Tory councillor criticised for wearing blackface at bonfire event

A Conservative councillor is facing criticism after he was identified as being part of a group of parents wearing blackface during a bonfire night celebration in Kent.

Members of a local school’s Parent Teacher’s Association were spotted donning blackface make-up at the Edenbridge fireworks event last weekend, according to Kent Live.

Onlookers said they were astonished when they saw parents of Hever Church of England Primary School with their faces painted in “an unacceptable and racist” manner, the website reports.

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The Guardian has since identified one of the people taking part in the Caribbean-style parade as Trevor Bryant, a Tory member of Edenbridge council. Members of other societies were also seen with blacked-up faces.

Bryant confirmed to newspaper that he wore the make-up, but refused to comment further.

One father said: “This was black-facing and it was highly offensive and shocking. Bad taste all round. It was the person doing it who did the minstrel jazz hands to add to it as well.”

The incident “echoes a longstanding row” over similar bonfire night celebrations in Lewes, East Sussex, where some participants traditionally wore Zulu-type outfits, and blacked up their faces, The Guardian reports.

Joanna Stratton, the headteacher of Hever school, initially denied that parents had blacked up by wearing the costumes.

“They put make-up on because of what they were wearing,” she said. “It was the same as putting on a hat or scarf or beard and was innocently done - it was as simple as that.”

However, Stratton later described the incident as “an error of judgement” on behalf of a “small number” of the school’s PTA members who took part in the celebration on Saturday.

“I have spoken to the PTA and they would like to apologise unreservedly for any offence caused,” she said. “There was no intention to hurt anyone’s feelings and any upset caused is completely contrary to what they hoped to bring to Bonfire Night.”