RESEARCH by a campaign group has revealed that Susan Hall, the Tory candidate for London mayor, has liked tweets praising controversial figure Enoch Powell and tweets containing Islamophobic abuse directed at her Labour opponent, Sadiq Khan, reported the Guardian.
In February 2020, Hall liked a tweet praising Powell, a former Tory minister known for his infamous 1968 speech warning against immigration.
The tweet, discovered by Hope Not Hate, featured Powell with the words: ‘It’s never too late to get London back’, implying a reference to multiculturalism.
It also warned that immigration would lead to ‘rivers of blood’.
Later, Hall also liked a reply to a tweet suggesting Powell should be an honorary member of a pack of UK prime minister-themed playing cards.
Hall, a London assembly member, surprised many when she was chosen by the Tories to challenge Khan in the upcoming mayoral election due to her relatively low profile and hard-right views, along with her vocal support for Donald Trump and Liz Truss.
Previously, Hall faced criticism for suggesting that the Notting Hill carnival should be moved and stating there was a ‘problem with crime’ in the black community.
Furthermore, a tweet uncovered by Hope Not Hate showed Hall seemingly endorsing Trump’s unfounded conspiracy theory about the 2020 US presidential election, suggesting voter fraud in a post-election tweet.
Hall has also been accused of endorsing Islamophobic abuse directed at Khan.
In one instance, she retweeted a message from far-right activist Katie Hopkins that referred to Khan as ‘the nipple height mayor of Londonistan’ adding, ‘Thank you, Katie!’
According to the report, ‘Londonistan’ is a derogatory term used by far-right individuals to make Islamophobic claims about London’s Muslim population.
In another instance, Hall liked a tweet that responded to a message about a mayoral project aimed at addressing domestic violence and female genital mutilation by making derogatory comments about Khan’s Muslim faith.
Hope Not Hate has called for Hall to be suspended by the Tory party, stating that her Twitter history shows her to be unfit to represent London.
A spokesperson for Susan Hall’s campaign defended her actions, explaining that she engages with various people on Twitter without necessarily endorsing their views.
“Londoners want a mayor who listens to people and deals with the bread-and-butter issues that matter to them – making our streets safer and putting more money back in people’s pockets. As mayor, Susan will deliver that,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
