Councillor ‘forgiven’ for ill-advised X post about alleged rape victim

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

A Bromley councillor has been readmitted to the Conservative Party following his expulsion last year after he appeared to suggest a rape victim was a sex worker.

Councillor Shaun Slator, who represents the St Mary Cray ward for Bromley council, has been allowed to rejoin the Conservative Party after being expelled in April last year.

The councillor was removed from the party following a post from his account on X at the end of 2022. Cllr Slator replied to a post on X from the News Shopper on December 31, 2022, reporting on an alleged rape in Plumstead Park.

In his reply, which has since been deleted, Cllr Slator wrote: “More likely that it’s a punter that didn’t pay.”

The Conservative Party expelled Cllr Slator from the party in April 2023 in accordance with its code of conduct and formal complaints process. However, the party has since confirmed that the councillor has been allowed to return to the group.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Mr Slator has been readmitted to the Conservative Party after sincerely apologising for his actions as well as undertaking training and outreach with community groups.”

The councillor was suspended from the Bromley Conservative Group in January 2023 after the authority received 18 complaints about the controversial comment on X.

Bromley council decided not to punish the councillor, stating that an independent investigator felt ‘agonised’ about their conclusion, but felt that Cllr Slator was not acting in his capacity as a councillor at the time.

Regarding his readmission, Lib Dem councillor Graeme Casey, and parliamentary candidate for Orpington for the party, said: “Of course it is up to the Conservative Party who they accept as members and representatives of their constituents.

“I am surprised they have chosen to readmit Cllr Slator, who was responsible for a very offensive and misogynistic comment about rape victims.”

He added: “It will be up to the constituents of St Mary Cray to decide if they feel that they could be better represented in future. The electorate has a longer memory and better understanding of the issue of misogyny than the Conservative Party, I feel.”

Cllr Slator apologised for his comments in response to the alleged rape at a Bromley council meeting in February last year. The councillor claimed he had posted the response in order to highlight the issue of women being exploited in Plumstead and that he had since deactivated his X account.

He said at the time: “I’m not ashamed to admit that I am fallible, and I have made a mistake. I now understand that with the privilege afforded to me as a councillor to better serve my community comes a responsibility to reflect more deeply on what I say and post online.”

Cllr Slator, Dame Jackie Doyle-Price and the Bromley Conservative Group have been approached for comment.

Pictured top: A since deleted selfie of Councillor Shaun Slator from his X account (Picture: Shaun Slator/X) alongside a headshot of Cllr Slator, as shown on the Bromley council website (Picture: Bromley council)