Nadia Cenci to get equality training after 'virtually no racism' tweet

Conservative councillor Nadia Cenci is to get equality training from Suffolk County Council after a former Labour councillor made a formal complaint about a social media comment earlier this month.

Ms Cenci posted a Tweet saying that she believed there was "virtually no racism in England" during the furore which followed reports of racist abuse being sent to footballers following the penalty loss to Italy in the final of Euro 2020.

This led former borough councillor and Ipswich Mayor Glen Chisholm to lodge an official complaint with the monitoring officers of both Ipswich council and county council. Ms Cenci is a member of both authorities.

Suffolk County council monitoring officer Tim Ryder has now written to Mr Chisholm to say that after consulting with an independent council person, he believed its code of conduct had been breached.

Mr Ryder's letter said: "I am recommending that training is arranged, which will include building an understanding of the impact on the staff of an organisation when behaviour may appear to go against the expressed values of that organisation."

Ms Cenci issued a brief statement saying she accepted the monitoring officer's decision - and added that she would be happy to meet with anyone who had raised a formal complaint about her comments.

When he made the complaint, Mr Chisholm said:  "As a mixed race person I see racism every day of my life - so do my family and friends.

"To say there is virtually no racism in this country is wrong and builds a false narrative. It is like gaslighting the community." 

Mr Chisholm said when he was an Ipswich councillor he had worked with Ms Cenci and respected her work in the community - but be felt offended and disappointed by the statement.

He said he was still awaiting a response to his complaint from Ipswich council - he had sent his letter to both authorities.