‘Anti-Islam posts’ land Reform councillor James Lee in controversy

NORFOLK’S newest councillor has found himself in hot water just days into the role, following the emergence of social media posts in which he said Islam should be banned and Muslims deported.

James ‘Jimmi’ Lee, who was elected to represent Acle for Reform at a Broadland Council byelection last Thursday (15), is at the centre of a row over the messages on his X account.

Officials at the authority said they were aware of concerns about the posts and that Lee would receive training to ensure that from now on he would abide by its code of conduct.

Lee and Reform UK declined to comment, but his posts have been deleted since the Eastern Daily Press (EDP) approached the councillor and the party.

Opponents on the council described the messages as “racist and Islamophobic” and said they raised questions over Reform’s vetting of its candidates. In April 2024, Lee responded to a comment on X describing Islam as a “divisive, fundamentalist hate cult”. He said this was a “lovely and accurate post”.

In another post later that month, he replied to a set of images featuring politicians of black and Asian heritage, including Rishi Sunak and Sadiq Khan.

Lee’s response said “we are being infiltrated to the very core of our heritage” and described them as “the enemy in waiting”.

Another post Lee shared in the same month showed an image of a Muslim man being kicked and proclaimed “the only way to save Europe” was “mass deportation”. Lee replied: “Said it for years.”

In June 2024, he replied to a post asking whether Islam should be “made illegal in the UK” and said: “Yes.”

The by-election was called following the resignation of Conservative Lana Hempsall.

Lee was elected with 322, a comfortable margin ahead of the Conservative’s Vincent Tapp, with 208, the Greens’ Peter Carter, with 200, Labour’s Emma Covington, with 186, and Lib Dem’s Philip Matthew with 54 votes.

A spokesman for the council said: “After his election on Thursday, Mr Lee will now go through the introduction and training process of becoming a Councillor.

“Part of that process will include training in his responsibilities as a councillor and as with all councillors he will be expected to abide by Broadland District Council code of conduct.”

(Local Democracy Reporting Service)