The Witchfinder recently exposed moronic Leader of Welwyn Hatfield (Opposition) Labour Group, Councillor Kieran Thorpe, after he responded to a question about what the age of consent should be by saying, “whatever it is now”. This led to mass tweeted complaints by decent people. Thorpe’s response? Keep on digging.

It has been a bad weekend for uber-important Councillor Kieran –

Labour Councillor Kieran’s many fans and political supporters. He wows the public. (Page 1)

This is one of many pages from a Twitter search. One is enough to make the point.

Just … can’t … resist … one … more –

Kieran’s many fans and political supporters. He wows the public. (Page 2)

As readers might expect Councillor Thorpe is Quite A Bit Upset with the Witchfinder. After all, we are not just talking about anyone here. This is Councillor Kieran Thorpe – leader of the Labour Group on Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Kieran knows he is a Very Important Person. How dare these bloggers and voters hold him to account?

Generally, when Very Important Councillor Kieran gets upset he loses his temper, such as the time he referred to local Conservatives as ‘vermin’ and ended up humiliated in his local newspaper the Welwyn Hatfield Times. The use of the term vermin is unfortunate as several local Conservatives are of Jewish descent and comparisons with rats were often used by anti-semites such as in the film ‘Der ewige Jude‘. Whilst Kieran claims he did not intend it that way it could nevertheless have been misused by extremist groups like the BNP.

This Friday, contemplating yet another nail in the ruin of his political career, his back to the wall, facing a storm of criticism over his moronic remarks, Pike Thorpe decided once again to resort to discriminatory language by claiming that the Witchfinder was mentally ill, before trying to commit blackmail by telling the Witchfinder that he would withdraw the false allegations when my previous article was removed. Does Labour endorse trying to censor the media?

Kieran Thorpe resorts to discriminatory language.

Of course, for the record, the Witchfinder presently has a clean bill of mental health, and is free of disabilities. Sadly, of course, there are many in our society who are less fortunate and this sort of kneejerk disablist language causes real offence to many of those with real impairments who struggle to make their way in the world even without bigots like Kieran making things harder for them.

Most people will be touched by mental illness or disability at some point in their lives, whether transitory bouts of depression or a loved one with dementia. The Witchfinder is well known to assist the vulnerable and their families by representing them in Court.

The Witchfinder sat back as Thorpe’s fanclub continued to expand. Councillor Pike Kieran was confronted by angry, offended Welwyn Hatfield resident Thomas Bromyard. Of course by then Thorpe had apparently lost track of which offensively discriminatory remark Thomas was complaining about –

Which discriminatory remark? Kieran Thorpe seems to have lost track.

The Witchfinder is unsurprised that Thorpe’s inability to keep a grip on his temper and bigotry. It is not like there is any shortage of occasions on which Kieran Thorpe said stupid things.

The Witchfinder did briefly contemplate suing Thorpe but encountered the insuperable difficulties of the wise reforms to libel law by the coalition government. s1(1) of the Defamation Act 2013 states that –

1 Serious harm

(1) A statement is not defamatory unless its publication has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to the reputation of the claimant.

Before these Conservative reforms damages from malicious allegations were presumed. As Kieran Thorpe has no credibility and the only responses to his vile comments were complaints his untrue comments cannot give rise to a claim in defamation. Essentially, Conservative legislation has saved Kieran from bankruptcy.

The Witchfinder apologises to Kieran Thorpe for accusing him of defamation. His moronic, untruthful discriminatory remarks were not defamation because no one took Kieran seriously – plus ça change…

There are 11 Labour Councillors in Welwyn-Hatfield. As local MP Grant Shapps and local Conservative Leader John Dean silently give thanks every day for Thorpe can Welwyn Hatfield Labour really find no one better?

UPDATE more complaints –

More complaints about Labour Councillor Kieran Thorpe’s discriminatory language.