Jeremy Newmark, the Labour leader of Hertsmere Council in Hertfordshire, has been cleared of a formal complaint that alleged he made racist comments about Nigerians. The complaint, lodged by former borough mayor Alpha Bird Collins, also accused Newmark of fabricating remarks about Liberians being homophobic.
The council's standards panel dismissed the complaint in June, stating that Mr. Collins submitted his claim five months after the alleged remarks were made without explanation. The council also noted that Mr. Collins provided no evidence or witnesses, and the officer present at the meeting where the alleged comments were made had no recollection of them.
According to the complaint, Mr. Newmark allegedly said concerning Nigerians, "You cannot just go there like that, we have to do our due diligence because you know the Nigerians are crooks." Mr. Collins, a former Labour councillor now with Hertsmere First, told the Daily Mail that such labeling and discrimination by a councillor were "absurd and heart-wrenching."
Regarding Liberia, Mr. Collins, who is Liberian, complained that Mr. Newmark had misrepresented remarks about the country's sexuality laws during a council meeting. Mr. Newmark had stated he was aware of "shocking treatment" of LGBTQ people in Liberia and that the conversational element of the ambassador's visit had been "configured in a rather strange way." The council found it "abundantly clear" that Mr. Newmark had not made the remarks attributed to him and that his comment on Liberia, "where consenting same-sex activity is criminalised," could not be reasonably interpreted as Mr. Collins described.
Mr. Collins expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of his complaint, stating, "My official complaint, I put it to him but now, after pressure, they haven't done anything about it."
This dismissal follows other controversies involving Mr. Newmark. In September, he labeled campaigners for Operation Raise The Colours, a group advocating for the display of St George's and Union flags, as "nonces" and "criminals." He also described the group as "an organised and orchestrated attempt by a bunch of criminals, extremists, nonces to hijack our national flag." Mr. Newmark later apologized for these comments, but the local Conservative group called for his resignation.
In March of the previous year, Mr. Newmark accused a Conservative finance spokesman of using an "antisemitic trope" by suggesting he "orchestrates everything in this chamber." Mr. Newmark stated the comments were "straight out of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." He later clarified he did not suggest harmful intent or accuse the individual of antisemitism.
Mr. Newmark's Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition administration has faced recent challenges. The coalition lost its majority last month after a by-election. Reform UK councillors have since tabled a motion of no confidence, citing "ongoing concerns about leadership, transparency and the direction of our council."