Two Tories win seats despite investigations over antisemitism
Lee Anderson took the seat of Ashfield while Sally-Ann Hart was successful in Hastings & Rye, as their party swept to a historic win nationwide
Jack Mendel is the former Online Editor at the Jewish News.
Two Conservatives were victorious in today’s General Election despite accusations of antisemitism marring their campaigns.
Lee Anderson took the seat of Ashfield while Sally-Ann Hart was successful in Hastings & Rye, as their party swept to a historic win nationwide.
Both candidates were accused of using antisemitic tropes however, leading to investigations by the party.
Sally-Ann Hart, is reported to have shared a video in 2017 suggesting the Jewish philanthropist George Soros controls the European Union and liked a comment that read “Ein Reich” – a Nazi slogan.
Ahead of the election, Labour urged the Tories to drop the candidate, while the Conservatives opened a second investigation into Hart over alleged Islamophobia, the Guardian reported.
The candidate won Amber Rudd’s former seat with 26,896 votes, with Labour’s Peter Chowney in second with 22,853.
Lee Anderson, who was victorious in Ashfield with 19,231 votes, defeated Ashfield Independents’ candidate Jason Zadrozny, who got 13,498.
He is being investigated by the Tories over claims he was an active member of a Facebook group where Soros conspiracies are promoted, and ahead of polling day, a party spokeswoman said: “We are committed to stamping out the scourge of antisemitism in our society and supporting our Jewish community.”
A third Tory candidate was also being probed by the party over claims of antisemitism, but failed to win their seat.
Richard Short, who questioned in a tweet in 2013 whether journalist Melanie Phillips’s allegiance was to the UK or Israel, came second in St Helens South and Whiston with 10,335. Labour came out on top with Marie Rimmer ammasing 29,457 votes.
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