Labour slams Tories over failure to act over local councillor’s ‘shocking antisemitism’

Keir Starmer’s spokesperson has castigated the Conservatives for failing to take action over a “particularly shocking” example of alleged antisemitic conduct by candidate elected to represent the Tories at last week’s local elections.

Shakeel Hussain was elected to represent the Tories on Stockton on Tees last Thursday, despite the evidence of Facebook posts in which he had written of “Zionist murders” and referred to “so-called antisemitism”.

It also emerged that Hussain, who topped the poll in the Ropner seat, had initially applied to stand as a Labour candidate, but had been refused the chance, after party chiefs carried out due diligence on candidates for the party, and discovering his early inflammatory posts.

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Speaking to Jewish News in Westminster on Wednesday, Starmer’s spokesperson said:”It’s pretty shocking to see the Conservatives, for political advantage, welcome into the party people whose political views are abhorrent.”

Days before last week’s elections, the Conservatives issued a statement saying Hussain could face an investigation by the party, adding he “would not be allowed to join the Conservative group on the council, if elected, until any investigations had been completed.”

But after Hussain’s election victory was confirmed Conservative Group leader Tony Riordan openly praised him, and another candidate, for their successes in the seat.

On Wednesday, the official Stockton on Tees Council website confirmed Hussain was now listed as the Conservative councillor in Ropner.

Asked to comment on the development, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Jewish News that did not know about the individual case so could not offer any guidance.

But they stressed that Sunak had a “zero tolerance” approach to tackling antisemitism in his party.

Starmer’s spokesperson was more outspoken on the matter telling Westminster journalists: “The Stockton example is a particularly egregious example of what we have seen, frankly from the Conservatives and from the Green Party.

“People who have been expelled from the Labour party and then have been welcomed into other political parties.

“We think that is totally unacceptable. There’s a reason why we took action against people based on their views on antisemitism.

“We have prioritised this, and would expect other parties to act in the same high standards we have. It’s pretty shocking to see the Conservatives, for political advantage, welcome into the party people whose political views are abhorrent.”

Historic posts seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service under the name Shakeel Munir Hussain, showed him in November 2015 saying: “The world is slowly waking up and seeing through all the smugness of these Zionist murderers.”

One post from another user involved discussion about gold.

Another Facebook user asked “where’s it all gone?” and Mr Hussain replied “Isreal… bro to make more war”.

Another shared post from another user referred to ISIS saying “they don’t fire a single bullet at Israel”.

Improved due diligence checks picked up multiple antisemitic posts by Shakeel Hussain and halted his application to be a Labour candidate in this year’s @StocktonCouncil election. So it surprised me to see him standing for the Tories in Ropner ward. Didn’t they ask why he’d left? pic.twitter.com/A1alrgSCzu

— Steve Cooke (@Steve_Cooke) April 15, 2023

Meanwhile a post was also shared relating to the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, featuring an explicit and violent cartoon appearing to show a Jewish caricature, with the poster referring to “so-called antisemitism” and commenting: “Say what you like about Islam… but speak against Zionism and get arrested!”

The account liked a comment from another Facebook user who referred to “Zionist Jews” as “cold blooded murders”

Campaigner against antisemitism Steve Cooke had also raised concerns about Hussain’s comments, lodging an official complaint to the Tory Party.

Asked to comment on the posts Hussain told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’m not interested.”

Days before the local election a Conservative spokesperson said:”“We do not support the views shared in these social media posts. It is too late to remove Mr Hussain from the ballot paper under electoral law, but he would not be allowed to join the Conservative group on the council, if elected, until any investigations had been completed.”

Jewish News contacted the Conservatives for further comment this week.