Volunteer, 78, Says Reform Councillor Likened Her to Nazi Collaborator

A 78-year-old volunteer says a Reform UK councillor accused her of "facilitating the invasion" and compared her to a Nazi collaborator because she helped asylum seekers learn English. Mair Godley and her husband Nick, 77, say the remarks were made at a parish council meeting on 14 October.

The couple live near the former Wethersfield military base in Essex, where the Home Office houses hundreds of asylum seekers. Nick Godley is a former chair of Wethersfield parish council. Wethersfield is the larger of two former military sites used for mass accommodation. The other is at Crowborough in Sussex.

What was said at the meeting

Councillor Carl Johnson attended to update members on local matters, including pothole repairs and "Operation Vanguard", which involves private security guards patrolling Essex town centres. Reform took control of Essex county council after the May 2026 elections, ending 25 years of Conservative control.

Nick Godley challenged Johnson on the potholes. He also asked whether Operation Vanguard was needed to protect residents from asylum seekers, saying crime and antisocial behaviour in nearby Braintree, which asylum seekers sometimes visit, were low.

Johnson responded by asking whether anyone in the room had been helping the migrants at Wethersfield and "facilitating the invasion". Mair Godley said she had previously volunteered to teach English at the site. Johnson then reportedly said she might as well have been helping Germany during the second world war. He also reportedly said he did not want to bring up his daughter to be raped and murdered by asylum seekers.

A week earlier, Johnson had written on Facebook that people who enter the country "illegally" receive items including clothing and accommodation free while "the rest of us" pay. "I have never known a country to actively facilitate its own invasion and population replacement," he wrote. "This is treason."

Draft minutes of the meeting, seen by the Guardian, say the discussion became heated and Johnson was asked to leave to "restore order".

"I'm nearly 79 years old. I felt violated by his comments. How dare he say that to me?" Mair Godley said. She added that she told Johnson at the meeting: "you are not wanted here". Nick Godley said a member of the public had forcefully suggested that Johnson leave, and called his behaviour "shocking". He described his own discussion with Johnson about Operation Vanguard as "fairly challenging". He had raised concerns that the scheme was introduced without consultation.

Nick Godley has made a formal complaint to Essex county council. A council spokesperson said the authority comments on complaints only once they have been investigated and a breach found. Reform UK and Johnson did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Source: The Guardian