A newly elected councillor in Barnsley, Andy Arnold, has been photographed with a tattoo on his arm that appears to resemble a swastika. However, his wife, Theresa, who is also a councillor, asserts that the tattoo is actually a symbol of peace associated with Buddhism.
The tattoo, visible on Mr. Arnold’s forearm in several images posted on a public Facebook group over the course of almost a decade, is linked to a business called Taattoo in Wombwell, South Yorkshire, owned by Theresa Arnold.
In the images dating back to 2018, Mr. Arnold, who won the election to represent Wombwell recently, is depicted in a vest top, working on tattooing clients, with the symbol on his upper arm. Criticism arose online when these images surfaced over the weekend.
It has been reported that Mr. Arnold has since covered up the tattoo with a new design.
In response to concerns about the tattoo resembling a swastika, Mrs. Arnold clarified that her husband briefly explored Buddhism during his late teens, leading him to get the symbol tattooed on his arm. She emphasized that he has no association with Nazism or extremism, and the tattoo was misunderstood due to its original religious significance.
Reform UK has been approached by SWNS for a statement regarding this matter.
