Concerns raised over offensive social media posts linked to Bucks councillor

Councillor Paul Griffin, who represents Iver as an Independent councillor and is a member of the IMPACT alliance, has been linked to inflammatory comments shared via the X (formerly Twitter) account @thegriffter, which is now locked from public view.

The account, which shares an official photo of Councillor Griffin, describes itself as “Pro-Brexit, Anti-EU” and a member of the Free Speech Union, listing its location as Iver.

In one post, the account holder said they would “rather stick needles in my eyes” than celebrate Pride Month. In response to a tweet asking what one thing should be deleted from the world, the reply was simply: “Islam.”

In another screenshot seen by the LDRS, the account described George Floyd as “vile”. There was also a comment suggesting that if given a Stanley knife and shown where boats used for Channel crossings launch, the issue could be “sorted.”

In a separate post responding to a photo of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the user asked: “Is that where you throw coins in for illegals to pick out?”

Several residents contacted the LDRS to express concern about the posts.

At the most recent council election held in May, Councillor Griffin was re-elected with 721 votes. The councillor has also been linked to referring to immigrants as “invaders” in online posts.

On his campaign website, Griffin pledged to ensure a high quality of life for all residents “regardless of their political stance, race, religion, origin or ability.”

A spokesperson for Buckinghamshire Council confirmed the authority is aware of the posts. In a statement the authority said: “Where complaints about Members are made, they are considered in accordance with legal frameworks which councils are required to work within.

“It is important to note that the legal framework that the Council’s Code of Conduct for elected members is based upon applies only to a councillor’s actions in their official capacity and does not extend to comments made in a personal capacity.

“All complaints relating to conduct are reviewed by the Council’s Monitoring Officer, and where appropriate, action will be taken in line with established procedures. Information about Member complaints is published annually.”

The LDRS repeatedly attempted to contact Councillor Griffin for comment through various different routes but did not get a response. It also attempted to contact the IMPACT alliance however it failed to respond.