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Controversial Belfast Councillor Jolene will be disqualified from standing in next year’s local elections, multiple City Hall sources have said.

The claims come following a council year for the Greater Shankill representative that has seen around 100 formal complaints filed with the Commissioner for Standards regarding her behaviour.

One post on social media alone months ago drew widespread shock from several of Ms Bunting’s fellow councillors.

The tweet in question featured a cartoon frog, made light of the Famine and was branded “sectarian and deeply offensive” by some commentators.

One representative said it was a “new low” for any publicly elected politician to issue such a tweet, as the image had also been used in recent years by online trolls to target autistic children.

Cllr Bunting denied this was the purpose of the offending message, later claiming it was related to Brexit.

It has now emerged in recent days that adjudication proceedings will take place before the end of the year. One well-informed City Hall source stated that while “the timing may be bad, given the bonfire season coming up and the limited council meetings and so forth over the summer, it has to happen”.

“Her position has just become more and more untenable in recent months, what with these rallies every other week and the Britain First links.

“It has to be done and it’s the right decision. It’s one everyone hates to see happen, but that’s what rules are for - there is an expected level of behaving in City Hall.”

Another source said even council officials themselves have complained about Jolene Bunting on several occasions in the council year just past, both informally and formally to the Local Government Commissioner.

Ms Bunting is has been widely criticised by other Northern Ireland politicians and community groups, as well as Belfast Islamic Centre, since the beginning of the year due to her public support and links to far-right organisations, including Britain First and Generation Identity.

GI, a European-wide anti-immigration movement, has been present at the last two “UK Freedom Rallies” outside City Hall in the past four weeks, with another event scheduled for July 14 - in the wake of Bonfire Season.

Councillor Bunting has helped organise all such rallies to date in Belfast, which have seen crowds of hundreds of counter-demonstrators, citizens and far-right protesters descend upon City Hall in a public face-off in each occasion.

Jolene Bunting did not respond to a request for comment before publication.

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