Daughter of murdered MP David Amess calls for Reform to suspend candidate who said politicians should be hanged

Ricky Hodges is standing to become a councillor for the Tressell ward on Hastings Borough Council on May 7.

A Facebook account seemingly belonging to him called for the hanging of former Prime Minister Theresa May over her handling of Brexit.

In posts appeared to be made by Mr Hodges, he said Mayor of London Sadiq Khan should be “put into a coma” – and that he’d want to punch a “squirming little leftie” in the throat and “take the limbs off” Labour party activists.

Katie Amess, whose father was stabbed more than 20 times during a constituency surgery in Southend in 2021, has said it is “beyond stupidity” for Mr Hodges to be on the ballot, fearing his remarks could incite more physical violence against elected officials.

“This isn’t a game, it’s deeply upsetting," she told LBC.

“My father lost his life due to political violence.

"Reform needs to send a very, very strong line to candidates that this is not tolerated within any political party.

"He absolutely should be removed from the ballot without question.”

Ricky Hodges, a scaffolder, has also come under fire for purportedly making a series of unfounded claims based on religion and gender, accusing Muslims of “milking” the benefits system and blaming foreign nationals from Islamic countries for the “majority of crimes.”

In one instance, he’s understood to have written: “Funny how hurricanes are named after women. Maybe coz they destroy everything?”

'Absolutely disgusting'

“For anybody to be speaking that way is absolutely disgusting,” Katie Amess added.

Her message to those posting offensive and incendiary content is clear: “Put yourself in my shoes.

"My father was killed because somebody thought those things.

"I don't think he [Ricky Hodges] would be thinking it was so funny or clever if it was his father that was killed.”

'Shocking'

Labour MP for Hastings & Rye Helena Dollimore has described the posts “absolutely horrifying”.

She has Reform’s leader Nigel Farage to throw Ricky Hodges out of the party.

“I wrote to Nigel Farage over a week ago, asking him personally if he would drop this candidate,” she told LBC.

“I’m yet to receive a response from him. I have tried to track Mr Farage down in Parliament this week, but since he has not been voting for over a month in Parliament, that has been impossible.”

In a statement to LBC, Reform UK said an investigation is underway and that the case “remains with the disciplinary team, which is thoroughly reviewing it.”

When LBC contacted Mr Hodges, he told us he was “not willing to comment at this time.”

Regardless of Reform’s decision, it is too late to withdraw Mr Hodges or change the ballot papers.

However, Helena Dollimore MP said the original selection process should be questioned: “It’s no small responsibility to be a local councillor, and to think that Reform would put someone up like this for election to our local council is really shocking.”

“It’s not long since we lost two members of Parliament, Sir David Amess and Jo Cox, both murdered in public service,” she added.

“The threat that all elected people face is a serious one. And in these posts, he’s making serious threats of violence against Muslims, against elected officials, against women.

"This is simply not appropriate behaviour in public life.”

'Serious threat to democracy'

A charity set up in the name of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was assassinated nearly a decade ago, has also condemning the posts.

Olivia Field, CEO of the Jo Cox Foundation, claims they “pose a serious threat to democracy,” with 96% of current MPs experiencing abuse over the last year.

“We will be marking 10 years since Jo was killed in June, so it’s a real moment to reflect on where we are at,” says Ms Field.

“And whilst there has been a lot of progress, we are seeing behaviours get worse. It’s becoming less about a contest of ideas and more about an endurance test against personal attacks and intimidation.

"If we can’t see people in positions of leadership be able to debate respectfully and connect even when they disagree, how can we expect the rest of society to be able to do that?”

Nigel Farage’s party has nominated candidates in 95 per cent of seats in these local elections, and says he hopes to win at least one thousand of them.

But Reform UK has been accused by the Conservatives of a “systemic failure” in its vetting, with a number of other candidates across the country under investigation for Islamophobic and antisemitic social media posts which have been seen by LBC.

A list of candidates for the Tressell ward in the upcoming election are:

• Ingrid Kristina Kathleen Allan (Labour)
• Glenn Haffenden (Green Party)
• Ricky Hodges (Reform)
• Shelley Lee (Conservatives)