A HARPENDEN town councillor has announced her sudden resignation from her £20,000 part-time post as Herts’ deputy police and crime commissioner after causing a furore over a Twitter post likening socialists to Nazis.
Dr Rachel Frosh retweeted a post from another user on the social networking website which read: “Dear Socialists embrace your inner Nazism” with a picture and quote from Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Hitler’s quote, from 1927, begins with the words “We are Socialists”.
Her retweet attracted criticism from other councillors in the county, and made national headlines.
She has since removed her Twitter account.
However, blogging on the issue on Tuesday, she defended her actions commenting: “The person I retweeted gave a quote from Hitler stating that in his opinion he was a socialist. I didn’t agree with the tweet and I have made it clear that I don’t agree that the Nazis (or BNP for that matter) are either socialists or left wing or right wing. They were/are just nasty racist authoritarian thugs.”
David Lloyd, police and crime commissioner for Herts, said today (Wednesday) that he had accepted the resignation of Dr Frosh this morning.
He said: “I am sad to have to accept Rachel’s resignation. She has taken the honourable course of action by making this decision and I will miss her valuable contribution to my work to further improve policing and crime reductions for the public of Hertfordshire.”
Dr Frosh said: “I appreciate that David must have constructive relationships with all political parties. I recognise that I am not able to fully comment on some political issues whilst remaining as deputy police and crime commissioner.
“It is therefore with great regret that I have tendered my resignation this morning.”
Mr Lloyd was not available for further comment.
Further details will be published in tomorrow’s Herts Advertiser.
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