Conservatives chose Susan Hall, a former hairdresser, as their candidate for mayor of London in July
Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, was elected accused in a racially motivated “smear campaign” against his Conservative opponent; A dedicated attack website claims Susan Hall is «prejudiced against black Londoners».
Labor targeted voters in the capital with ads on Facebook and Instagram describing Ms Hall as an «extremist». The adverts also claim the Tories were trying to «rig» the voting system.
The claims suggest Labour's approach to next year's mayoral election could have echoes of the 2016 rivalry between Mr Khan and Zac Goldsmith, who now Lord Goldsmith, in which the Tories were accused of waging a divisive campaign.
An analysis of advertisements released by both parties suggests Labor is quietly mounting a sophisticated digital campaign against Ms Hall.
The Conservatives, who chose the former hairdresser as their candidate in July, have not carried out an equivalent paid advertising campaign promoting Ms Hall. Hall or an attack on Mr Khan, which is likely to cause consternation among Tory MPs — especially after the Tory double act of defeat in last week's election.
Many Labor Party advertisements link to a website set up by the party's London branch, which claims to reveal the «shocking truth about Susan Hall» in five statements about her views. The allegations, which Tory sources say constitute «disinformation», include claims that the Conservative candidate «supports Donald Trump's efforts to divide London communities» and «hates London's diversity».
In line with the third claim that she is “biased against black Londoners,” the site says: “At a public meeting at City Hall, the Conservative candidate said: “The problem with crime in the black community is something I talk about all the time… the problem is that the minute we do it, we are accused of racism.»
«Gutter Politics»
A Conservative Party source said: “Sadiq Khan is resorting to a desperate strategy of gutter politics because he cannot defend his terrible reputation. Like Trump, he is spreading disinformation about his opponent and making false claims that the election was stolen. Londoners will sort this nonsense out.”
Trump's statement about Ms Hall is based on her tweeting support for the former US president during the 2020 US election campaign. Labour's attack website said: “Donald Trump said London is a no-go zone. He spent four years as president removing children from their parents at the US-Mexico border and locking them in cages, banning Muslims from entering America and withdrawing from the Paris climate accord.»
The website also claims that Ms Hall «hates London's diversity and says we are being 'invaded'» because she supported remarks by Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, that the surge in small boat arrivals in the English Channel amounted to an «invasion».
As well as personal attacks on Ms Hall, Labor used paid advertising to tell voters in certain areas, including Islington and Camden, that the Conservatives «don't want you to vote» and tried to «rig» the election. The claims relate to the Conservatives' decision to replace the ranking system candidates in the election of the mayor of a metropolis using the “first majority” system, similar to general elections.
When the Tories announced the changes for 2021, they said they were delivering on a manifesto commitment that would ensure voters could «express a clear choice». Ministers have described the pre-existing supplementary voting system as «an anomaly that confuses the public and is out of step with other elections in England, both local and national».
But the site set up to attack 68 -year-old Ms Hall, claims: “The Tories are trying to rig this election by changing the electoral system to First Past the Post.” This means that in 2024 you will only get one vote, unlike in the past when you could rank candidates.»
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, is seeking to win a third term in next year's election
A London Labor Party spokesman said: «There will be a mayoral election is a tight two-horse race, with the choice between Labour's Sadiq, who is building a better London for everyone, and the out-of-touch Tory candidate.
“The Tories are changing the voting system, scrapping the second preference votes that were used on everyone London mayoral elections since 2000, and introducing unfair new voter ID rules that unfairly penalize young people and minorities.
“Labour is calling on Londoners to give Sadiq their vote and not let the Tories do to London what they did to country. Sadiq will continue to deliver food to London: free school meals for every primary school pupil, a record number of council houses and a tough fight against crime and its complex causes.»
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