Councillor who said 'disabled children cost too much and should be put down' finally resigns over 'depraved' rant

• Cllr Collin Brewer finally quit after apologising to Disability Cornwall
• Despite resignation he may still stand for re-election in May
  
• Told BBC radio that the timing wasn't good because of upcoming elections
  
• Charity says his apology was an insult and called for him to quit
  
• Defended himself by saying he was 'hot under the collar' after a meeting
• Mr Brewer forced to write apology a year and a half after offensive remark
• 97 per cent of people in local paper poll said Mr Brewer should resign
• Katie Price tweeted 'How would you like to dispose of my son Harvey???'
• Cornwall Council distanced itself from Mr Brewer's 'ignorant' comment

By Richard Hartley-parkinson

Published: 03:40 EDT, 28 February 2013 | Updated: 06:11 EDT, 28 February 2013

Councillor Collin Brewer's remarks were described as 'depraved' but he initially refused to quit

A councillor has finally quit his post after causing outrage for his 'depraved' remark in which he suggested 'disabled children cost the council too much money and should be put down'.

Collin Brewer, 68, an independent councillor at Cornwall council, had initially remained defiant and refused to stand down.

Despite announcing his resignation, however, he has indicated that he might still consider standing for re-election when voters in Cornwall go to the polls.

Mr Brewer had just emerged from a council meeting when he walked up to a stall set up in county hall run by the Disability Cornwall charity.

He claimed he made the comment to 'provoke a reaction' but also said he said it while 'het up' and 'hot under the collar'.

Colin Brewer said: 'I know people will be delighted that I have resigned.

'I have tried to explain what I have done over the last 27 years and that this is my first indiscretion, not that there is an excuse for that.'

He said he had received many calls to his home in Wadebridge, North Cornwall, since the furore started.

He said: 'Most are sympathetic to me, those that I have spoken to. All the councillors that have rung me, at least half a dozen asked me not to resign, to stick in there.

'They know what I am, they know what I am like, they found it strange that I made this remark. This is against my character, they are supportive of me.'

Disability Cornwall said it had received messages of support from across the world. In a statement the charity said: 'We believe Councillor Brewer’s decision to step down is the right one.

'It is a shame that it took a formal investigation and 18 months to force the apology we eventually received.

'While Councillor Brewer’s actions are not reflective of the vast majority of councillors, we hope that Cornwall Council will recognise the need for training and awareness-raising for all councillors, staff and departments.'

He initially remained defiant yesterday saying he did not thinking it was 'something I would consider resigning over' adding 'I believe I am doing a good job.'

He was reported to the council's monitoring officer and it was only when he was told to apologise that he did so - 18 months after making the remark.

Katie Price tweeted her disgust at Mr Brewer's comments

Mr Brewer's apology letter in which he acknowledges his comments were 'ill-judged and insensitive'

His apology was sent to Theresa Court, advice services manager at Disability Cornwall, but she described the note he sent as 'offensive.'

Before he resigned she said: 'I couldn't believe it. It's taken a year and a half for him to be told that he has to write an apology. The apology was an insult.

'It came with a second class stamp and it was folded up into eight small bits. He might as well have screwed it up. I can't believe that the only thing he has had to to is write an apology.He needs to re-think his job.'

Speaking about the incident she said: 'I was absolutely horrified anyone would make such a depraved comment, let alone a Cornwall councillor at a public event.

'As far as I was concerned, I had a duty to make a formal complaint against Councillor Brewer to seek appropriate justice.'

Her charity had a stand at an information event in Truro in October 2011. She was on hand to tell councillors about the issues they face and the work they do with parents of children with special needs.

Theresa Court, who Mr Brewer made the comment to, said she was unhappy with the apology which 'might as well have been screwed up' and came in an envelope with a second class stamp

Mr Brewer approached the stand, where there were parents of disabled children, and asked what the charity did. According to Ms Court he said that children with special needs cost too much money.

Fortunately, she added, none of the parents heard his comments.

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His comments sparked a negative reaction from fellow councillors, council officials, and thousands of angry readers.

Katie Price, whose son Harvey is severely disabled, also waded in on the row saying 'Colin [sic] Brewer how would you like to dispose of my son Harvey???'

Her comments were echoed by the readers of the Plymouth Herald, 97 per cent of whom said he should quit.

Trevor Doughty said: 'As director of children's services for Cornwall Council I am shocked and disappointed by the remarks made by Councillor Brewer.

'The comments were cruel and ignorant and are contrary to the Council’s policy of supporting all people with disabilities.

'We are very proud of the disability services provided in Cornwall and wish to totally disassociate ourselves with these completely unacceptable views.'

Katie Price (pictured left with her disabled son Harvey, right) today condemned Mr Brewer's comments saying 'many disabled [people] contribute more to society than Mr Brewer'

Steve Paget, chairman of Disability Cornwall, said: 'It is of great concern to us that anyone with such believes, let alone to vocalise them, could be a representative and elected member of our local authority.

'For such a serious issue and multiple breaches of conduct, bringing the council into disrepute, we did expect no less than this councillor's resignation.'

In a bid to justify what he said, Mr Brewer told the Plymouth Herald: 'I had come to their stall after a long council meeting and I was probably a little bit het up as we had had some difficult debates.'

In that meeting he heard that some disabled children were being moved out of the county for care which was 'incurring additional expense'.

In a letter to the charity Mr Brewer said: 'I am writing to offer my wholehearted apologies for the offences these remarks have clearly caused.

'While I meant no offence by my remarks to you, I can see, in retrospect, that they were ill-judged and insensitive and should not have been made at all.'

Cornwall Council (pictured) distanced itself from Mr Brewer's 'cruel and ignorant' comments

Councillor Jan Powell, a Liberal Democrat on Cornwall Council, said: 'I'm shocked. I can't believe that a councillor could even contemplate saying something like that even to stimulate debate. For me it is a resignation issue.'

Mr Brewer said: 'We had had a difficult morning deciding on budget and job cuts. I listened to one of the ladies on the Disability Cornwall stall and came out with the comment. If only I had not said that.

'I didn't mean it. I did it to provoke a response and debate the issue of service costs provision.

'It backfired. I was treating her with a lack of respect and I shouldn't have done it. I meant no offence. I would defend disabled children to the last.

'I said it to stimulate conversation but it was the wrong type of thing to say. It is not something I believe. I didn't get the reaction I wanted.

He added: 'We all make mistakes. I would have apologised there and then but I didn't get the chance.'