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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Nazi costume councillor suspended | Nazi costume councillor suspended |
| (1 day later) | |
| A Liberal Democrat town councillor who dressed as a Nazi officer for a fancy dress party has been suspended by his local party. | |
| Sean Aspey posed for photos at his 40th birthday party last year themed on the comedy 'Allo 'Allo set in Nazi-occupied France and posted them on Facebook. | |
| The issue has caused controversy at Porthcawl town council, Bridgend. | The issue has caused controversy at Porthcawl town council, Bridgend. |
| Mr Aspey, who is said to have called the criticism "political correctness," has been contacted for comment. | |
| He has faced calls to resign for bringing the Conservative-controlled council into disrepute. | He has faced calls to resign for bringing the Conservative-controlled council into disrepute. |
| Local Lib Dem party chiefs suspended him temporarily while an internal inquiry into the affair is carried out. | Local Lib Dem party chiefs suspended him temporarily while an internal inquiry into the affair is carried out. |
| All images of him appeared to have been removed from the website. | All images of him appeared to have been removed from the website. |
| But the photographs, showing a grinning Nazi-uniformed Mr Aspey wearing a monocle, had already appeared in a number of newspapers. | But the photographs, showing a grinning Nazi-uniformed Mr Aspey wearing a monocle, had already appeared in a number of newspapers. |
| The images were taken at the party at a Porthcawl pub in March last year. This is not the standard you expect of someone who holds public office David Deere, Porthcawl council member | |
| The event took place two months before he was elected a Liberal Democrat councillor on the 19-member council. | |
| Conservative council member David Deere said: "I just feel that he needs to consider his position on Porthcawl town council. | |
| "This is totally inappropriate behaviour and very offensive." | "This is totally inappropriate behaviour and very offensive." |
| He said council members in general were "all quite appalled". | He said council members in general were "all quite appalled". |
| He added: "This is not the standard you expect of someone who holds public office. I think that the general feeling is that he has brought the council into disrepute." | He added: "This is not the standard you expect of someone who holds public office. I think that the general feeling is that he has brought the council into disrepute." |
| 'Political correctness' | 'Political correctness' |
| Mike Clarke, chairman of the Bridgend branch of the Liberal Democrats, said: "We have taken the action of temporarily suspending Mr Aspey from the party pending an internal inquiry. | Mike Clarke, chairman of the Bridgend branch of the Liberal Democrats, said: "We have taken the action of temporarily suspending Mr Aspey from the party pending an internal inquiry. |
| "We take any allegations of impropriety very seriously and the local party will be looking in greater detail at the situation and coming to a decision on Mr Aspey's future within the Welsh Liberal Democrats. | "We take any allegations of impropriety very seriously and the local party will be looking in greater detail at the situation and coming to a decision on Mr Aspey's future within the Welsh Liberal Democrats. |
| "Of course, we have to act in as fair a manner as possible and within the terms of our own constitution." | "Of course, we have to act in as fair a manner as possible and within the terms of our own constitution." |
| Mr Aspey was contacted for comment but could not be reached. | Mr Aspey was contacted for comment but could not be reached. |
| However, speaking to his local weekly newspaper, the Glamorgan Gazette, he said he believed the criticism was an issue of "political correctness". | However, speaking to his local weekly newspaper, the Glamorgan Gazette, he said he believed the criticism was an issue of "political correctness". |
| He said people attending the private party had all dressed as characters from 'Allo 'Allo, which he said was a family programme still shown on television. | He said people attending the private party had all dressed as characters from 'Allo 'Allo, which he said was a family programme still shown on television. |
| He added he would understand if he had caused offence wearing the costume along the town's promenade but insisted the party had been private. | He added he would understand if he had caused offence wearing the costume along the town's promenade but insisted the party had been private. |