Nazi supporting Sheffield Reform councillor Nathaniel Menday should be 'sacked immediately'
Mr Menday was elected councillor for Woodhouse in last week’s local elections
Sheffield Liberal Democrats are calling on Reform UK to immediately sack a councillor who posted online support for the Nazi party and Adolf Hitler.
The Lib Dems want an investigation into Nathaniel Menday, who has blamed Jewish people for anitsemitism and criticised some citizens as an “almost subhuman underclass.”
Mr Menday was elected councillor for Woodhouse in last week’s local elections.
Before the poll, The Times revealed he had described Nazis as ‘real visionaries’.
Coun Martin Smith, leader of the Liberal Democrat group at Sheffield City Council, said: “Reform must immediately sack Nathaniel Menday as a councillor and withdraw all support. “
He added: "These further revelations about Reform's Woodhouse councillor are deeply disturbing. Promoting white supremacist symbols, describing others as ‘a subhuman underclass’ and blaming Jewish people for antisemitism are the hallmarks of far-right extremism.
“The Liberal Democrats previously called for Nathaniel Menday to be suspended when he was a candidate. It is deeply concerning that this call was ignored, he was allowed to stand and now the residents of Woodhouse are represented by a councillor who has openly described himself as an ethno-nationalist.
Minesh Parekh, Labour councillor for Crookes and Crosspool, said he had called for Sheffield City Council's standards committee to “take appropriate action.”
He told The Star: Today’s revelations about Nathaniel Menday’s views are horrendous. There is no place for someone who calls themselves an ethno-nationalist.
“He is clearly unfit for public office and should do the decent thing and resign. That he was able to be elected as a Reform UK councillor shows their vetting processes to be an absolute joke - and raises concerns about how many racists or fascists they have snuck into office last week.”
In an Instagram post, he added: “The councillors' code of conduct requires elected members to uphold the seven principles of public life, also known as the Nolan Principles.
“The third of these, objectivity, requires that holders of public office take decisions without discrimination or bias.
“A self- defined ‘ethno-nationalist’ - someone who thinks people do or don't belong based on their racial or cultural identity - clearly falls short in this regard.
“The code of conduct requires members to promote equality and inclusion and not discriminate based on one's protected characteristic.
“Again, councillor Menday's use of white supremacist symbols and attacks on Jewish people fall far short of the standards expected.
“I urge you to act in accordance to your roles, investigate these breaches to the code of conduct, and take appropriate action.”
Reform UK was contacted for comment.
In the Sheffield local elections, Reform gained 12 councillors and now has a total of 13, making it the fourth largest party behind Labour with 25, the Lib Dems with 22 and Green with 20.