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Labour councillor suspended as photos emerge appearing to show him ‘blacked up’ and dressed as woman

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In the 2013 image, Jim Hobson, 53, seems to be wearing make-up to darken his face, a black wig, black dress, tights and stiletto shoes

Senior Labour councillor is suspended days after being re-elected as photos emerge appearing to show him ‘blacked up’ and dressed as a woman at a party

  • In the image, Jim Hobson, 53, seems to be wearing make-up to darken his face
  • Mr Hobson was suspended by the Labour Party shortly after being re-elected

A senior Labour councillor has been suspended by his party after photographs emerged appearing to show him ‘blacked up’ and dressed as a woman at a party.

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In the image, which was posted on his Facebook page, Jim Hobson, 53, seems to be wearing make-up to darken his face, a black wig, black dress, tights and stiletto shoes.

The picture was ‘liked’ by Lisette Roe, his partner, who is also a Labour councillor in Blackpool.

Mr Hobson was suspended shortly after being re-elected on May 4 as Blackpool Council’s cabinet member for children’s services. Labour has not revealed the reasons behind his suspension.

But it comes after a complaint to the council at the beginning of this month about the photograph, which is believed to have been taken at a youth centre event and posted on Facebook in 2013.

In the 2013 image, Jim Hobson, 53, seems to be wearing make-up to darken his face, a black wig, black dress, tights and stiletto shoes

Mr Hobson was suspended shortly after being re-elected on May 4 as Blackpool Council¿s cabinet member for children¿s services

Mr Hobson was suspended shortly after being re-elected on May 4 as Blackpool Council’s cabinet member for children’s services

Reporting the matter to the council, a member of the public accused Mr Hobson of being a ‘racist and a misogynist’ who ‘dressed up as a black female and should not be a councillor on behalf of Labour and Blackpool Council’.

Although Mr Hobson has since taken his Facebook page down, the photograph has been shared by residents’ groups on social media.

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One resident said: ‘I have so many questions and issues with this, I don’t know where to begin. But I feel really angry.’

Mark Butcher, an independent candidate who stood against Mr Hobson in the town’s Bloomfield ward, said: ‘The picture has upset quite a lot of people including a number of mixed-race people who live in the ward. Doing what he did, where he did it, it’s not right.’

Mr Hobson, who is divorced with a grown-up son, did not respond to telephone calls or emails.

A Labour Party spokesman said: ‘The party does not comment on internal party matters.’

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