CLA · On the Record
Independent county councillor, Newcastle - May Bank & Wolstanton, Staffordshire County Council
“If Africans are the most intelligent race on the planet, why are they so backward?”
Context
Hope Not Hate reported on 26 March 2026 that the words above appeared in a March 2023 post from an X account it linked to Lynn Dean, then a Reform UK councillor on Staffordshire County Council. Left Foot Forward reproduced the quotation and identified the account as “Cockney Rebel”.
Contemporaneous reports attributed other posts to the same account. In April 2023, it said Black people had “more than made up” for historic wrongs “with their violence and law breaking”. In September 2024, the account replied “Yes” to a proposal to ban the burqa and niqab in Western countries, adding: “I never used to think that way, but I’m getting a bit tired of the Muslims throwing their weight around.” Reporting also said the account agreed the following month with a proposal to “stop building, start closing” mosques.
Response and political status
Dean was approached for comment when the allegations were first reported. CLA located no published response from her addressing the substance of the quoted posts.
On 27 March 2026, Staffordshire County Council leader Martin Murray said Reform UK had suspended Dean’s whip because of “unacceptable comments” on an undisclosed account. Dean later said she had already cancelled her Reform membership before the suspension was announced and therefore disputed the sequence, not the wording of the posts. She resigned from Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council on 1 April 2026 but remains a Staffordshire county councillor, listed by the council as Independent.
Evidence
Original investigation and screenshots: Hope Not Hate, 26 March 2026.
Exact quotations and account identification: Left Foot Forward, 27 March 2026; Stoke-on-Trent Live, 27 March 2026.
Suspension statement and contemporary context: ITV News Central, 27 March 2026.
Dean’s response on leaving Reform: Express & Star, 8 April 2026.
Current public office: Staffordshire County Council councillor profile.
Dates of original statements: March 2023 for the lead quotation; April 2023 and September–October 2024 for the additional posts, according to the published reports. The exact posting days and complete conversation threads are not established in the source material reviewed by CLA.
Evidence status: Allegations based on posts attributed to an account linked to Dean in published screenshots and reporting. CLA has not independently authenticated the account or complete threads.
Legal status: Reform UK’s suspension was a party decision. CLA located no published council Code of Conduct finding, criminal charge, conviction or tribunal finding concerning the quoted posts. Last reviewed: 24 October 2026.
About On the Record
CLA publishes sourced statements with context and documented responses so readers may assess the evidence themselves. Inclusion does not imply illegality. Corrections or additional source material: policy@civillibertiesaction.org.uk.
Source checked · Context preserved · Evidence available.
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