In an email seen by birkenhead.news, Councllor David Burgess-Joyce has responded to his deselection by the Conservative Party.
Mr Burgess-Joyce currently represents the Greasby, Frankby and Irby ward. However, his deselection will mean that he will not stand for reelection as a Conservative councillor in the next local elections.
The email reads, “Good evening all. I wanted to tell you first before the gloaters did that I was not selected this evening. I have known for some time that this would happen, not least having a fellow councillor on the panel who I had challenged for the leadership of the group (who is also up for re-selection!) together with an ex-colleague who never wanted me as the GFI candidate all the way back in 2015. At least there won’t be any competition for the group leadership now.
“I will now decide what I wish to do going forward, but as the leadership let me down in the past, and continue to do so, I hold out little hope. I remain a conservative and always will be but it is clear my criticism of certain directions has come to this, despite having a huge majority at my last election.
“It does intrigue me that we have a councillor who votes against the group and never attends any meetings yet he will be standing next May as he’s never been challenged. Funny old world, isn’t it?
“I would like to say I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you and am proud to call you fellow conservative travellers. You all work so hard and make a real difference. And remember, you are conservatives in Merseyside: a genuine achievement. You epitomise to me the very best of what conservative values are and I genuinely wish you the very best for the coming elections. “
No stranger to controversy, Mr Burgess-Joyce attracted significant criticism in July 2019 when he accused MP David Lammy of causing “more damage to community cohesion than any KKK member.” The Ku Klux Klan are a United States based hate group that believes in white supremacy and white nationalism. Since 1865, the KKK has been responsible for the murder and persecution of black people.
Cllr Burgess-Joyce later apologised for the “unacceptable analogy”.
He also claimed he had apologised to the Labour MP and said his words were “crass” and “inappropriate.”
In 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he suggested that teachers who did not return to work at the start of the new term should be sacked. In a Facebook comment, he said, “Should do what Reagan did when the Air Traffic Controllers decided to strike: he sacked those who didn’t return to work! Had the deserved result.”
A fan of President Trump, Burgess-Joyce has praised his style and ability on numerous occasions and has led the conversation on what he believes is a Marxist take-over via such groups as Extinction Rebellion and Black Lives Matter.
A 2016 BBC report stated he was sacked from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) for misconduct and he was “urged to resign as a councillor” by Angela Eagle MP.
At the time, he responded by saying, “I totally refute any allegations of untoward expenses claims on my part during my time working with the agency,” he said.
“I can confirm that I have no criminal record, have never been arrested or investigated by police or HMRC and retired from the Merseyside Police Special Constabulary in February 2014 due to health reasons.”
Image credit: John Brace – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1KkS6Glack, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80490834
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