Reform councillor tells 78-year-old volunteer she aided Nazi invasion

Reform UK councillor Carl Johnson told a 78-year-old local volunteer that she was facilitating an invasion by teaching asylum seekers English. Johnson made the comments at a Wethersfield parish council meeting on 14 October. The exchange left Mair Godley feeling violated by the comparison to World War II collaborators.

Johnson attended the meeting to update the council on local issues. These included road repairs and Operation Vanguard, a private security patrol in Essex town centres. Nick Godley, Mair’s husband and former parish council chair, challenged the councillor on the need for these patrols. He noted that crime rates in nearby Braintree remained low despite the presence of asylum seekers.

After Nick Godley raised these points, Johnson asked if anyone in the room was helping the migrants at the local facility. He used the phrase facilitating the invasion. Mair Godley confirmed she had volunteered to teach English to residents at the Wethersfield accommodation site. Johnson then stated that her efforts were similar to helping Germany during the war. He added that he did not want his daughter raised by asylum seekers who might rape and murder her.

The Wethersfield site is one of two former military bases used by the Home Office for mass asylum accommodation. The other is located in Crowborough, Sussex. Johnson had posted on Facebook the week before the meeting. He wrote that those entering the country illegally receive free goods while others pay. He described this practice as treason and said he had never known a country to facilitate its own invasion.

The discussion at the meeting became heated. A member of the public present suggested that Johnson leave the room to restore order. Draft minutes indicate the council asked him to step away for this reason. Nick Godley said the behavior was shocking. He filed a formal complaint with Essex county council regarding the comments made during the session.

Mair Godley said she told Johnson at the meeting that he was not wanted there. She described the experience as leaving a bad taste. Nick Godley characterized the interaction as fairly challenging but focused on the specific accusation against his wife. He highlighted the lack of prior consultation regarding the introduction of Operation Vanguard.

A spokesperson for Essex county council said the body comments on complaints only after an investigation finds a breach. The council has not yet reached that stage. Reform UK and Carl Johnson have not responded to repeated requests for comment on the incident.