Reform councillor faces calls to resign over ‘swastika tattoo’ claim
Andy Arnold's wife Theresa - also a Reform councillor in Barnsley- claims the tattoo had been 'misunderstood' and was connected to her husband’s brief interest in Buddhism when he was younger.
A newly elected Reform UK councillor is facing mounting calls to resign after photographs emerged appearing to show him with a swastika tattoo.
Andy Arnold, who was elected to Barnsley Council earlier this month, is seen with what appears to be the Nazi symbol tattooed on his arm in a series of publicly accessible Facebook images dating back to 2018.
The images surfaced after being posted on an account linked to a tattoo studio in the local area called Tattoo Wombwell, registered under Theresa Arnold, a fellow Reform UK councillor who is understood to be Arnold’s wife.
Theresa Arnold told the Sheffield Star that the tattoo had been “misunderstood” and was connected to her husband’s brief interest in Buddhism when he was younger.
“In his late teens, my husband briefly explored Buddhism and had a symbol tattooed on his arm during that period,” she said.
“He has never been involved with, supported, or held views associated with Nazism or any extremist ideology.”
She added that the tattoo had since been covered because people “incorrectly associated it with something entirely different from its original religious context”.
Security Minister and Barnsley North MP Dan Jarvis responded to the reports, saying they were “deeply concerning”.
“One great privilege of serving as a Barnsley MP has been meeting the local veterans who sacrificed so much to fight against the Nazis and defend our country against fascism,” he said.
“Regardless of attempts to explain it away, for over 100 years the swastika has symbolised evil, antisemitism and the murder of millions,” he added, saying that “this debacle risks bringing shame on our borough as well as the individual concerned.”
James Higginbottom, leader of the Barnsley Labour group, said Arnold was “totally unfit to serve as a councillor and should do the right thing by resigning immediately.”
Reform’s council leader, William Brown, responded saying “there is no evidence that Councillor Arnold supports or endorses extremist or hateful views.”
He said the symbol had been “mischaracterised”, adding that it was “a Buddhist symbol of peace, presented in a non-tilted form that is widely recognised as distinct from the Nazi swastika – a rotated symbol associated with a very different and abhorrent history”.
“On the basis of the information available, I do not consider that any further action is required,” he added.