A Christian councillor has been reinstated by a local Conservative Party group after he was suspended for tweeting that "pride is sin". 

King Lawal, 31, was suspended in July by the local Conservative group at North Northamptonshire Unitary Council. 

He was removed from a number of positions, including Chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee and vice-chair of the Scrutiny Management Board, as well as  his position as a trustee for an organisation helping children access green spaces.

He is also alleged to have been warned by a local authority that a significant contract would be scrapped unless he resigned from his own business. 

In August, another Conservative councillor, Anthony Stevens, was arrested and questioned about a tweet he posted expressing support for Lawal. 

Lawal said his life had been torn apart by the reaction to his tweet.

The Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which supported Lawal, said the repercussions were "unprecedented" and demonstrated that "Christians who hold public office can no longer express their beliefs without having their careers and lives dismantled".

Lawal has been reinstated following a meeting of the council on 26 October. 

In a statement he was invited to make to the meeting, Lawal said, "On June 29 I posted a tweet which I understand some people were offended by. The tweet was an expression of my Christian faith by quoting passages from the Bible. This 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. I represent all members of my constituency without fear or favour and undertake my role as a councillor with impartiality and without bias. 

"My intention in posting the tweet was not to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person or persons."

Lawal said he was "relieved" by the decision to reinstate him but said that the Conservative headquarters should have supported him and added that the treatment he had received was "really troubling for a democratic society" and should "ring alarm bells as this can now happen to anyone that is not in support of this extreme LGBT movement".

"What has happened to me has been appalling but I am encouraged and grateful to the local group for reinstating me. Any Christian, especially those holding public positions, should be concerned by what has happened and anyone who cares about free speech in the UK," he said. 

"It is now almost impossible to say something biblically truthful on sexual ethics in UK society without being cancelled and having your life ruined.

"What I said was biblically sound and a protected expression of the Christian faith.

"As the only black councillor in the whole of Northamptonshire, I know what it is like to be in the minority, and I would never discriminate against anyone. I have diligently represented all my constituents and I very much looking forward to getting back to serving all of them."

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: "This is one step on the road to justice for King Lawal. Sanity in this part of King's case has thankfully prevailed. He is an excellent local politician whose motivation is to help and serve others.

"What happened to King is a clear case of viewpoint discrimination against a standard expression of Christian belief.

"Where was the 'diversity', 'tolerance' and 'inclusion'? We saw instead a monoculture which requires approval, allegiance and promotion of LGBT Pride no matter what.

"We will continue to stand with Cllr Lawal until his reputation and all his public positions are fully restored."