Hendon Tories drop three Jewish councillors as candidates for local elections

Hendon Conservatives have dropped three well-known Jewish councillors as candidates for next year’s Barnet local government election.

At a selection meeting held by the local party it was agreed to drop distinguished former Barnet mayor Anthony Finn – who had been a Hendon ward councillor for over three decades.

Also dropped by the Hendon Tories was Linda Freedman, the Jewish councillor in Edgware.

Meanwhile Zizza Fluss, another Hendon ward councillor, has also not be selected to stand in next May’s election.

Freedman confirmed the decision to Jewish News but said she was “entitled to stand for another seat in the borough of Barnet.”

Cllr Finn and Cllr Fluss were also approached for comment.

It is understood that the eldest son of the late Barnet councillor Brian Gordon has been selected to stand in the newly created Edgwarebury seat, which will be contested for the first time as a result of boundary changes in Barnet next year.

At the 2018 local election in Barnet the Tories had 38 councillors, Labour 24, the Lib Dems two and independents one.

In May it emerged that a councillor had stepped back f​rom the Barnet Conservatives to deal with a personal matter, according to a statement from the group.

Cllr Shimon Ryde, the Jewish representative in the Childs Hill ward, is now listed as an independent councillor on the Barnet Council website.

He refused to discuss the personal reason behind this move when approached by Jewish News.

Hendon Conservatives have been approached for comment.