Cllr Paul Nickerson has resigned from East Riding Council’s Conservative group and has admitted to sending a tweet depicting Jeremy Corbyn at the scene of the Liverpool terror attack.
Cllr Nickerson, who is set to remain an independent member for Minster and Woodmansey, said he was sorry for tweet sent on the evening of Monday, November 15.
The councillor has also reached an out of court settlement with the former Labour leader, agreeing to pay substantial damages after the latter vowed to take legal action.
He has also said in a Facebook statement that his previous denial about sending the tweet, claiming his account was hacked, was a panicked knee-jerk reaction.
The Islington North MP said on his Facebook page he welcomed Cllr Nickerson’s apology but added the tweet showed he did not grasp the seriousness of threat of the terror attack.
He added he would donate the money from the settlement to charities including one in Liverpool and in his constituency.
Mr Corbyn previously said he spoke with his lawyers after the tweet depicting him holding a Remembrance wreath next to the taxi blown up outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital emerged.
It led to East Riding opposition Liberal Democrat deputy leader Cllr Denis Healy calling for his resignation while Beverley and Holderness Labour chair Steve Gallant said the tweet was appalling.
Cllr Jonathan Owen, leader of the ruling Conservatives on the council, said offensive messages would never be tolerated no matter the circumstances.
Cllr Nickerson denied sending the tweet at the time, claiming his Twitter and other social media accounts where the picture also appeared were compromised in a prank gone wrong.
But his latest statement said the claim was merely a means of explaining the tweet away.
An investigation into the tweet has since been launched and remains open.
Cllr Nickerson said he would not walk away from his ward as he has case work which remains open.
He has also released a public apology to Mr Corbyn taking responsibility for the tweet which he said implied the former Labour leader supported terrorism.
The councillor said in his Facebook statement:
“In recently sharing a defamatory image of Jeremy Corbyn on my twitter account I have demonstrated a terrible lack of judgement.
“I have let down my own wife, children and the people of Beverley that I am supposed to represent.
“In trying to explain it away that my account was hacked I made a knee-jerk reaction which further let people down and only made the problem worse.
“I have no excuse for this at all other than foolishness and stupidity on my part and panic in the face of many thousands of people contacting me online, a situation I have never experienced before and hope to never do again.
“I have spent the past week apologising to Mr Corbyn, my family, my colleagues and others for this tweet.
“I have also come to an arrangement for substantial damages payable to Mr Corbyn and posted an apology directly on twitter and have written a further personal apology letter to him.”
Mr Corbyn stated:
“The bomb attack on Liverpool Women’s Hospital on Remembrance Sunday was a horrific crime, which could have killed or maimed countless victims, including new mothers and their babies.
“Cllr Paul Nickerson’s photoshopped Twitter post about me failed to understand the seriousness of the threat and did a disservice to all those affected by the attack and their loved ones.
“So I welcome his decision to apologise for his defamatory post, to agree not to repeat the tweet which he has deleted and to pay substantial damages and legal costs.”
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