THE National believes that people should always have the right to change and rethink their views.
... but it does seem a bit of a coincidence that a Tory suspended for a racist social media post was rehabilitated the instant the party needed one seat to take control of a council.
Former mayor Rosemary Carroll's reinstatement gave the Conservatives control of Pendle council in Lancashire, with her rejoining the party "as the votes were being counted" today.
She has now "sincerely apologised" over a racial Facebook joke which saw her suspended from the Tories.
Carroll made a post comparing an Asian with a dog last June, but has now, miraculously, realised the error of her ways in the nick of time. And it just so happens the Tories have narrow control of the council because of it.
The council said it was told Carroll had rejoined the party at lunchtime.
Conservative group leader Paul White said: "The post was shared in error but Rosemary fully accepted the potential upset caused and sincerely apologised.
"Having served her suspension period she rejoined the party and completed additional diversity training."
We'd be interested to know why non-additional diversity training doesn't cover the fact you shouldn't compare a race of people with a dog, and in how additional diversity training will help someone avoid "sharing in error" a racist post.
Carroll, a former mayor of Pendle who represents the Earby ward, had previously said she meant to delete the post but accidentally published it in error – not an acceptable explanation at the time it seems, but now...
The leader of the Labour group, Mohammed Iqbal, 47, said the situation was an "appalling state of affairs".
He said: "Here's a councillor who brought shame on the borough on an international level and was welcomed back into the fold with open arms simply to grab control to the council.
"She turned up with a Conservative rosette literally as the votes were being counted."
Carroll was suspended from the party for three months over the post.
The political balance of the council is now Conservatives, 25 seats; Labour 15 seats, LibDems nine seats.
Iqbal added: "If it was a fair and square result I could take it on the chin but this is shocking."
A Tory power grab, you might say...
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