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Susan Hall, the Tory candidate for Mayor of London, has joined a Facebook group that contains Islamophobic hate speech and offensive comments about her opponent Sadiq Khana day after exposure to its contents.
Khan told the Guardian that these revelations “could have a direct impact not only on my safety, but on the safety of my family and staff”.
A joint Observer and Unearthed investigation during the weekend profiled a network of Facebook groups focused on ultra-low emission zones that were run by Conservative Party officials and activists and that contained Islamophobic hate speech, conspiracy theories and abuse. Some of the groups included celebrating the vandalism and comments expressing disbelief that Khan had not been “taken out”.
Hall was already a member of six of the groups. On Monday, a day after the revelation, its official Facebook page joined a seventh group called Bexley Says No to Ulez Expansion.
Group content includes:
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YouTube video claiming ‘Islamists’ are ‘taking over Britain’.
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Abuse of Khan, including a post that read: “Seriously can’t believe Khan hasn’t been taken out yet…if the dark forces can take out Princess Diana, I’m sure they can take out this little parasite that’s grabbing the money”.
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Examples of vandalism: one user shared a photo of a police van with slashed tires, noting “two flat tires and a sprayed camera”. Another user replied: “Well done to whoever it was.”
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Numerous Islamophobic comments, including one commenter calling Khan a “terror sympathizer” and another saying that London mayor “will see a great upsurge in public sentiment and possibly great riots, mosques burned and innocent Muslims unable to walk the streets.”
The investigation identified 36 groups that appeared to be separate grassroots movements opposition to the extension of ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) schemes. to reduce air pollution. They do not say they were created by the Conservatives as part of a coordinated political campaign, but they were found to have been created by Conservative officials and activists.
There are no suggestions that the racist posts or those promoting vandalism were made or engaged with Conservative politicians or officials.
Khan told the Guardian: “This latest revelation is absolutely stunning. This could have a direct impact not only on my safety, but also on the safety of my family and staff. No one should incite violence … There is no doubt in my mind that if she [Hall] won, this Tory would be the most dangerous and divisive mayor London has ever had.
“Thursday’s election will be close between Labor and the Tories. The choice is clear: a fairer, safer, greener London with Labour, or a Tory candidate who will divide our communities and take London back.
The Labor Party had reported the groups to the police, Khan added.
Labor MP for Brent Central, Dawn Butler, also raised the issue in the House of Commons and wrote to the Metropolitan Police Chief Commissioner to press for action.
In her letter, she wrote: “I believe many of these posts constitute racial or religious crimes…I find it shocking that these potential crimes were committed in Facebook groups where several prominent conservative politicians are active members. The Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, Susan Hallshe has yet to explain why she is a member of hate groups in this way and Londoners will be concerned that she appears to tolerate this behaviour.
Senior Tories have posted in some of the groups. Hall is a member of seven groups and has published in two. A Tory campaigner posted a meme calling Khan an “ass” along with a laughing emoticon in one of the groups.
Amy McCarthy, political campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “Any self-respecting politician would apologize and leave these Facebook groups as soon as racism, Islamophobia and posts inciting criminal damage were discovered. But not Susan Hall – she just brazenly doubled down and joined yet another hotbed of hateful and demeaning posts.
“Strengthening her support for the anti-Ullez brigade appears to be a last-ditch attempt by the conservative mayoral candidate to boost her ratings. But the majority of Londoners want a mayor who will tackle the climate crisis, reduce harmful air pollution in the capital and not associate with people who spread racism and conspiracy theories. So her strategy may be doomed.
Hall and the London Conservatives have been approached for comment.
A spokesman distanced CCHQ from racist and offensive comments when details of the groups were first revealed, saying the party “unequivocally condemns any discriminatory language and never encourages or condones vandalism or criminal activity”.
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