Bradford Council Leader Stephen Place has faced questions over a series of deleted social media posts containing sexually explicit jokes, comments about Muslims and apparent references to conspiracy theories.
The Reform UK councillor, a former police officer who became council leader following May’s local elections, dismissed the criticism as “purile playground antics”.
The issue was raised during a full council meeting on 15 July. Opposition councillors questioned Cllr Place about content shared on the account @StephenPlace5, which has since been deleted.
Among the posts highlighted was an image of a woman’s chest accompanied by the caption: “BOOBS – Enticing men to do stupid s**t since the beginning of time.”
Another post shared an image of a battered woman wearing a hijab, implying she wore the garment because she was a victim of domestic abuse.
Other posts included an image of a children’s book titled Hookers and Blow Save Christmas with the caption “Xmas prezzie to myself”, and a joke that read: “I spent last night defrosting the fridge. Or foreplay as she likes to call it.”
Labour cllr Susan Fricker asked whether sharing sexually explicit material and content viewed as derogatory towards particular racial or religious groups undermined the council’s commitment to equality and inclusion.
In a written response, Cllr Place criticised the question. He said councillors should focus on issues affecting their wards and constituents. He added that his administration remained committed to serving all communities fairly and opposing discrimination in all its forms.
Cllr Fricker pressed the issue during the meeting. Referring to the Nolan Principles of public life, she argued that councillors should demonstrate accountability, honesty and leadership.
Asked directly whether he had posted sexually explicit or derogatory material, Cllr Place replied: “No I don’t.”
Questions over moon landing and chemtrails posts
The council leader was also challenged over posts apparently referencing conspiracy theories.
One post showed aircraft vapour trails alongside the caption “perfectly normal?” – a post critics suggested referred to the “chemtrails” conspiracy theory.
Another appeared to question whether the 1969 moon landing had taken place.
Labour councillor Caroline Firth raised the issue while asking about Bradford’s aerospace and space technology sector.
In response, Cllr Place praised local aerospace firms and research institutions, including the University of Bradford’s Bradford-Renduchintala Centre for Space AI. “The advances made in space technology, travel and exploration are amazing,” he said.
However, when asked whether he would rely on scientific evidence rather than fringe theories when making policy decisions, Cllr Place did not directly address the allegation.
Instead, he said the council was reviewing the Clean Air Zone and would consider all available evidence before making future decisions.
A further question asking whether he still believed aircraft release chemicals intended to influence public behaviour went unanswered after the council’s question session ran out of time.
The deleted posts have attracted scrutiny since Reform UK took control of Bradford Council earlier this year. Opposition councillors argue that elected representatives should be held accountable for their public statements, both past and present.
