Independent councillor quits hours after saying murdered activist ‘brought assassination on himself’; TV guest compares Kirk to KKK leader
A Burnley councillor has resigned in disgrace after claiming murdered American conservative activist Charlie Kirk “brought his assassination upon himself” and declaring “good riddance to not a very nice man.”
Fiona Wild, an independent councillor for Lanehead ward, stepped down just hours after posting the inflammatory comments on social media, less than 24 hours after Kirk, 31, was fatally shot whilst addressing students at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
The married father of two was struck in the neck by a single bullet whilst discussing mass shootings at the Utah campus, with a manhunt still underway to find the gunman. President Donald Trump hailed Kirk as “legendary” in announcing his death.
‘Good Riddance’ Comments Spark Immediate Backlash
Wild’s resignation came after she posted on social media: “I don’t condone violence, but I do think he made himself a target and brought this on himself so good riddance to not a very nice man! America needs to get rid of the other t*t now.”
Burnley Council confirmed her resignation in a statement: “People may be aware of a social media post made by former independent councillor Fiona Wild. We can confirm that Ms Wild has now resigned from her position. Ms Wild was serving as an independent councillor at the time of her resignation, and therefore was not affiliated to, or representing, any political party group within Burnley Council.
Conservative council leader Jamie McGowan, who had called for Wild’s immediate resignation, branded her remarks as “vile.” The Hapton with Park ward councillor stated: “I think what Cllr Fiona Wild forgets is that two small children have woken up without their daddy this morning, because of nothing more than his political beliefs. It’s such a disgusting thing to say, which shows a nasty side I didn’t know she had.”
Upon her resignation, McGowan quipped: “All I can say is, good riddance to a not very nice woman.”
Former Labour Councillor’s Union Background
Wild, who quit the Labour Party in August to sit as an independent, describes herself as a trade union activist and “defender of our NHS” and has shared several posts of her on picket lines with Unison. A complaint had been lodged with Burnley Borough Council regarding whether she had breached the code of conduct.
Her comments represent the most extreme example of what critics describe as the Left using Kirk’s death to score political points despite his assassination.
TV Guest Compares Kirk to KKK Leader
The controversy extended to national television, where left-wing writer Nels Abbey sparked outrage on ITV’s Good Morning Britain by comparing Kirk to David Duke, the former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
When fellow guest Michael Gove described Kirk as “a sort of Cicero for the TikTok age,” Abbey interjected: “Can I just say something? I don’t believe he was a Cicero for the TikTok age, I believe he was a David Duke for the TikTok age.”
Duke is a neo-Nazi and former KKK leader responsible for promoting white supremacist ideology in America. When pressed by presenter Kate Garraway, Abbey added: “This is by no means trying to justify his murder. Political violence is wrong at home; it’s wrong abroad. Political violence must be condemned, as must the propagandising for political violence and the dehumanisation of people.”
He continued: “Charlie Kirk was somebody who… I shiver, particularly for Conservatives when he’s described as Conservative, because he wasn’t. He was quite clearly and comfortably a supremacist.”
Viewers Express Disgust
Abbey’s comments triggered immediate backlash from viewers, with one posting on X: “Shameful, considering it is less than 24 hours since the event.” Another stated: “Your comments on GMB lacked empathy. You used the platform to vilify Charlie Kirk.”
A third viewer commented: “Disgusted by Nels this morning – hosts should have stepped in – his tone and comparisons were abhorrent.”
Another added: “GMB allowing Nels Abbey airtime to smear Charlie Kirk as some kind of KKK leader and claim it’s ‘his own fault’ is an absolute disgrace. It’s vile, slanderous, and deeply disrespectful.”
Nadiya Hussain’s Controversial Posts
Former BBC chef Nadiya Hussain also faced criticism after sharing inflammatory Instagram posts less than 24 hours after Kirk’s death. The Great British Bake Off winner reposted messages branding Kirk a “bigot” who “thrived on spreading hate.”
One post she endorsed stated: “Charlie Kirk, a right-wing political ‘activist’ was shot in the neck today and died. The internet screams, ‘graphic’, ‘unwatchable’, ‘unimaginable terror’. For two years, Gaza has lived through horrors that no words can hold… A man who was a vocal Islamophobe and bigot who glorified violence.”
The post questioned: “Why is it that when white men die, the world mourns, and when 20,000 children do, silence fills the streets?”
Hussain, who left the BBC earlier this year, has embraced her freedom from impartiality rules, stating she would be “entirely unfiltered, with no management, nobody to tell me what I can do, can’t do, can say, can’t say.”
BBC Coverage Criticised
The BBC also faced backlash over its coverage after Democratic strategist Joi Chaney appeared to laugh whilst discussing Kirk’s death, saying he “wasn’t admired and loved by all.
Critics condemned what they described as “distasteful” and “insensitive” coverage so soon after the killing, with viewers expressing outrage at both Chaney’s comments and the BBC for airing them.
The Assassination
Kirk was shot at 12:10 p.m. local time on Wednesday, just ten minutes into his presentation at Utah Valley University in Orem. The fatal shot is believed to have been fired from a rooftop approximately 150 yards away.
Witnesses described seeing “a waterfall of blood” gushing from Kirk’s neck after the single shot rang out. He was rushed to Timpanogos Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The suspected shooter, described as someone who “blended in well with a college institution” and dressed in “all dark clothing,” remains at large despite the FBI-led manhunt. A “high-powered, bolt-action rifle” believed to have been used in the assassination has been recovered.
Political Leaders Condemn Violence
The assassination drew swift condemnation from across the political spectrum. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated: “It is heartbreaking that a young family has been robbed of a father and a husband. We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear – there can be no justification for political violence.
President Trump blamed “radical left” rhetoric for the assassination, ordering flags to be flown at half-staff until September 14. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described Kirk as “a very happy, committed family man” with “fundamentally strong, Christian beliefs.
Even political opponents condemned the killing, with California Governor Gavin Newsom calling it “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” adding: “In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.
Kirk leaves behind his wife Erika Frantzve and their two young children, who First Lady Melania Trump said would “be raised with stories instead of memories, photographs instead of laughter, and silence where their father’s voice should have echoed.”
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