Cornwall Council Leader Urges Collin Brewer To Step Down

A councillor who said disabled children should be “put down” should resign, the new chairman of the council has said.

Collin Brewer, who made the comments in 2011, was re-elected to Cornwall Council at the election on 2 May.

Councillor John Wood said at a protest by disabled people: “It’s damaging him, it’s damaging the council and it’s damaging these good people as well.”

Mr Brewer, 68, a Wadebridge councillor, was unavailable for comment. He previously said he had been ill.

‘Out of context’

Mr Wood, leader of the Independent group on the Liberal Democrat-Independent controlled authority, spoke outside the council headquarters in Truro where protesters called for Mr Brewer to step down.

In 2011, Mr Brewer, an independent councillor, told a charity worker “disabled children cost the council too much money and should be put down”.

Cornwall Council is investigating Mr Brewer’s remarks to see if there has been a breach of its members’ code of conduct.

In a later interview he apparently linked disabled children to farmers killing deformed lambs.

Mr Brewer’s remarks were allegedly made during an interview with the Disability News Service (DNS).

Police investigation

In an article published on its website, DNS said Mr Brewer “repeatedly indicated that he believed there was a good argument for killing some disabled babies with high support needs, because of the cost of providing them with services”.

Following the publication of the article, Mr Brewer told BBC News he valued all human life and his views had been taken out of context.

“I didn’t intend to offend anyone and people will know that I really am a good man and I was just indicating an example of what’s happened in the past,” he said.

“I’ve always said I’m a Christian and I believe in the sanctity of all life.”

Mr Brewer is being investigated by police after complaints about the DNS interview.

Cornwall Council confirmed Mr Brewer had not attended any council meetings since his re-election this month.