Thatcham council leader criticised for coronavirus tweet

David Lister, leader of Thatcham Town Council, said: “What’s the chance of Brexit government minister introducing a deadly virus that disproportionately affects men aged over 55 on Brexit day?” 

In his tweet on January 30, he referred to British citizens evacuated from Wuhan province on January 31, and Dominic Raab, foreign secretary, who used to be the Brexit minister.

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Cllr Lister said: “Let’s say it’s called the Brexit virus. Step forward Dominic Raab.”

A flight carrying 150 Britons flew from China to RAF Brize Norton in England, on the same day the UK officially left the European Union.

He later tweeted: “I mean really, just what is the chance of this happening? It couldn’t be scripted. Raab has a lot to take credit for in coordinating this for Brexit Day.”

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Richard Benyon, the previous MP for Newbury, criticised Cllr Lister, calling the post “disgraceful.”

Mr Benyon said: “If a member of my local party had tweeted something so unpleasant, I would have insisted on their expulsion. Time to bring people on both sides of Brexit together.”

This was echoed by Steve Ardagh-Walter, the lead councillor at West Berkshire Council for the environment. 

Cllr Ardagh-Walter said: “Obnoxious and unacceptable, particularly from an elected councillor.” 

However, Cllr Lister later said he had been “misrepresented”. 

In a statement, he said: “Coronavirus is not a joke. It is a serious risk and people should be aware if they are in the risk group.

“The repatriation could have happened before or after [January 31]. I just said, what was the chance of it happening on that day organised by the ex-Brexit secretary.

“[The tweets] have been totally misrepresented by a few people, who are claiming something that wasn’t said, for political mischief.”