71-year-old pensioner Paul Cleary, known for volunteering as Santa Claus in his community, has been dismissed by the Wath-upon-Dearne Community Partnership over social media posts deemed “anti-Labour.”
Cleary, a prominent figure in local festive events, was informed in a formal letter that his political comments had upset board members, many of whom were Labour Party supporters. The letter stated that it was no longer “appropriate” for him to continue his role as Santa.
Cleary, who also collected donations for the Montgomery Hall food bank as part of his work, was further told to cease his contributions, despite the charity publicly requesting aid for the holiday season in a local church magazine.
Cleary told UK media that he was devastated by the action and has cancelled all his scheduled Santa visits. He has since decided to support a different charity with his appearances.
Critics, including Free Speech Union UK director Toby Young, have questioned the political motivations behind Cleary’s dismissal, arguing such action would likely not have been taken had the posts targeted Conservatives.
