The impulse to post on social media often overwhelms judgment of what is appropriate to share. Knowing when not to succumb to that urge, exercising due diligence before passing on material that is flatly false or offensive, is an indispensable skill for politicians in the digital age. Or it should be.
It is a test failed by Simon Evans, a Reform UK councillor and deputy leader on Lancashire council. Mr Evans shared a Facebook image of Natalie Fleet, a Labour MP, featuring a fake quote – “I voted against the grooming gang enquiry”. The Bolsover MP has, in reality, campaigned to protect girls from sexual predators. An accompanying comment called for Ms Fleet to be shot. Mr Evans says he did not see the offending remark. He deleted the post and apologised, adding that “this sort of rhetoric has no place in our politics”. Reform UK investigated, concluded that it had been “an honest mistake” and that no further action was required.
