Tameside councillor refuses to step down following ITV exposé

An ex-Reform UK councillor has refused to resign following the release of an ITV exposé.

Raymond Dunning was secretly filmed by an undercover journalist appearing to suggest his political opponents ‘should be shot against the wall’ and called for young men to train in insurgency tactics and go ‘street-by-street’.

The Ashton Waterloo ward representative, was amongst a number of Reform UK members identified in the ITV documentary ‘Undercover: A Year In Reform’, which aired on Sunday night (October 18).

Cllr Dunning resigned from Reform UK last week and apologised for what he said, but remains as an independent Tameside councillor. An investigation has been launched by Reform UK following the scandal, it is understood.

In a social media post he said he was ‘deeply sorry’ for the remarks which were made ‘during a private social gathering’, and was ‘unaware’ that a reporter was present.

In the footage, Cllr Dunning said: “I am so, so far-right, it’s unbelievable… First of all, I’d deport every other motherf***er in this country that doesn’t deserve to be here and their children as well. First thing you’re f***ing gone, bang…

“And then I’d pick up the pieces after that… 18 to 30-year-old young lads, train them up in the army in insurgency tactics so they can go street by street, house by house, picking the c***s up.”

Claiming that new Reform councillors are ‘being schmoozed by f***ing experienced Labour councillors and independents’, he added: “But we are a far-right party, and our policies are to f***ing kick these traitorous bastards out.

“How can you be a far-right f***ing party when you got your f***ing troops f***ing mingling with the f***ing enemy? They should be shot against the wall – that’s what I’d do.”

Now his political rivals have demanded that he step down entirely so a by-election can be triggered to replace him. The Tameside Labour Group said his comments were ‘incompatible with public office’.

The Tameside Labour Group said: “Dear Councillor Dunning, as the Tameside Labour Group, we write to you to formally demand your immediate and unconditional resignation from your position as a local councillor representing the residents of Ashton Waterloo.

“The deeply disturbing footage broadcast nationally in the recent ITV Exposure documentary has exposed views that are completely incompatible with public office. The hateful and violent rhetoric you used, including explicit calls to forcibly deport legal migrants and suggesting that political opponents ‘should be shot against the wall’, represents an egregious violation of the Nolan Principles of Public Life.

“While we note that you have stepped down from the Reform UK council group, simply sitting as an independent councillor is entirely insufficient. A change in party affiliation does not dilute the extreme and dangerous nature of the remarks you made, nor does it restore the public trust required to represent a diverse and vibrant borough like Tameside.

“Furthermore, your continued presence on vital oversight bodies, such as the Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel, is untenable and places a stain on the democratic integrity of this authority.

“Our communities deserve representatives who foster unity, safety, and respect. Your recorded comments have instead incited division and caused profound distress to the people you were elected to serve. Given that your actions are now the subject of an active Greater Manchester Police hate crime investigation, you must step away entirely.

“For the good of the Ashton Waterloo ward and the wider Tameside community, you must vacate your seat immediately and allow a by-election to take place.”

In a response to Tameside Labour’s demand, Cllr Dunning has refused to resign and claimed he ‘will not be bullied’.

The statement, posted on Cllr Dunning’s social media account today (October 19), said: “I WILL NOT BE BULLIED. I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED. AND I WILL NOT RESIGN.

“Tameside Labour does not get to decide who represents the people of Waterloo Ward. That decision belongs to the electorate, not to political opponents demanding my removal.

“I was democratically elected by the residents of Waterloo Ward, and I take that responsibility extremely seriously. 

“I have acknowledged that some of my language was inappropriate. I have taken responsibility for that, but I will not surrender my political beliefs, my principles or my right to express them lawfully.

“An apology for my choice of words is not an admission that my political opponents have the right to silence me. I stepped away from Reform UK because I did not want the controversy surrounding me to become a burden on my former colleagues. That decision was mine, made independently and on principle.

“Let me make something absolutely clear to Tameside Labour: YOU DID NOT ELECT ME. YOU DO NOT OWN MY SEAT. AND YOU WILL NOT DICTATE MY FUTURE.

“I recognise the seriousness of the concerns raised and will cooperate with any lawful process. But political accusations are not findings of guilt, and demands for resignation are not a substitute for due process.

“My commitment to the residents of Waterloo remains unchanged. I will continue to fight for better services, safer streets, stronger communities and accountability within Tameside Council.

“I have faced adversity before. I have never been someone who walks away simply because the pressure becomes uncomfortable.

“I WILL NOT BE SILENCED BY POLITICAL PRESSURE. I WILL NOT BE DRIVEN FROM PUBLIC OFFICE BY MY OPPONENTS.

“My responsibility is to the people who elected me, and I intend to honour it. I AM STAYING. I AM STANDING FIRM. AND I WILL CONTINUE SERVING WATERLOO WARD.

“THE PEOPLE DECIDE — NOT TAMESIDE LABOUR.”

The Stalybridge and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds also called on the independent councillor to step down.

Mr Reynolds said: “I wanted to wait until the full ITV documentary aired before commenting on the latest Reform scandal. The recordings, including of Ashton Councillor Raymond Dunning, are shameful and damning. 

“Cllr Dunning’s idea to train young men in ‘insurgency tactics’ to go ‘street-by-street, house-by-house’. Promoting the idea of deporting children and ‘even the legal ones’. Claiming rival politicians ‘should be shot against the wall’. I could go on. 

“That isn’t plain speaking or strong views. It’s not pub banter or what the majority of people believe. It’s violence and hate dressed up as politics, and it has no place in Tameside or the nation’s politics.

“Tameside, and Greater Manchester, are places where people have strong identities and try to do right by each other. Every resident deserves to feel safe and respected in their community, not frightened, intimidated or threatened by their councillors.

“The public apology made by Cllr Dunning did not retract the substance of his comments, only the way in which they were communicated. The local Reform branch even cited ‘personal reasons’ for his decision to leave Reform UK. 

“It’s also clear from social media posts that people had already raised the alarm about Cllr Dunning, including former Reform members. Cllr Dunning’s continued presence on oversight bodies, such as the Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel, is a stain on the duty afforded to that position and the standards expected of it. 

“I support Cllr Eleanor Wills and Tameside Labour’s call for clear accountability, including a standards investigation. I also echo their calls for Cllr Dunning to vacate his seat and allow a by-election to take place.”

Cllr Dunning’s remarks have been condemned by other councillors in the borough. Andrea Colbourne, leader of Tameside Conservatives, told the LDRS that her group ‘strongly disagrees’ with the remarks made in the video.

“Everyone is entitled to their own views, but the language used in these comments is unacceptable,” she said. “Talking about deporting people and their families, and describing individuals in this way, is divisive and risks creating unnecessary tension within our communities.

“Whatever your views on immigration, people expect those elected to represent them to speak responsibly and respectfully. Holding public office comes with a duty to set a positive example, even when discussing difficult or controversial issues. In this case, those standards have not been met.

“We believe that everyone should be treated with respect, regardless of where they come from. There is no place for this kind of rhetoric in our politics, and we reject it completely.”

Ged Cooney, leader of the Tameside Independent Group, said it reminded him of ‘Triggers Me Timbers’, the scandal that rocked Greater Manchester in 2025.

Six Labour councillors in the region were suspended over offensive messages in a controversial WhatsApp group. Andrew Gwynne, MP for Gorton and Denton, was sacked as health minister and suspended by the Labour party.

Cllr Cooney said the issues raised in the ITV investigation were ‘indicative of Tameside’.

He added: “I think we are put here by the public and there has to be a standard of behaviour. How we conduct ourselves is important.

“We are elected to represent everyone. I am really disappointed that we are here again. This isn’t new in Tameside. Labour didn’t deal with it here. I hope Allan Hopwood deals with it.

“That language is unacceptable. But am I surprised? No.”

Labour chairwoman Bridget Phillipson has accused some Reform UK members of ‘appalling behaviour’. She stated that the examples of ‘extreme racism’ in Nigel Farage’s party could not be brushed off as ‘a few bad apples’.

A Reform UK spokesman said: “Where members, activists and councillors have clearly behaved inappropriately, investigations have commenced. In some cases, there have been suspensions and due process must be followed.

“There is no room for racism in Reform UK. We always respected due process of investigations and whilst these are ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.”