Mayor quits after apologising for attending Pride event

The politician of Keighley has resigned aft being criticised for describing his attendance astatine a Pride lawsuit arsenic a "lapse successful judgement".

In a Facebook post, Mohammed Nazam said his information had contradicted his "personal spiritual beliefs".

He was suspended by the Conservative radical connected Bradford Council erstwhile his comments came to airy and aboriginal announced helium would discontinue arsenic mayor.

In a connection helium said helium "did not mean immoderate harm to the LGBTQ community".

In his post, connected a leafage called Keighley Pakistanis, Mr Nazam said: "I wholeheartedly apologise for my information successful the flag-raising ceremony, arsenic it contradicts my idiosyncratic spiritual beliefs, arsenic galore of you are aware."

He said helium had since "personally repented for this error," adding: "Looking back, I realise that I should person respectfully declined the petition astatine the time."

Robbie Moore, Conservative MP for Keighley, who besides attended the lawsuit connected Friday, had called for Mr Nazam to see his position.

He said: "I've seen comments made by [Mr] Nazam, stating that helium feels the request to apologise for his portion successful the flag-raising ceremonial and the request for him to "personally repent for 'his' error" due to the fact that of spiritual beliefs.

"The relation of the municipality politician is to correspond everyone wrong the assemblage and truthful it was profoundly disheartening to work the mayor's statement."

Following his suspension, Mr Nazam issued a connection saying helium would basal down with "immediate effect.

"By my apology I did not mean immoderate harm to the LGBTQ community," helium said.

"My religion teaches respect and tolerance for each and the instrumentality of the land. People should person the state to explicit their beliefs and unrecorded their lives arsenic they privation to. This should use to each communities and spiritual beliefs."