Outrage as ex-BNP Tory councillor equates Canadian PM to Hitler

A South Kesteven District Councillor has come under fire for a series of tweets which called COVID restrictions a “tool for evil” and accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of “going all Hitler” on the population.

Conservative Councillor for Aveland ward Dr Peter Moseley took to his personal Twitter account on January 1 to say: “We’re now into 2022… My hopes for this year are many, but the most important one is the repeal of vaccine mandates for front line healthcare staff, and the end to the emergency measures within the coronavirus act.

“It has turned out to be a tool for evil, rather than good.”

Councillor Dr Moseley has used his account to argue against masks for school children and vaccine mandates. He also accuses COVID stats of being “propaganda” and “misleading”.

However, he doesn’t appear to be anti-vax, tweeting: “A vaccine passport is a divisive control measure which doesn’t have any health or infection control benefit at all.

“To accept them is accepting the loss of your freedom to participate in living. A vaccination protects you, take it for yourself if you choose.”

Tweeting about Canada’s COVID rules and comments from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau around vaccine hesitancy, he said: “Trudeau has lost his mind. He is completely nuts and is holding an entire country hostage.

He later called him a “psychopath” and adds: “Yep, we can see Trudeau going all Hitler on the population.”

He also accuses his own government in the UK of “bullying schoolchildren” and “acting like bossy parents”.

The tweets have come under fire from several councillors.

Independent SKDC Councillor Richard Cleaver said: “I’m simply shocked that he claims that the Coronavirus Act “has turned out to be a tool for evil”.

“To put up an argument to say that the Act has had some unintended negative effects would be one thing, but to say that it has become a “tool for evil” is a rather extreme claim which either needs to be backed up with some evidence or withdrawn.”

And his tweet even got a response from prominent former MP Anna Soubry.

Councillor Amanda Wheeler said:”Likening Trudeau to Hitler is appalling.”

And she pointed to Lincolnshire Hospital bosses declaring a Critical Incident due to COVID cases and staff absence over the weekend.

“It does seem very irresponsible of councillors to be spreading messages regarding anti-vaccine and anti-mask wearing,” she said.

“I appreciate that Councillor Moseley wants an end to all restrictions and “freedom”.

“I personally think that getting vaccinated and wearing a mask in crowded places is the best way of combatting COVID, ending restrictions and restoring “freedom”.”

Labour’s Councillor Lee Steptoe said: “These views are clearly abhorrent and will undermine public health measures that are needed to protect against COVID.

“Dr Mosely is an ex-member of the BNP and so has a record of extreme views going back many years.

“It is disappointing that the Tories continue to indulge them.”

He said his party would be meeting this week to consider whether to lodge a complaint to the council’s Monitoring Officer.

Councillor Moseley has not responded to a request for a comment by Local Democracy Reporting Service, and has since blocked the reporter on Twitter.

However, he did later tweet: “Apparently some people with political motivations who watch my tweets have expressed concern at the strong use of words… I couldn’t care less.

“If it takes strong words to make people sit up then so be it! If you can’t handle that then please close the door on your way out.”

Conservative council leader Councillor Kelham Cooke has also been contacted but had not responded at the time of publication.