Local Berkhamsted Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Bristow recently sent abusive tweets to two women.
He sent two threatening messages to female colleagues, one of whom had already won compensation from the Liberal Democrats for discriminating against her, because she supports women's rights. In the first he told the women to "Shut the fuck up, terf", with a cartoon of an anime figure pointing a gun. TERF is an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist. It is what activists who support trans rights call women who call for safe spaces for biological women. Following a chiding post from another female colleague, he then posted another graphic, with a picture of an elderly man clutching his chest in pain, saying "Shut the fuck up, boomer". Boomer's are people in their late 60s and 70s.
Cllr Bristow's 'gun' tweet went viral when commented on by renowned author J.K. Rowling, one of the most visible and voluble supporters of women's rights and the right to free speech. Elon Musk supported Ms Rowling's comments and the original messages went viral.
A spokeswoman for the campaign group Liberal Voice For Women said 'This...is symptomatic of a wider culture within the party.."
Locally, at Dacorum Council, 8 female Liberal Democrat Councillors resigned the Lib Dem whip because of discrimination and sexual harassment. This was followed by two Liberal Democrat leaders having to resign because of said bullying and sexual harassment or because they failed to properly investigate it. Now the Party have temporarily suspended Bristow. Are they waiting for the fuss to die down and interest to wane before re-instating him?
When campaigning, the Lib Dems ask if: "Do you share their values?" What values are they? Misogyny? Ageism? Closing down debate with abuse? Does this exchange show their true views? Against free speech (unless they agree with what is being said)? Against women who won't shut up and accept their liberal elite consensus? Against older people who struggle to keep up with their increasingly authoritarian and ideological views?
Local Conservatives believe in free speech and that people should not be attacked, bullied or threatened because of their opinions. Free speech is under attack in this country and threatening messages like Cllr Ian Bristow's are one of the reasons people increasingly feel they cannot state their true opinions. It is driving the growth of extremism, as people's opinion's do not change if threatened, they merely find another way to express them.
The recent political murder of Charlie Kirk, a prominent American supporter of the right to free-speech, shows us where this can lead. We need to stop and reflect on where we are headed if this aggressive shutting down of debate continues.
Cllr Bristow's messages are reprehensible, not because of what he believes, but because he tries to kill debate with aggression. However, this is not a police matter. We need to stop locking people up for what they say rather than what they do. Cllr Bristow should be tried in the court of public opinion.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2104538/libdems-suspend-councillor-terf-meme
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/04/liberal-democrat-councillor-suspended-over-trans-tweet/
