PvdA councilor suspended if photos appear showing that he is ‘blacked out’ and dressed as a woman

A senior PvdA councilor has been suspended by his party after photos surfaced showing him ‘in black’ and dressed as a woman at a party.

In the image posted to his Facebook page, 53-year-old Jim Hobson appears to be wearing makeup to darken his face, a black wig, black dress, tights and stilettos.

The photo was ‘liked’ by Lisette Roe, his partner, who is also a Labor councilor in Blackpool.

Mr Hobson was suspended shortly after being re-elected as Blackpool Council cabinet member for children’s services on May 4. Labor has not disclosed the reasons for his suspension.

But it comes after a complaint to the council at the beginning of this month about the photo, which is believed to have been taken at a youth center event and posted to Facebook in 2013.

Mr Hobson was suspended as a Blackpool Council cabinet minister for child care shortly after his re-election on May 4

A member of the public reported the matter to the council and accused Mr Hobson of being a ‘racist and a misogynist’ who ‘dressed up as a black woman and should not be a councilor on behalf of the Labor and Blackpool Council’.

Although Mr Hobson has since deleted his Facebook page, the photo has been shared by resident groups on social media.

One resident said, “I have so many questions and issues with this, I don’t know where to start. But I feel really angry.’

Mark Butcher, an independent candidate who opposed Mr Hobson in the Bloomfield ward, said: ‘The photo has upset quite a few people, including a number of mixed-race people who live in the ward. Do what he did, where he did it, it’s not right.’

Mr Hobson, who is divorced and has an adult son, did not respond to calls or emails.

A Labor Party spokesperson said: “The party does not comment on internal party matters.”