Controversial Belfast City Councillor Jolene Bunting is to face a hearing to determine whether she should be suspended from her role.

The Local Government Commissioner for Standards confirmed that a hearing would be held on Tuesday September 4.

Read More

The hearing will determine whether Councillor Bunting should be suspended or partially suspended while investigations into 14 complaints about her conduct are completed.

Councillor Bunting is currently under investigation for breaches of the Northern Ireland Local Government Code of Conduct for Councillors.

She is being investigated for her behaviour towards other people, bringing the council into disrepute, her responsibility under equality legalisation, her use of councillor position and use of council resources.

Councillor Bunting was originally elected as TUV councillor for the Court ward but currently serves as an independent councillor.

She has attracted controversy due to her links to the far-right group Britain First, appearing with leaders Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen at rallies in Belfast.

Golding and Fransen are currently being prosecuted over speeches delivered in Belfast.

Fransen caused a stir in January when she gave a speech from the Lord Mayor's Chair at Belfast City Hall, while on a tour of the facility with Councillor Bunting.

Following a falling out she is no longer associated with the extremist far-right group.

Councillor Bunting also faced criticism after a Tweet in May mentioning the Famine in Ireland featuring a cartoon frog meme popular amongst right-wing groups and trollls.

Belfast Telegraph