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Deputy leader apologises for sharing post about MP

Gina MillsonNorth West
News imageLancashire County Council An image of County Councillor Simon Evans, he is not smiling, has dark hair and is wearing a navy suit, white shirt and blue tie.Lancashire County Council
Reform's Simon Evans has apologised to MP Natalie Fleet

The deputy leader of Lancashire County Council has apologised after re-sharing a social media post that appeared to call for an MP to "be shot".

Reform's Simon Evans said he shared a post about Natalie Fleet, the MP for Bolsover in Derbyshire, from an "unknown user", containing a misattributed quote suggesting she had voted against having an inquiry into grooming gangs.

He went on to say that he "did not notice" the accompanying offensive text and that he immediately deleted it as soon as it was pointed out.

Evans said: "I would never intentionally call for or wish violence upon anyone, regardless of their political beliefs. This sort of rhetoric has no place in our politics."

News imageNatalie Fleet, the MP for Bolsover, who is a white woman with brown hair with a blonde streak at the front. She is wearing a bright pink blazer over a floral print top. She is smiling.
Natalie Fleet is the Labour MP for Bolsover in Derbyshire

In a statement, he apologised to the MP and described the matter as "a genuine mistake that we can all make from time to time, especially on social media".

Reform said the party had investigated but it was agreed it was a genuine mistake and no further action was necessary.

It said: "We accept councillor Evans' apology and version of events."

Posting on X, Fleet said: "Posts like this are so common I don't bat an eyelid.

"But they remind me why my husband and kids begged me not to stand.

"We should be able to fight for our areas without death threats as standard."

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