Reform Councillor Accused of Comparing 78-Year-Old Volunteer to Nazi Collaborator

A 78-year-old volunteer described a heated exchange at an Essex parish council meeting where a Reform UK councillor compared her efforts to a Nazi collaborator. Mair Godley said Councillor Carl Johnson accused her of facilitating an invasion because she helped asylum seekers learn English.

The incident occurred on 14 October at a meeting near the former Wethersfield military base. The Home Office uses the site to house hundreds of asylum seekers. It is the larger of two former military sites used for mass accommodation, the other being at Crowborough in Sussex. Reform UK took control of Essex county council in May 2026, ending a 25-year period of Conservative leadership.

Johnson attended the session to brief members on local issues, including pothole repairs and Operation Vanguard. The latter is a scheme in which private security guards patrol town centres in the county. Nick Godley, Mair’s husband and a former chair of Wethersfield parish council, challenged the councillor about the need for the security patrols. He noted that crime and antisocial behaviour remained low in nearby Braintree, a town that some asylum seekers visit. He also raised concerns that the scheme was introduced without consultation.

During the debate, Johnson asked if anyone present had been helping the migrants at Wethersfield and facilitating the invasion. Mair Godley confirmed she had previously volunteered to teach English to the asylum seekers. Johnson replied that she might as well have been helping Germany during the second world war. He also stated he did not want to raise his daughter to be raped and murdered by asylum seekers, according to the couple’s account.

The week before the meeting, Johnson posted on Facebook that people entering the country illegally receive clothing and accommodation for free while others pay. He wrote that he had never known a country to actively facilitate its own invasion and population replacement, calling it treason. Draft minutes of the 14 October meeting record that the discussion became heated. Johnson was asked to leave to restore order, a suggestion forcefully made by a member of the public.

Nick Godley has lodged a formal complaint with Essex county council regarding Johnson’s comments. A council spokesperson said it comments on complaints only after an investigation finds a breach. Reform UK and Johnson have not responded to requests for comment. Mair Godley said she felt violated by the remarks and told Johnson at the meeting that he was not wanted there.

The couple lives near the Wethersfield site. Nick Godley, 77, described the exchange as fairly challenging. Mair Godley, who is nearly 79, said Johnson’s behaviour left a bad taste.