Hitler row council leader attacks his critics before stepping down

During a full meeting of Harrogate Council last night – his last before he steps down – Coun Mike Gardner also spoke about fighting against totalitarian control, stopping unscrupulous colleagues, and how his being deselected by the Conservative party following last year’s revelations was unlawful.

“What has happened to me has been unbelievable but it is true”, he said.

“I will just say that politics is a dirty business.

“It is about watching your back rather than what is in front of you.

“The media leakage was from people who I regarded as friends.

“Fame can come in unexpected ways – notoriety, so to speak. My daughter rang me up to say you are famous, you are number one on Twitter.”

Coun Gardner, who was stopped at one point mid-speech as a point of order, also invited councillors to see him after the meeting to hear about “what has really gone on”.

He added: “I recognise it is a very big job and people might take it for fame or power but I would say it has affected my performance.

“I wish it hadn’t happened. It has been a difficult period and I have had to soldier on.”

The pictures of Coun Gardner at the fancy dress birthday party were leaked over the internet via the social networking site Facebook in October last year.

He was subsequently deselected by the Conservatives but has remained the leader of the council and will be standing as an Independent in the Pannal seat in the forthcoming elections taking place in May.

At the time, Coun Gardner claimed he put on the outfit as the theme of the party was to dress according to the year you were born – and he was born during the Second World War.

He said he had checked whether his outfit would be acceptable and in a statement, released to councillors, said: “Now we don’t hate the Germans but we do make fun about the Nazis – so to fit in with the evening I hired a German or Nazi uniform for that specific occasion.

“There were many weird and wonderful outfits and it was a very successful piece of fun or pantomime as intended and I offended nobody by dressing as Hitler.”

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