Bharat Pankhania #

Introduction #

Dr Bharat Pankhania, the Liberal Democrat mayor of Bath, resigned after sharing X posts that suggested the Golders Green arson attack on Jewish community ambulances had been staged by Israel. He had shared the posts on his personal X account after the attack of 23 March 2026, in which four ambulances run by Hatzola, a volunteer-led Jewish community ambulance service, were set on fire. The incident is being investigated as an antisemitic hate crime. Pankhania, who had been unanimously elected mayor by the city’s charter trustees in June 2025, resigned both the ceremonial mayoral role and his elected seat as a Liberal Democrat councillor.

Background Information #

Dr Bharat Pankhania was unanimously elected by the city’s charter trustees as mayor of Bath in June 2025. The mayoralty is a ceremonial role. He was also an elected Liberal Democrat councillor on Bath and North East Somerset (Banes) council, and was referred to in reporting as both “Dr Pankhania” and “Cllr Pankhania.”

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

On 23 March 2026, officers were called to Highfield Road in Golders Green, in north-west London, after receiving reports of ambulances on fire near the Machzike Hadath synagogue. Four ambulances run by Hatzola, a volunteer-led Jewish community ambulance service, were set on fire. The incident is being investigated as an antisemitic hate crime. In the heat of the fire, oxygen canisters in the vehicles exploded, causing damage to the windows of nearby residential properties, and thirty-four residents were temporarily displaced while the fire was brought under control.

Pankhania shared posts on his personal X account about the attack. The Guardian reported that he shared X posts describing the arson attacks as an Israeli false flag operation, and two further posts claiming the incident was insurance fraud. The report noted that false flag operations are political or military acts designed to look as if they were committed by an enemy, allowing the perpetrator to blame an adversary. Pankhania issued an apology calling the posts “abhorrent.” He said: “I have been made aware that I have reposted or replied to some posts which have never aligned to my values and beliefs, and which are abhorrent. I am incredibly apologetic that I have not lived up to the standards I set myself. I have of course deleted them, and I wish to apologise unreservedly.”

Public Reaction and Consequences #

The Liberal Democrat group on Bath and North East Somerset Council suspended Pankhania, and a statement from the group confirmed that he had offered his resignation as city mayor and from the group. “Both these resignations have been accepted,” a spokesperson said. The statement added: “Cllr Pankhania again apologised for his interactions on X, and reiterated that he has spent his life working with all communities, whilst acknowledging the hurt he had caused. In resigning, Cllr Pankhania is taking clear personal responsibility for his actions.” It continued: “As a Group and as a Party, we reject discrimination wherever it occurs and reiterate our stance against antisemitism.”

Separately, the police said that three further people had been arrested in connection with the alleged arson attack. Two British men, aged 19 and 20, and a 17-year-old dual British-Pakistani national, were arrested at separate addresses in east London. Two other men, aged 45 and 47 and also British, who had been arrested the previous week on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, had been released on police bail. The arrests and the ongoing investigation do not establish that any of those arrested are responsible.

Current Status #

As of the reporting, Pankhania had resigned as mayor of Bath and from the Liberal Democrat group on Banes council, and both resignations had been accepted. The mayoralty, a ceremonial role, and his elected councillor seat were both vacated. The arson attack remained under investigation as an antisemitic hate crime, and several arrests had been made, though none had resulted in a conviction at the time of reporting.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

Pankhania’s mayoralty, which he had held since being unanimously elected by the charter trustees in June 2025, ended after he shared posts suggesting that the Golders Green arson attack had been staged by Israel. His resignation came with a public apology in which he said he had “spent his life working with all communities” while acknowledging “the hurt he had caused.” The timing of his departure, during an active antisemitic hate crime investigation into the attack on a Jewish community ambulance service, drew scrutiny to the personal X accounts of public office-holders. His removal also left the Liberal Democrats on Banes council to fill both the mayoral role and his councillor seat.