UKIP councillor's post on remainers 'repugnant' says council leader Published duration 5 April 2019 Related Topics Brexit

image copyright Swale Borough Council image caption Padmini Nissanga is facing calls to lose her council seat after her comments

A UKIP councillor has sparked a row over a Facebook post describing EU remain voters as "traitors" who should "face the death penalty".

Swale Borough councillor Padmini Nissanga's online post has been described as "appalling and repugnant".

At a council meeting on Wednesday it was revealed all opposition members had received printed copies of the post.

Swale Labour leader Roger Truelove is calling for her name to be removed from ballot papers for the local elections.

Ms Nissanga posted the comments on Facebook in August, and opposition councillors recently received screenshots in their pigeonholes, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Truelove is calling for Ms Nissanga, a UKIP councillor for the Sheppey East ward, to be taken off the ballot paper for the local elections in May if the post is verified by council officers.

'Wipe out traitors'

He told a full council meeting on Wednesday: "The stuff that's on here is absolutely revolting. It's appalling and repugnant."

image copyright Facebook

"We're all in favour of free speech, of course we are, but free speech has to have respect for people and standards of fairness."

Ms Nissanga, who is originally from Sri Lanka, has suggested in other posts that remain voters should be hanged, or attacked by gangs with "huge machetes". She has said that "Conservative and Labour traitors" should be "wiped out".

'Blood money'

She also called former Labour prime minister Tony Blair a "mass murderer".

On Facebook she said that Mr Blair gave "three million visas to foreigners" who are "living with blood money".

Defending her actions, Ms Nissanga said: "This is a democracy, and if people don't agree they don't vote for me.

"I'm very outspoken on Facebook, but this is because I am very patriotic. I am not racist."