A hard-Left councillor who wrote a social media post saying Charlie Kirk had ‘brought this on himself’ after his assassination did not commit a crime, police said today.
The 31-year-old US conservative activist was shot in the neck by a gunman while speaking about mass shootings at a university campus in Utah on Wednesday.
Fiona Wild, who has been sat as an independent on Burnley Council since resigning from the Labour Party last month, reacted to the murder with a post on Facebook.
The councillor, who represented Lanehead ward, wrote: ‘I don’t condone violence, but I do think he made himself a target and brought this on himself so good riddance to not a very nice man! America needs to get rid of the other t*t now.’
A Daily Mail reporter attempted to speak to Ms Wild last night at her home in the Lancashire town, but could not because police officers were inside at the time.
Detectives from Lancashire Police have since confirmed to the Mail that they were contacted about her comments by members of the public. The force then carried out a review and were left ‘content that no criminal offences have taken place’.
The case is being compared to that of Lucy Connolly, jailed for 31 months last year for stirring up racial hatred against migrants in a tweet after the Southport murders.
And Father Ted creator Graham Linehan was arrested after flying into Heathrow from Arizona last week over three posts he had made on X about transgender issues.
Three of the country’s most senior police officers have since written to the Home Secretary to push for changes in the law around offensive statements made online.
Fiona Wild has been sat as an independent on Burnley Council after resigning from Labour
Ms Wild reacted to the assassination of Charlie Kirk on Wednesday with a post on Facebook
Ms Wild has shared several posts on social media of her on the picket lines with Unison
While father-of-two Mr Kirk’s death sparked an outpouring of tributes, it also led to accusations that some on the Left were using his death to score political points.
After Ms Wild faced calls to step down yesterday, a Burnley Council spokesman said: ‘People may be aware of a social media post made by former independent councillor Fiona Wild. We can confirm that Ms Wild has now resigned from her position.
‘Ms Wild was serving as an independent councillor at the time of her resignation, and therefore was not affiliated to, or representing, any political party group within Burnley Council.
‘Burnley Council does not condone the comments made in that post and has received complaints under the Code of Conduct for Members which will be investigated by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.’
Council leader Jamie McGowan had earlier called for Ms Wild to resign immediately, describing her remarks as ‘vile’.
The Conservative councillor said: ‘I think what Cllr Fiona Wild forgets is that two small children have woken up without their daddy this morning, because of nothing more than his political beliefs.
‘It’s such a disgusting thing to say, which shows a nasty side I didn’t know she had. The comment has sparked outrage with many residents calling out her lack of humanity.’
After Ms Wild resigned, he added: ‘All I can say is, good riddance to a not very nice woman.’
Ms Wild describes herself as a trade union activist and ‘defender of our NHS’ and has shared several posts of her on the picket lines with Unison.
Charlie Kirk before he was shot at Turning Point’s visit to Utah Valley University on Wednesday
The case is being compared to that of Lucy Connolly (pictured), jailed for 31 months last year for stirring up racial hatred against migrants in a tweet after the Southport murders
A Lancashire Police spokesman told the Mail: ‘Members of the public have contacted us about comments posted on social media by a local Burnley councillor.
‘These comments have been reviewed and we are content that no criminal offences have taken place.’
It comes after the British arm of Mr Kirk’s campaign group accused Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy of ‘fuelling violent rhetoric’ against Right-wing figures.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to the activist on X shortly after his death, saying: ‘It is heartbreaking that a young family has been robbed of a father and a husband.
‘We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear – there can be no justification for political violence.’
But Turning Point UK – an offshoot of Mr Kirk’s group Turning Point USA – challenged Sir Keir over comments by Mr Lammy.
Mr Kirk flew to London in 2019 for the launch of Turning Point UK, which was welcomed by Tory MPs including Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel.
At the time, Mr Lammy described it as evidence that ‘sinister forces are taking hold of our country’.
He posted on X: ‘The transformation of the Tories from a centre-Right, economically conservative party to one that openly promotes hard-Right, xenophobic bile in just a few years shows what happens when you appease.’
Left-wing writer Nels Abbey caused outrage after comparing Mr Kirk to David Duke, the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, debate on ITV’s Good Morning Britain yesterday
Last night, Turning Point UK said in a statement: ‘Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has been at the forefront of fuelling violent rhetoric against those on the Right of politics.
‘From baselessly calling President Trump a ‘Neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath’ to branding Charlie Kirk and Turning Point as ‘xenophobic’, Lammy’s words have deliberately fuelled division.
‘Charlie Kirk is dead because Left-wing politicians like Lammy demonised and misrepresented political opponents and turned them into bogeymen that extremists view as legitimate targets. It’s too late for Charlie, but the rhetoric in our politics must change before more are murdered.’
In a statement, the group added: ‘The language your party and the wider Left uses to describe people like Charlie and us is why we face this violence. Shame on you.’
Left-wing writer Nels Abbey also caused outrage after comparing Mr Kirk to David Duke, the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan.
During a debate on ITV’s Good Morning Britain yesterday, former Conservative minister Michael Gove described Mr Kirk as ‘a sort of Cicero for the TikTok age’, adding that it was ‘the latest political assassination to afflict America’.
But Mr Abbey intervened to say: ‘Can I just say something? I don’t believe he was a Cicero for the TikTok age, I believe he was a David Duke for the TikTok age.’
The BBC came under fire for ‘distasteful’ coverage of the killing after inviting Democratic strategist Joi Chaney to comment. She said Mr Kirk ‘wasn’t admired and loved by all’
When host Kate Garraway asked him to clarify who Duke was, he replied: ‘He was the former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. This is by no means trying to justify his murder. Political violence must be condemned, as must the propagandising for political violence and the dehumanisation of people.’
Reacting to the online response to the killing, Brendan Cox – whose wife, Labour MP Jo Cox, was murdered in 2016 – condemned the trolls.
He praised senior Democrats such as Barack Obama, the Clintons and Nancy Pelosi for paying tribute, telling the Mail: ‘On top of that very personal impact on Charlie’s family, you’ve got the impact on American politics, which is already in a very difficult place.
‘What I remember from when Jo was killed, was Britain coming together… while trying to tone down tensions. I’m not sure that’s what we’re seeing in the US.’
The BBC also came under fire for ‘distasteful’ coverage of the killing after inviting Democratic strategist Joi Chaney to comment.
When she said Mr Kirk ‘wasn’t admired and loved by all’, the presenter and another panellist were visibly shocked.
The clip was swiftly shared on social media, leading to anger at Ms Chaney’s comments and the BBC for airing them soon after the killing.
The Labour Party, the BBC and ITV were asked to comment.
