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A 78-year-old volunteer in Essex has alleged that a Reform UK councillor compared her to someone who helped Nazi Germany during the Second World War after she disclosed that she had helped asylum seekers learn English.
Mair Godley said councillor Carl Johnson accused her of “facilitating the invasion” by volunteering to provide language lessons to asylum seekers accommodated at the former Wethersfield military base in Essex.
The alleged remarks were made during a parish council meeting on 14 October, according to Godley and her husband, Nick Godley, 77, a former chair of Wethersfield parish council.
The controversy has drawn attention to local tensions surrounding asylum accommodation, community relations and the treatment of volunteers who support people seeking refuge in the UK.
The meeting was attended by Johnson, who discussed local matters for which Essex County Council has responsibility, including pothole repairs and Operation Vanguard, a scheme involving private security guards patrolling town centres across Essex.
During the meeting, Nick Godley questioned whether Operation Vanguard was necessary to protect residents from asylum seekers. He reportedly said that crime and antisocial behaviour incidents in nearby Braintree were low.
According to the couple, the discussion then turned to people supporting asylum seekers staying at Wethersfield.
Johnson allegedly asked whether anyone present had been helping migrants at the facility and described such assistance as “facilitating the invasion”.
Mair Godley said she had previously volunteered to teach English to asylum seekers at the site. She alleged that Johnson then compared her actions to helping Germany during the Second World War.
According to the account, he also expressed concern that his daughter could be raped or murdered by asylum seekers.
The draft minutes of the parish council meeting, seen by The Guardian, reportedly indicate that the discussion became heated and Johnson was asked to leave to restore order.
Mair Godley said she felt personally hurt by the alleged remarks, questioning why someone who had volunteered to help others should be treated in that way.
She said she had challenged Johnson during the meeting and made clear that his behaviour was unwelcome.
Her husband described the exchange as shocking and said it followed his concerns about the introduction of Operation Vanguard without consultation.
Nick Godley has since lodged a formal complaint with Essex County Council regarding the councillor's alleged comments.
The dispute follows a Facebook post published by Johnson in the week before the meeting.
According to The Guardian, Johnson wrote that people entering the UK illegally received items and services, including clothing and accommodation, without charge, while other residents had to pay for their own needs.
The post also included claims about the country facilitating its own invasion and population replacement, which Johnson described as treason.
The remarks reflect wider disagreements over immigration, asylum accommodation and the provision of public support to people seeking protection in the UK.
The former Wethersfield military base is one of two former military sites used by the Home Office for large-scale asylum accommodation. The other is located in Crowborough, Sussex.
An Essex County Council spokesperson said the authority would comment on complaints once they had been investigated and a finding of a breach had been made.
The council did not provide a further comment on the specific allegations at this stage.
Reform UK and Carl Johnson had not responded to repeated requests for comment at the time of The Guardian's report.
The allegations have not been established through a completed council investigation, and no finding of misconduct has been reported.
The case highlights continuing debate over immigration policy and local asylum accommodation, as well as questions about how volunteers and public representatives engage with one another in community forums.
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