Reform councillor apologises for racist comments

A Reform UK councillor has apologised for racist comments he made at a council meeting last year.

A complaint was lodged against Lydney councillor Mark Howard over his speech during a Gloucestershire County Council meeting in September 2025.

His comments came during a discussion involving the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers, and were met with strong protests from across the chamber.

"While speaking forcibly about an emotive issue, I made reference to a message received from a former colleague and also made a subsequent comment about Muslim women walking three paces behind their husbands," Howard said in his written apology.

"Although this was not meant to cause offence, it clearly did which, on reflection, was overly robust and drew on unhelpful stereotypes so had the potential to convey unintended hostility, for which I apologise for any offence caused," Howard said.

Conservative councillor Sajid Patel objected at the time and said he had never heard so much "ridiculous racism".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Howard has now acknowledged that his comments "caused a great deal of consternation and inadvertently, offence".

He met Patel in person "so that he might appreciate the genuine sincerity" of his apology.

"In the cut and thrust of the political theatre, emotions can run high, particularly when discussing emotive matters where different political allegiances can often have, deeply held, opposing views," said Howard.

He also said in his apology that he had reflected and would moderate his speeches in the future.

Conservative group leader Stephen Davies, who lodged a standards complaint over the comments, said he was pleased with the outcome.

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