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Here we go again

"Susan Hall is not fit to represent London.On Wednesday 19 July, the Conservative Party announced that London Assembly Member and Harrow councillor Susan Hall would be their candidate for London Mayor in 2024. Having faced some criticism for controversial social media posts in the past, Hall has made an effort to tidy up her social media in recent years, including deleting every tweet sent prior to December 2017.However, a review of Cllr Hall’s social media output – and in particular the posts she has “liked” on X (previously Twitter) – reveals alarming views and behaviour from someone seeking high office. Hall has repeatedly endorsed Enoch Powell, abusive posts aimed at politicians and journalists, including some directed at Sadiq Khan that have clear Islamophobic undertones.Hall has twice appeared to endorse the legacy of Enoch Powell, the Conservative MP best known for his racist Rivers of Blood speech.""It is worth noting that Powell bitterly opposed allowing Uganda’s Asian population to come to the UK after their cruel expulsion by Idi Amin in 1972, and a significant proportion of Hall’s home borough of Harrow are descended from those who were thankfully permitted to make their home here.On 5 November 2020, as votes were still being counted for the US Presidential Election, Hall quote-tweeted an article alleging a conspiracy to steal the election from the notorious right-wing misinformation site Gateway Pundit. The post remains live on Hall’s account."https://hopenothate.org.uk/2023/09/15/susan-hall-conservative-candidate-for-london-mayors-social-media-exposed/It will be a close-run thing, apparently. I could despair, so I have decided not to care. Much, anyway.

David Ainsworth ● 603d8 Comments

David, apologies I didn't mean to send you on a wild goose chase around the internet. I must admit I'm confused about Piers Corbyn's current political leanings. In the early 70s, if my memory serves me correctly, he headed up the (small) Marxist group at IC. He spent much time at IC Student Union meetings arguing with the head (I think a chap called Pete Gillet) of the Young Socialists (another small group) - while the IC Conservative club organised trips to the Guinness brewery in Park Royal (attended by students of all political persuasions). I believe Piers was at one time, for a short period, involved with the Labour party. It's only recently he seems to have been following all the conspiracy theories. Ok, he's always had his own theories on climate change and until a decade or so ago some off us would listen to him even though we weren't convinced (after all, it was something he'd studied). I'd have always said he was on the far left but some of his recent allegiances seem very puzzling ...

Michael Ixer ● 601d

"One of the reasons that the 'useless' candidate, Susan Hall, is running so close to Sadiq in a Labour city at a time when the Conservatives are unpopular is dissatisfaction with Sadiq's extension of ULEZ."Another potential triumph for the media who brought us Boris Johnson as PM? The g(r)ift that keeps on giving.

David Ainsworth ● 602d

"the Marxist, Mr Piers Corbyn? (I'm assuming Mr Corbyn is still of a far left persuasion?)"Well, thank you for that, Mr Ixer. It led me to mis-spend over an hour trying to find out, and instead finding my way via Piers Corbyn's website to searching the Undercover Policing Inquiry, where I found two locals, Peter Hain and Ernest Rodker, both giving evidence related to Putney, Wandsworth and Battersea history in the 1970s, and mentioning places, groups and a local radical newspaper (all of which I knew of). Undercover police infiltrating the Young Liberals and the Battersea Redevelopment Action Group, amongst others! Pretty pointless policing. https://www.ucpi.org.uk/about-the-inquiry/And this then led me to the Special Branch Files Project, where I found the Special Demonstration Squad Tradecraft Manual (1995).http://specialbranchfiles.uk/sds-tradecraft-manual/And yet I don't know whether Piers Corbyn is still a Marxist! Still, according to a recent poll, if Piers' brother stands as an independent in the London Mayoral election, he is likely to take 15 % of the votes and damage Khan enough to let in the Trump and Powell lady.

David Ainsworth ● 602d

I heard that Jeremy Corbyn might be standing, I wonder what category you will put him in if he did?It is a mistake to label people as anti ULEZ. There is nothing that says it requires a regressive tax to take some of the most polluting vehicles off the road - that was the Mayor's decision, as was the last minute chaotic changes.With mortgage, rent and utility rates being high this additional tax on top will put many over the edge. Of course Labour policies on BoE, rent & utilities are aligned with the government's - so no change there.

Ed Robinson ● 602d

Still, perhaps the anti ULEZ vote might get split between an apparently racist, Enoch Powell supporting, Tory and the Marxist, Mr Piers Corbyn? (I'm assuming Mr Corbyn is still of a far left persuasion?) That might assist Mr Khan in his re-election …

Michael Ixer ● 602d

One of the reasons that the 'useless' candidate, Susan Hall, is running so close to Sadiq in a Labour city at a time when the Conservatives are unpopular is dissatisfaction with Sadiq's extension of ULEZ.

Steven Rose ● 602d

"the Tories, not content with trying to bias voting their way by introducing photo ID to counter non-existent voter fraud in a way that favours Conservative-voting older people, have reduced the election to the old first past the post system. Putting your greasy fingers on your side of the scales: it's the Tory way."They have learnt from Trump's Republicans."she is so bad she'd be lucky to win a fair contest where she was the only candidate."However:-"A new poll has suggested that mayor Sadiq Khan is neck and neck with his Tory rival Susan Hall in the race for City Hall next year.The survey, published in the Times and conducted by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, shows the Labour incumbent winning just 33 per cent of the vote, with Conservative candidate Susan Hall close behind on 32 per cent.""The pollsters also asked the same set of Londoners how they will vote in a general election. The poll showed 47 per cent support for Labour and 27 support for the Conservatives - suggesting that in the capital, Mr Khan is much less popular than his party, while Ms Hall is more popular than hers."https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/sadiq-khan-susan-hall-poll-london-mayoral-election-jeremy-corbyn-redfield-times-b1105781.html#comments-area

David Ainsworth ● 602d

Another worrying thing about the next mayoral election is that the Tories, not content with trying to bias voting their way by introducing photo ID to counter non-existent voter fraud in a way that favours Conservative-voting older people, have reduced the election to the old first past the post system. Putting your greasy fingers on your side of the scales: it's the Tory way. I do hope that won't save their useless candidate's bacon: she is so bad she'd be lucky to win a fair contest where she was the only candidate.

Richard Carter ● 602d