Town councillor says museum event is ‘woke virtue-signalling’

A town councillor in Herefordshire has said an event organised by Hereford’s new £18 million museum and gallery is “woke virtue-signalling”.

Ledbury town councillor Ewen Sinclair posted on Facebook that the free event, Exploring Contentious Narratives, organised by Herefordshire Council’s museums and galleries department, will “tell people what to think”.

Responding to Sinclair’s comments, a council spokesman said the session, which will address how museums should respond to fake news and misinformation, “won’t be telling people what to think”.

The event on 7 June will give people “the chance to understand how we’re approaching the redevelopment of the museum, not just what the plans are, but the thinking, values, and principles behind them”.

Sinclair’s post said: “Herefordshire Council are funding an event to have an ‘open’ discussion, then the organiser will tell you what to think.

“He is going to discuss ‘fake’ news and ‘misinformation’. Anyone who says disinformation and misinformation is probably lying.”