Mr Lawal said he had been surprised at the backlash his tweet had caused: “It didn’t cross my mind that there would be so much vitriol from a tweet, which was stating a biblical doctrine – biblical passages, biblical understandings that has been there for thousands of years. I thought in this country we were still allowed to have a differing view. As a counsellor, I do see that there may have been some things around not offending people, not discriminating, etc. within the policies I signed up for, but at the end of the day the speech of a public representative cannot be curtailed, because how then can you engage and get to mutual understanding of a particular notion, for example.” 

He expressed his hope that his reinstatement “speaks positively in people’s minds” and encourages people to “stand up for what they believe in”. He also confirmed the tweet “was an exercise in free speech. As a councillor, I act equally for the residents of the areas in which I am elected in all areas of debate and discussion.”