Two Kirklees councillors have said they are mystified why a new MP blocked them on Twitter.
Conservatives councillors Donna Bellamy and Gemma Wilson are both banned from communicating with Colne Valley Labour MP Thelma Walker on the popular social media site.
Both say they have never sent any tweets whatsoever to the Colne Valley politician – a former headteacher – so don’t understand why they are blocked.
Both were blocked in late April or May before Mrs Walker was elected but have decided to reveal their anger at the decision after she was elected, beating incumbent Tory, Jason McCartney, by just 915 votes.
Clr Bellamy says she was pre-emptively blocked before she had even had a chance to communicate with Mrs Walker.
Clr Wilson said she’d “only ever been friendly” to Mrs Walker but still found she was blocked.
A third Tory, a parish councillor who does not want to be named, said she had also been blocked but was re-instated after she complained.
Clr Wilson, Conservative councillor for Lindley for the past two years, said: “I really don’t know why she’s done it.
“I’ve never been aggressive or rude and in fact have a good relationship with my Labour colleagues.
“If I’d ‘trolled’ her I’d understand, but I’ve done nothing wrong at all.
“I have blocked someone from her campaign team but only because of previous abuse I received years ago.
“But it’s uncomfortable behaviour in my eyes.”
Clr Bellamy, Conservative member for the Colne Valley, said: “I would like to know why I’m blocked.
“I’ve never even tweeted her.”
Mrs Walker told the Examiner neither had been blocked since she was elected. She dubbed the news as “mischief making” and said her predecessor Mr McCartney had been notorious for blocking Labour party activists in the Colne Valley.
Mrs Walker’s husband, Clr Rob Walker, Labour member for Colne Valley ward, said his wife had blocked all Kirklees Conservatives after they voted against a council motion to boost the NHS while at the same time campaigning to save HRI.
He said it was “nothing personal” against either Clr Wilson or Clr Bellamy.
And he revealed Mrs Walker had received some extremely abusive and threatening tweets and so was very wary of Twitter.
The political row comes after pledges from Labour candidates about saving HRI’s A&E.
Mrs Walker’s campaign material said a vote for her was a vote to save Huddersfield A&E.
But founder of the Let’s Save HRI group, Karl Deitch, said he had never seen Mrs Walker during the 18 months of campaigning he had led.
Mr Walker told the Examiner his wife had made attempts to contact Mr Deitch in recent days in a bid to begin working together.
He said she felt the schism that led to some members of Hands Off HRI splitting from Mr Deitch’s campaign, taking the campaign name with them, was a bad thing.
