A scandal-hit Labour council leader who called rape gang victims ‘white trash’ intends to resign as council leader, and has been ‘administratively suspended’ from the party pending an investigation, the Express can reveal.
Cllr Dennis Jones, who rakes in £20,823 as Council Leader, messaged a young female councillor, Daisy Blakemore Creedon, late at night, after she expressed worries about women’s safety. He responded saying: “Oh so white British cops f*****g poor white trash in Rotherham is OK, is it? Get a f*****g grip, Daisy.”
He went on to accuse her of chasing “populist votes and attention”, adding: “I wish you no luck at all.”
Moments later, in a separate exchange, Jones appeared to mock the younger councillor, saying: “Give them your sweetest pout. And see above for likely outcome lol.”
But, after being contacted by the Express, the Labour Party confirmed they had taken “action”, saying: “The language used here was inappropriate and swift action has been taken, in line with our rules and procedures. We cannot comment further while an investigation is ongoing.”
Yet when the comments were revealed, they sparked immediate outrage, with demands that Labour take disciplinary action and that Jones resign.
Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philp MP described them as “truly abhorrent” saying “Peterborough is one of the 50 towns and cities identified as somewhere these disgusting rape gangs are believed to have operated.”
He added: “Victims and survivors have been let down by this Labour Government, which had to be dragged kicking and screaming every step of the way. The Prime Minister disgracefully smeared as ‘far-right’ those supporting calls for a proper inquiry.
Philp called for Jones to be expelled from the Labour Party, saying: “If Keir Starmer is serious about protecting victims, he will immediately expel this despicable man.”
Independent MP Rupert Lowe also condemned the remarks, having launched his own enquiry into Grooming Gangs across the UK earlier this year. He blasted Jones, calling the comments “disgusting” and “sickening.”
He added: “[Jones] should be turfed out of office. If he had any respect, he would resign today.”
Lowe suggested that grooming gangs could be “an issue in Peterborough too” and that Daisy was “doing superb work raising awareness and pushing for change.”
He added: “Our Rape Gang Inquiry has uncovered evidence of rape gang activity in Peterborough, and it was one of the 85 authorities we named last week.”
Lowe suggested he wasn’t surprised that “this evil has flourished with such contemptuous individuals running local government? He should resign today.”
Alicia Kearns, a Conservative MP, said that the language was “emblematic of the vile, misogynistic and dismissive attitude we’ve seen from Labour MPs, Councillors and this Government who’ve sneered at and let down our girls who needed and deserved support and protection”.
She added that Jones “isn’t fit to lead Peterborough Council – what hope do survivors of rape gangs in Peterborough have with him at the helm? He should resign.”
Another MP, Conservative Katie Lam, said that Jones had “callously” dismissed “legitimate concerns about immigration and women’s safety”.
She continued: “It’s particularly disgusting to see Cllr Jones repeating the ‘white trash’ slur so casually to try to shut this conversation down: this is a trope that contributed to the longstanding cover-up of grooming and rape gangs across the country. The truth is uncomfortable, but it must be heard.”
Jones has not publicly apologised so far and did not respond to requests for comment when approached on numerous occasions by the Express.
Cllr Daisy Blakemore Creedon resigned from the Labour group earlier this year, citing “sustained bullying and marginalisation within the group”. She now sits as an independent.
The Councillor told the Express that she and Jones had a “nice civil conversation up till this point” and that she was “blown away by what he said”.
It is understood Jones will remain sitting as Councillor, pocketing £11,523.96 a year in the process.