A COUNCIL leader was accused of "casual racism" after linking Covid-19 to "somebody eating uncooked bat soup in China".

Conservative Neil Parkin made the comment during a meeting of Adur District Council, which members of the public could watch via a live stream.

His remarks, made in May last year, led to complaints sparking an investigation to decided whether he had breached the council's code of conduct.

A hearing was told that there were concerns that his comment was "feeding into a narrative that China or the Chinese people should be blamed for the outbreak of the virus".

However, the joint governance sub-committee heard that this had to be balanced against his right to freedom of speech.

Councillor Parkin did not attend the hearing last week because he was suffering "ill health" with Covid.

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He was represented by Kevin Jenkins who told hearing: "There wasn’t at the time – and there never has been – the intent from Councillor Parkin to cause offence to any part of the community or utter words of a racist nature.”

Councillor Parkin made the "off the cuff" comment during a debate in which he was repeatedly asked why a strategy paper had been delayed.

As with business at councils all over the country, the delay had been caused by the pandemic. 

Mr Jenkins added “It was not a rehearsed sentence, it was not a rehearsed statement, it was very much in the nature of Councillor Parkin that he always tries to contextualise something when he speaks."

“Obviously in hindsight there are times when we look back and think maybe those words could have been said differently or not said at all or delivered in a different format.”

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Of the nine complaints made, seven were from Labour councillors including Sami Zeglam who accused him of "casual racism".

Councillor Parkin was accused of breaching the code of conduct when it came to to leadership, high standards, equalities and respect.

The council appointed CH&I Associates to investigate the matter.

Director Alex Oram told the hearing that that punishing Councillor Parkin would be a "disproportionate restriction" of his freedom of speech.

The committee also heard from independent person Simon Norris-Jones, who felt there had been a breach, though it was marginal.

Mr Norris-Jones said: “I struggle a bit more with the concept of free speech if it gives people the right to make casual, poorly thought-out comments which show lack of respect or cause offence to others.”

He did not think the Labour councillors were "politicking" when making their complaints, saying they were "probably and justifiably made to hold the council leader to account".

Mr Norris-Jones also raised concerns that the complaints from two members of the public had not been given enough weight during the investigation.

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The committee discussed the matter in private for more than an hour on Thursday before deciding by five votes to one that there had been no breach of the code.

The complaint was dismissed.