CONTROVERSY erupted in a Devon council chamber after the member behind a hate crime debate appeared to suggest anyone who didn’t support it could be called a racist.

Councillor Syed Jusef began the debate at County Hall by relaying an emotional and heartfelt story of a family from Turkey who live in Exeter, but were attacked in an incident alleged to be racially motivated.

The purpose of the debate was to seek to get the council to adopt a hate crime motion, which expressed that Devon County Council and its councillors were “proud to represent a vibrant and diverse community” and that they “totally condemn any form of racism, intolerance, bigotry or xenophobia”.

“Nobody should live in fear of abuse, prejudice or violence just because of who they are,” Cllr Jusef said.

“And we as councillors have a duty to set a standard. We cannot allow hate and division to take root in Devon and a message of zero tolerance is needed.”

But shortly before the vote was taken and Cllr Jusef had a chance to address points made in the debate that had just occurred, he appeared to say the public would “see who is supporting it and who is not, and who is racist and who is not”.

The vote was being recorded, which means rather than the vote just being expressed as a number of those for, against or abstaining – which is the most common method – the way each councillor votes was individually recorded.

Councillor Jeff Trail (Conservative, Exmouth) immediately called a point of order.

“That is not what the vote is for, to say because you are against [the motion] you are a racist,” he said.

“I’m sorry Syed, but what you’ve said today is really heartfelt, but what you’ve just said is against our principles.”

Cllr Jusef immediately said he hadn’t said the word ‘racist’ but ‘respect’, and then there were calls from one member for an apology.

Subsequently, some Reform UK councillors walked out of the chamber before the vote could be taken.

Councillor Frank Biederman (Liberal Democrat, Fremington Rural), who had sought the vote to be recorded, said “I think [Cllr Jusef] was misheard, but I’m not sure”.

Cllr Jusef then stood up to say that he apologised if he had hurt anyone, but reiterated his strength of feeling at the attack the couple living in Exeter had suffered. The pair, he said, are a husband who is a criminal law solicitor and a wife who is a medical science PhD student. He said the latter now had misgivings about completing her studies due to the “trauma.”

Reform UK member Councillor Sue Davies (Reform UK, Hartherleigh & Chagford) said it was “very upsetting”, but before she could finish was cut off by chair Councillor Caroline Leaver (Liberal Democrat, Barnstaple South) on the basis of procedural reasons.

Cllr Leaver said that Cllr Jusef had made it clear that the recorded vote was not meant to suggest those against it were racist and that he had apologised and clarified what he meant.

She then asked Cllr Davies to sit down.

Cllr Jusef, a Liberal Democrat who represents the Barnstaple North division, has been working with Devon and Cornwall Police since 2016 to support and advise it on ethnically diverse communities and to challenge hate crimes and support the victims of them.

Prior to his apparent remark, the debate had been constructive, with expressions of disgust at the attack on the Exeter couple that Cllr Jusef had retold, and support for the motion.

But some others who sympathised with its aims raised questions they felt needed to be legitimately answered.

Councillor Jacqueline Fry (Reform UK, Newton Abbot North) said she was “sorry” to hear about the attack on the couple relayed by Cllr Jusef, but stated that she had “not joined Reform with any intention of being racist”.

Her colleague Councillor Neil Stevens (Reform UK, Alphington & Cowick) agreed he wanted the full chamber to “work together” on the issue.

“One of the challenges that we have to work on as a team is definition creep,” he said.

“What exactly counts as a hate crime? Could ordinary disagreement or an offence joke lead to a police investigation, and how will we balance free speech with zero tolerance?

“These policies risk criminalisation of opinions.”

Cllr Leaver noted the questions from Cllr Stevens as “good… as clarity helps”, while Lib Dem member Cllr Alan Connett (Exminster and Haldon) also welcomed the Reform member’s contribution.

“Cllr Stevens spoke to something I personally feel; the right to freedom of speech, the right to offend and the right to be offended, but to speak with care, caution and sensitivity, so that if I offend you, it is because we have a disagreement, not because of another factor,” he said.

Reform’s Councillor James Grainger (Okehampton Rural) called Cllr Jusef’s speech “touching” and “admirable”.

“But I fundamentally disagree [with the motion] and that’s largely due to the concept of hate crime, which I reject,” he said.

“Crime is crime, and we don’t need hate in front of it as that is subjective, as one person’s fair criticism is another person’s hate speech.”

The motion was carried, meaning the council will adopt a statement on its website, social media and noticeboards, and “actively promote activities and information that challenges hate crime”, including noting the National Hate Crime Awareness Week in October.