Labour make formal complaint over Hartlepool council leader's 'Hitler' social media comment

Labour said they have submitted the complaint to the local authority’s monitoring officer about an online comment on opposition councillor speeches by Council leader and Independent Union Councillor Shane Moore which they claim makes a veiled reference to Adolf Hitler.

Cllr Moore has labelled the complaint “baseless” and hit back at the “faux outrage” and “propaganda” issued over his metaphor used during what he called “a very civil interaction”.

The post subject to the complaint was in response to a resident who had said that, after watching the last full council meeting, he had “seen some very passionate Labour councillors”.

Cllr Moore responded stating: “I’ve seen some videos of a not very good painter from Austria giving very passionate speeches.

“History shows he was very wrong and was not working for the people.”

A subsequent post from Cllr Moore said he was “simply highlighting” that passion does not equal “honesty/sincerity”.

However Labour group leader Councillor Brenda Harrison claimed the comment “dishonoured the memory of those who were oppressed by the Nazis”.

She added if the council leader had “an ounce of integrity he would realise he has done something wrong and offer a full, public apology.”

Cllr Harrison said: “We are proud of the compassionate, professional and hard working Labour team that we have built in Hartlepool and we will not stand by while they are attacked like this on social media or anywhere else.”

Meanwhile Labour’s Councillor Cameron Sharp, who spoke at the last full council meeting on topics such as council tax and poverty, said the comment was a “grave insult to those who suffered and died” under Nazi oppression.

He added: “I think it’s clear that time has run its course for Mr Moore and he should probably consider his position.”

Cllr Moore said when the “baseless complaint is over” he “looks forward to an apology” from the Labour councillors, who he claimed “should know better”.

He added he himself is “the grandson of brave men who fought against the evils of National Socialism and a grandmother who worked for the British on the denazification of Germany after the war”.

He continued: “I know all too well how dangerous it is when people push a very carefully choreographed narrative against their political opponents in the hope of silencing them.

“The metaphor was used to explain that a passionate speech does not always equal an honest or sincere speech. A fact that no rationally minded person would argue with.

“This is typical faux outrage from the party of the professionally offended.”

Cllr Moore, who did not name the Nazi wartime leader in any of the posts, added that his comment on social media did not mention “Cllr Sharp, council tax nor the last full council meeting”.

A Hartlepool Borough Council spokesman said: “We can confirm that a complaint has been made and it will be looked into in accordance with our normal procedures.”