AN official complaint over former Cotswold District Council leader Lynden Stowe’s ‘hateful’ comments in which he drew parallels between Jeremy Corbyn and Adolf Hitler has been made to Gloucestershire County Council.

Cllr Lesley Williams, Gloucestershire Labour Group leader, submitted the complaint against fellow county councillor Mr Stowe last week after he drew parallels between the Labour Party leader and Nazi dictator.

Conservative Cllr Stowe, GCC member for Campden Vale, is also cabinet member for economy, skills and growth.

He told Gloucestershire Live: "I think that some of Corbyn's policies and the way he behaves are not dissimilar to some of the ways the National Socialist Party came about.”

"He's a proven anti-Semitist. He expounds the sequestration of property. In what he is trying to do with some of the younger people - it's not dissimilar to Hitler Youth.

"I don't like the chap one bit - I think he's very bad news."

He made similar comparisons in a since deleted social media post in response to Mr Corbyn’s speech at Glastonbury earlier in the week.

Cllr Williams said: “I am deeply troubled by these remarks and because they were so public, residents will be alarmed that a man who is in charge of the Gloucestershire economy and the promotion of apprenticeships in our schools could say something so crude and offensive.

“It flies in the face of every young person who voted for the first time last month.

“As a result I have submitted a complaint against Cllr Stowe over these unfortunate remarks to the monitoring officer, and I have notified the leader of the council of my unhappiness.

“The fact that he has yet to apologise just compounds his lack of foresight.

“I would encourage the leader of the council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, to consider whether Cllr Stowe’s promotion last May was a bit hasty, and consider if Cllr Stowe needs some time out to reflect on his inappropriate and hateful comments.”

The county council’s Labour group claims that residents have already been in touch to express their outrage and shock at the comments – and it hopes the matter is taken seriously.

Lynden Stowe, speaking in a personal capacity, said: “There are parallels between Corbyn and Hitler – messianic leadership style, promises that can’t be fulfilled, and followers who try to suppress voices that disagree.

"Add in a failure to deal with anti-semitism, and I find the whole situation very worrying.

"I have worked with Labour councillors for many years and have no problems with them – I look forward to the day their party is led by someone with a similar approach."

A Gloucestershire County Council spokesperson said: "A complaint has been received and will be considered."