Councillor reveals ongoing four-year hate campaign waged against her
"A campaign of hundreds of messages started on social media"
Cllr Nicola Cook
A Cheshire East councillor has spoken publicly about a four-year hate campaign waged against her and her family. Cllr Nicola Cook (Ind) spoke out about her family’s ordeal at the recent meeting of the full council because Cheshire East leader Nick Mannion (Lab) and deputy leader Michael Gorman (Ind) have been subjected to horrific abuse because of the controversy surrounding the proposed Adlington new town.
Posters containing caricatures of the two leaders have been displayed at protests and both have been targeted relentlessly on social media. Cllr Cook told the meeting: “Four years ago, a campaign of hate commenced against me and my family. It started with a video, then comments were made about how I looked. A campaign of hundreds of messages started on social media.
“What came next was the targeting of my employer, my subsequent employers, the employer of my husband. Covert pictures were taken of me and my family and friends, pictures of my car together with details of where it was parked. A malicious website was created, which even contained details of birth certificates of my family members.”
She said four years later, and the campaign still continues. “Let’s remember how it started – with posters and social media campaigns,” said the Sandbach councillor. “These are things that normalise hate, which then give permission to use ever more harmful methods.”
She said everyone had views about what had happened in terms of Adlington and ‘mistakes clearly have been made’ with regard to a letter sent to the New Towns Task Force. But Cllr Cook said the two council leaders had previously apologised and recognised that trust had to be rebuilt.
She continued: “Let’s also call out what is happening. “We have elected members in this chamber, holding posters which contain caricatures of Cllr Gorman and Cllr Mannion.”
She said conspiracy theories had been posted on social media. Cllr Cook said this was behaviour which affects the leaders’ lives and those of their family members. Conservative group leader Stewart Gardiner (Knutsford) said he was appalled to hear about the suffering Cllr Cook had endured.
Regarding what she said about the attacks on councillors Mannion and Gorman, Cllr Gardiner told the meeting: “I have been made aware of certain situations that have arisen that I have told my members that I am unhappy with what they are [pictured] standing next to.”