Charity worker dismissed after tweeting about attacking Nigel Farage with acid

23 May 2019 News

A charity worker has been dismissed after posting a tweet advocating an acid attack on Nigel Farage, leader of the Brexit Party.

Ruth Townsley, head of measurement and policy at Happy City, a Bristol-based wellbeing charity, was dismissed from the charity after tweeting about attacking Nigel Farage with acid, after he was doused with milkshake while campaigning in Newcastle in Monday, by Paul Crowther.

Her tweet read: “Bravo to Paul Crowther, good on you mate. Great that milkshakes have become a thing when it comes to the racists in our midst. I’d prefer acid but milkshakes will do for now I guess”.

When bosses became aware of her tweet she was suspended and an investigation launched. That investigation concluded on the same day and she was dismissed. Her Twitter account has subsequently been deleted.

A statement on the charity’s website said: “We do not in any way agree with the contents of these tweets which contradicted all of our strongly held values. We believe all politicians have a right to have their voices heard, and condemn violence of any sort at any level of society. Ruth Townsley no longer works with Happy City.”

It added that the charity was unaware of her actions and would have enacted disciplinary procedures immediately had it known.

“We have a clear disciplinary process for situations such as these, and took immediate action on first becoming aware of her actions yesterday,” it said.

The spokesperson from the charity added that the dismissal was about the charity’s values, and not about politics.

Happy City was founded in 2010, with a mission to “make what matters count”. It has an annual income of some £300,000. 

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