined by the evidence plain to see in the footage.
This is unacceptable. We do not pay our council tax for our councillors to waste time running around stealing flags. I want a Brexit Deal, but breaking the law is not going to achieve anything. I hope he is deselected soon!
Typical Tory low life.
Like their leader, they think they are above the law.
For Cllr Sam Smith (Conservative), democracy began and ended in 2016.
The party of breaking the law and encouraging disorder it seems. Lead from the front.