Lib Dem election candidate Jemma Joy slammed after cruelly calling fishing village ‘most inbred’

A LIBERAL Democrat general election candidate has been slammed after calling a village “in-bred”.

Jemma Joy made the shock comment about the northeast village of Skinningrove.

The 2010 post said: “Skinningrove…urgghh. Possible contender for most in-bred village in Britain.”

Joy laughed it off when the post began to circulate online last year, she was being sarcastic about the village she had grown up in.

But Joy has now apologised, explaining she is “really really sorry” and that she wanted to apologise to the people, not at the behest of a political rival.

She told the council meeting on December 21: “ At the time, I was possibly trying to be ironic and funny.

“Clearly the comments did not come across in the way I had intended, and I am sincerely sorry to anyone from the village who was upset or angry with me.”

Responding to questions from The Sun, Joy said: “I thought it was an ironic and sarcastic comment to write what I did, in the same way folk often say ‘it’s grim up North’ while showing delightful photos of rolling hills or beautiful coastlines.

“Around that time there had been a documentary made about the village showing it in a negative light unfairly and this was my clumsy way of making a nod to that inaccurate documentary.”

She was selected in October as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, and is set to challenge Sir Simon Clarke.

The Tory MP, formerly minister for Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, had demanded an apology from Joy in October.

On Sunday, he told The Sun: “I was shocked to read about Ms Joy’s slur on my constituents in Skinningrove – you won’t find a more decent or more generous community anywhere in the country.

“While a certain amount of village rivalry is a fun part of life in East Cleveland, this wasn’t the tone of these remarks.  

“It’s right Cllr Joy has apologised, but I doubt Grovers are impressed. The Lib Dems too often preach kindness but practice disdain for people who don’t share their archly middle class world view.”

Independent councillor Barry Hunt asked Joy to apologise for the comment.

The 30-year Skinningrove resident said Joy had done the right thing in apologising and she was the victim of a political attack.

“She’s done everything I asked for.

“It was a thing that just had to be settled and she did that.”

The veteran local politician told The Sun the emergence of the historical post last year was a case of “dirty politics”.

“What it comes down to at the end of the day is someone trying to discredit someone.

“As far as I’m concerned it was used in a political way, it’s all to do with the politics of standing to be an MP.”

A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “Jemma Joy has apologised, she grew up there. We agree with local resident Barry Hunt, this is ‘dirty politics’ to dredge this up.”

Joy has been approached for comment.