Conservatives face questions over ‘Hitler was right’ candidate in ward with Jewish school
Fleur Anderson MP has written to Kemi Badenoch demanding answers regarding Helena Kanaan, standing for the Tories in Roehampton in the borough of Wandsworth
A Labour MP has written to Kemi Badenoch asking her to confirm the suspension of a local candidate for the Conservative party, citing a tweet in which the prospective councillor for a ward containing a Jewish school said that “Hitler was right”.
Fleur Anderson, MP for Putney, identified Helena Kanaan, a candidate in the Roehampton ward of the Borough of Wandsworth, citing a tweet which she alleged Kanaan had written in early 2024. The tweet began: “Nevertheless, the way the Israel government behaved with Palestinians during the years showed the world that Hitler was right (just the government politics).”
It went on to say: “Please note that I am not against Jews people [sic] but against the Israel government [sic].”
In her letter to Kemi Badenoch, in which she also copied in the Tory party chair, Kevin Hollinrake, as well as the leaders of local Conservatives in Wandsworth and Putney, Ms Anderson pointed out the presence of a Jewish school – Mosaic Jewish primary – in Roehampton ward itself.
“At a time when antisemitic incidents in the UK have risen sharply and Jewish communities are experiencing heightened fear and vulnerability, it is deeply alarming that a Conservative candidate would publicly circulate language that endorses the horrors of the Holocaust”, the Putney MP wrote.
“This is especially distressing for the local community which includes a Jewish primary school in the very ward Ms Kanaan is standing to represent. Parents, children and staff will understandably be shocked to learn that a prospective councillor has posted material praising Hitler in this way. Roehampton’s Jewish residents — and indeed all residents — deserve reassurance that those seeking elected office reject antisemitism unequivocally.”
The MP asked for confirmation as to whether Kanaan had been suspended from the party, clarification on how she had been approved as a candidate “despite this material being publicly available”, and seeking an apology on behalf of the residents of Roehampton.
Kanaan appears to have been removed from the local Conservative party website’s list of candidates. Her Twitter account appears to no longer exist.
The Conservative party has been contacted for comment.
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