Politician’s wife Lucy Connolly jailed for race hate post

The wife of a Conservative councillor has been jailed for 31 months after calling for hotels housing asylum seekers to be set on fire.

Lucy Connolly, whose husband Raymond serves on West Northamptonshire Council, posted the expletive-ridden message on X, formerly known as Twitter, on the day three girls were killed in Southport.

The 41-year-old childminder called for “mass deportation now” and added: “If that makes me racist, so be it.”

She has been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court, having previously admitted intending to stir up racial hatred.

Birmingham Crown Court was told Connolly, of Parkfield Avenue in Northampton, sent a WhatsApp message on 5 August joking that the tweet to her 10,000 followers had “bitten me on the arse, lol”.

Opening the case, prosecutor Naeem Valli said Connolly also sent a message saying she intended to work her notice period as a childminder “on the sly” despite being de-registered.

Mr Valli added: “She then goes on to say that if she were to get arrested she would play the mental health card.”

The court heard Connolly, who has no previous convictions, also sent another tweet commenting on a sword attack which read: “I bet my house it was one of these boat invaders.”