MP urges action over council leader's online posts

A West Yorkshire MP has written a letter of complaint to the leader of Reform UK over a newly elected council leader's social media posts.

Shipley MP Anna Dixon contacted Nigel Farage over posts by Councillor Stephen Place, who was made leader of Bradford Council on 19 May.

She says various posts made between November 2023 and December 2025 show "deeply troubling views".

Place has declined to comment, while Reform UK and Farage have been approached but have yet to respond.

In her letter, Labour MP Dixon highlights posts which she claims include sexually explicit material, and others which "perpetuate" religious and racial discrimination.

One depicts a well-known female MP as a sex worker using a computer-generated image with the caption "Would you £1?" underneath.

Others use imagery of war damage in Gaza "as a point of mockery", Dixon says, and present negative stereotypes of ethnic minorities and asylum seekers.

Dixon's letter says: "Mr Place now represents your party as the leader of Bradford Council, a district with one of the largest South Asian and Muslim populations in the country, many of whom will be deeply concerned about the views he has expressed.

"He also sits in our council chamber opposite many fantastic female representatives of their communities, who will be horrified by the sexually explicit nature of Mr Place's social media activity."

All the posts, which were copied and saved by the MP's team and seen by the BBC, have since disappeared from Place's accounts on Instagram and X.

In her letter the MP questions whether Farage and his party knew of Place's social media activity before he was chosen as a candidate.

Dixon also asks whether the councillor, who represents the Royds ward, should hold such a senior role within the party now the posts have come to light.

She says: "Mr Place posted all of this on a verified account under his own name over the last three years.

"This is not a matter of youthful indiscretion or youthful posting. It was visible to all.

"I ask you, do you consider this an appropriate record for the leader of a council group that must work constructively with councillors, officers and residents from all backgrounds?"

Place was approached via the Bradford Council press office but declined to comment.

The Reform press office and Farage were contacted, but neither has responded.

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