Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate for London Mayor, is once again facing a political storm of her own making, this time for suggesting that Jewish Londoners were ‘frightened’ of Sadiq Khan.
At roughly 5ft 6 inches (reports vary), one presumes Hall was not implying Jews were physically intimidated by the Mayor. Nor was she arguing that the Ulez extension represented a racially or religiously motivated attack on Jews living in outer boroughs. So what point was she trying to make?
As Josh Salisbury and Rachael Burford report, it was during a Conservative Friends of Israel event at the party’s conference in Manchester last night that Hall said: “I know how frightened some of the [Jewish] community is because of the divisive attitude of Sadiq Khan.” Video of the comments can be found here.
Hall’s remarks have attracted criticism from Labour. The Jewish Labour Movement accused her of seeking “to use the Jewish community as political pawns,” while shadow foreign secretary David Lammy condemned them as “an ugly dog whistle”. The Standard’s leader column meanwhile calls Hall’s statement “unwise and untrue”.
Far from clarifying her remarks, Hall has today doubled down. Speaking to GB News, she protested: “I will never apologise for defending the Jewish community.” The problem with this proposition is that her original statement wasn’t accurate.
Find two Jews and you’ll get three opinions, but it is simply not true to suggest that as a group, Jewish people are frightened of Khan. Like everyone else, Jews will weigh up the Mayor’s record, while their view of the Ulez will depend on whether or not they drive a non-compliant car. Hall’s comments are problematic because they treat Jews as if they are different. And indeed Khan, who is Muslim, as a creature to be viewed with suspicion.
Of course, Jewish Londoners do face real threats to their safety. According to the Community Security Trust, in 2022, 920 anti-semitic incidents were reported to have taken place in the capital. Jewish schools and places of worship hire security guards because of specific dangers still faced by British Jews. This is somewhat lost the political back and forth.
It is entirely legitimate to criticise the Mayor for his policies, his achievements (or lack thereof) after nearly eight years in office. But it is difficult not to conclude that something underhand is being said about Khan. Not everyone will hear it or agree – that is why it is called a ‘dog whistle’.
Moreover, these comments hardly exist in a vacuum. They follow revelations that Hall had ‘liked’ a social media post quoting Enoch Powell, and her support for Donald Trump. It is also a reminder of the type of campaign Zack Goldsmith ran against Khan in 2016. But, with notably rare exceptions, I’ve not seen any condemnation from fellow Tories.
Here’s the thing: during Labour’s anti-semitism crisis, Conservatives were quick – and right – to criticise Jeremy Corbyn and Labour MPs. Conversely, Labour politicians have been content to highlight Islamophobia within Tory ranks. The problem with this approach should be obvious: if you only condemn the bigotry of your opponents, you are not an anti-racist – you are just another partisan.
In the comment pages, Anne McElvoy warns John Lewis’s problems go far deeper than just Sharon White. Historian David Olusoga says levelling up rhetoric is nothing new – the rest of the UK has always resented London’s allure. While Max Wallis raises the alarm over the growing scourge of old age pensioners on e-scooters.
And finally, it came, conquered all… then before you knew it, BlackBerry was gone. But not forgotten, especially by Joanna Taylor.
