Manchester Labour councillor Jade Doswell faces a standards investigation after she called for a jailed domestic abuser to be castrated in a Facebook comment. The Fallowfield representative was referred to Manchester City Council's monitoring officer, and she says she is fully cooperating with the investigation.

The comment was posted in response to news that Asif Alam, 40, from Burnage, had been jailed for four years for a decade of abuse against a woman. Doswell has accepted that her language was inappropriate, withdrawn the comment and removed the post, according to a Labour spokesperson.

What Jade Doswell posted

Greater Manchester Police had posted details of Alam's case on a south Manchester divisional Facebook page. Doswell responded in a comment that has since been deleted: "4 years is disgusting. He should be castrated. That poor woman. Well done to her on coming forward and I hope she can rebuild her life. Why is it always men and how much longer do women have to put up with this?"

The council's monitoring officer is the official who handles complaints about the conduct of elected members. A standards investigation looks into whether a councillor has breached the council's code of conduct. No finding has been made in this case, and the investigation is continuing.

The Asif Alam case behind the comment

Alam pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour, non-fatal intentional strangulation, assault by beating and stalking involving fear of violence. A court heard he abused and assaulted a woman over a period of 10 years, beginning when she was 15 and he was 28.

He was sentenced to four years in prison on 9 October 2026 and given a 16-year restraining order. Greater Manchester Police said the woman had shown great courage in reporting the abuse, and Detective Constable Chloe Stevens urged anyone experiencing abusive, controlling or coercive behaviour to come forward.

Labour response

A Labour spokesperson said: "The comments made on social media by Councillor Doswell were inappropriate and do not reflect the standards that the Labour Group expects."

The spokesperson added: "The post was made in response to a deeply disturbing case of violence against a woman. However, Councillor Doswell accepts that the language used was inappropriate, has withdrawn the comments and removed the post."

The Labour Group Whip has spoken with Doswell and reminded her of the standards expected of elected representatives. The spokesperson added: "Violence against women and girls is an issue that understandably generates strong feelings, but elected members must express those views appropriately."

What happens next

The standards investigation will now run its course through the council's monitoring officer. Doswell remains a Labour councillor for Fallowfield, a ward she represents alongside two fellow councillors on Manchester City Council.

The case underlines the tension elected representatives face when reacting to distressing court cases in public. Strong feelings about violence against women and girls are widely shared, but councillors are held to a code of conduct that governs how they express them, including on social media.

Anyone affected by domestic abuse can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline or Greater Manchester Police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.

Sources: Brit Brief and Greater Manchester Police.