Labour councillor cleared of violent disorder charges after fiery rally speech
Ricky Jones acquitted in court
Suspended Labour councillor Ricky Jones, 58, has been found not guilty of encouraging violent disorder. The former Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) official was accused of calling for protesters’ throats to be cut during an anti-racism rally in Merseyside earlier this year.
The incident, following riots in Southport linked to the deaths of three children, sparked a political firestorm. Jones was immediately suspended from the Labour Party while prosecutors claimed his words aimed to incite violence. However, after a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, a jury cleared him on Friday.
Family slams ‘two-tier justice’
Outside court, Jones’s wife Lucy Connolly hit out at the handling of the case. “This was two-tier justice from the start,” she said. “He was vilified before the facts were heard.” She accused political opponents of making her husband a scapegoat and “the poster boy for the far right.”
Political storm still brewing
The Labour Party has yet to confirm whether Jones will be reinstated, keeping his suspension in place amid ongoing internal investigations. The courtroom heard that Jones was attending the rally in a personal capacity. His defence argued his words were taken out of context and misinterpreted.
Jones himself said after the verdict: “I am relieved the truth has come out. This case has caused huge distress for my family, and I’m grateful to the jury for seeing sense.”
