https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/mayor-who-said-boris-johnson-21838876?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Mirror12at19&utm_campaign=daily_newsletterMayor who said Boris Johnson 'deserves' coronavirus loses her job and Labour whip
Sheila Oakes, a paralegal, posted her comment on Facebook after it was announced the Prime Minister was in intensive care and her firm says the actions were 'abhorrent'
ByMartin Fricker & Dan BloomOnline Political Editor
1:16, 9 APR 2020 Updated 13:38, 10 APR 2020
A mayor who was kicked out of her local Labour group for saying Boris Johnson deserves to have coronavirus has now lost her job. Sheila Oakes, mayor for the Derbyshire town of Heanor, described Johnson as “one of the worst British PMs”. The paralegal posted her comments on Facebook shortly after it was announced Mr Johnson was in intensive care. Oakes wrote: “He completely deserves this and he’s one of the worst PMs we've ever had.”
The 56-year-old later apologised for the post, saying she wrote it without thinking when she was angry. Despite apologising Oakes lost the whip in her local Labour Party with immediate effect on Tuesday. Oakes has not however been suspended or expelled from the Labour Party overall. It's understood the party is investigating. The Amber Valley Labour Group said it “utterly condemned” the remarks made by the mayor and warned, "further due process will follow".
Now she has been sacked by the law firm that employed her in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. VHS Fletchers Solicitors said in a statement that her comments were “deeply offensive”. The firm wrote: “To wish illness upon anyone must be abhorrent to all right-thinking members of the public.”
The statement added: "As you may be aware, on Monday evening Sheila Oakes, a paralegal at our Ilkeston office and also Mayor of Heanor posted deeply offensive remarks relating to the Prime Minister’s current state of health on Facebook. These posts were made in a personal capacity, but it was clear from her Facebook biog that she was an employee of this firm. As a result, we became embroiled in understandable and legitimate criticism of what she had said. We can confirm that as of now Ms Oakes is no longer employed by this firm in any capacity. We have no knowledge of what her intentions are in relation to her political career. We have previously stressed that her views are not shared by the partners or any other members of staff."
