Elections 2022: Conservative candidate suspended over past tweets

Stephen Antony Savva will still appear on ballot papers as a Tory candidate for Enfield Council

The Conservative Party has suspended a local elections candidate in north London over past social media posts suggesting "the removal of all immigrants".

Stephen Antony Savva, a candidate for Brimsdown ward on Enfield Council, made the Twitter comments in 2017 and 2018.

In one post, he asked people coming to the UK to "stop dressing funny".

Enfield North Conservatives said Mr Savva had been suspended from the party after "reports of offensive tweets".

The association said: "We are currently investigating the matter and take reports such as these extremely seriously."

One tweet from Mr Savva's account, uncovered by national anti-racism campaign group Hope Not Hate, stated: "How about the removal of all immigrants?"

'Homes suddenly available'

The tweet continued: "Wouldn't that be wonderful? Just think of all the homes that would suddenly become available? All those school places?"

A reply from Mr Savva's account to an article about TV chef Nadiya Hussain, revealing that she suffers Islamophobic abuse on social media, stated: "As a westerner she shouldn't wear a headdress. If she integrated more, she wouldn't suffer any abuse."

A further post stated that Mr Savva believed "those who are privileged enough to come and live here should live by our ways. And stop dressing funny".

Mr Savva previously stood for the Conservatives in Southbury ward, Enfield, in 2014.

Gregory Davis, a researcher at Hope Not Hate, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service before the suspension was announced that the comments had made clear that Mr Savva was a "wildly inappropriate candidate".

Mr David said Mr Savva "cannot possibly represent the best interests of a diverse constituency".

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission said Mr Savva would still appear as a Tory candidate on ballot papers during England's local elections on Thursday.

• Enfield Council local election candidates

"The nomination process for the elections is now complete and the ballot papers have been printed so a candidate cannot be removed," a spokeswoman said.

However, the Conservatives were no longer required to consider Mr Savva as representing the party.

"It would be a matter for the party to make clear to electors that a candidate no longer represented the party if that was the case," she added.

The controversy comes weeks after another party member in Enfield, Colin Davis, resigned from his position as chair of Enfield Southgate Conservative Association when a photo appearing to show him wear Nazi uniform in the 1980s was uncovered.

Mr Savva has been approached for comment.

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