Tory mayoral candidate liked Enoch Powell posts

The Conservative mayoral candidate for London has appeared to endorse posts featuring Enoch Powell and Islamophobic criticism of the London mayor.

Susan Hall, Conservative member of the London Assembly, is due to run against Sadiq Khan in the mayoral election.

In February 2020 she liked a post on the platform now known as X that featured former Tory minister Powell.

Ms Hall's campaign spokesperson said: "Susan engages with many people on Twitter without endorsing their views."

The posts, which date back to 2017, were uncovered by a campaign group called HOPE Not Hate.

Playing cards

One message featuring a picture of Powell, whose "Rivers of Blood" anti-immigration speech ended his career in Edward Heath's shadow cabinet, read: "It's never too late to get London back."

Another post liked by Ms Hall in August 2020 suggested that Powell should have been prime minister and asked for the politician to be added to a pack of cards featuring pictures of former prime ministers.

Other posts that the Conservative mayoral candidate appeared to endorse included Islamophobic criticism of Mr Khan, accusing him of electoral corruption. Specifically, Ms Hall had thanked Katie Hopkins for a post in which Hopkins had referred to Sadiq Khan as "the nipple height mayor of Londonistan".

Georgie Laming, from HOPE not hate, called for Ms Hall to be suspended from the London Assembly and removed as a mayoral candidate.

"The Conservative Party is putting up a candidate who has shown her endorsement of Enoch Powell," she said. "Susan Hall is not fit to represent London and all its diversity."

A spokesperson for Ms Hall's campaign said: "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."

Follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]