Polly has demanded an apology after comments made by Reform UK’s Cllr Terry Mole that “nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors” in the case of a Reform UK councillor convicted of coercive control.
Cllr Mole made the comments on Facebook after being challenged by a Thanet resident about Dan Taylor’s conviction. The former Reform UK Councillor for Cliftonville was imprisoned for twelve months after pleading guilty to coercive control, which included threatened to kill his partner, isolating her from her friends and family, and trying to convince her she was mentally ill when she challenged his abusive behaviour.
In her letter Polly Billington MP said attitudes like Cllr Mole’s “make it harder for women to escape abuse and to secure the justice they deserve.”
She also said: “In this case, what ‘went on behind closed doors’ is a matter of public record. Dan Taylor engaged in a campaign of abuse… facts he did not deny in court when he pleaded guilty to the offence.”
Dan Taylor’s conviction triggered a byelection in Cliftonville, where Labour’s candidate Joanne Bright – a prominent local campaigner against violence against women and girls – has made community safety and delivering better services for victims of abuse a prominent theme of her campaign.
Polly Billington MP said:
“Reform UK have tried to distance themselves from their imprisoned colleague, but Cllr Mole’s comments show Nigel Farage’s party simply cannot be trusted when it comes to standing up for women and girls.
“There are thousands of women across Kent who will have experienced domestic abuse and coercive control and yet have been told again and again by their abusers that no one would believe them, and by many others that there are two sides to every story.
“Abuse is abuse, and it is never the fault of the victim. Cllr Mole must apologise for these offensive remarks and join me and Cllr Bright in prioritising the support and services we need to keep women in Thanet safe.”
Polly’s full letter can be read by clicking here.