
HOPE not hate is calling on the Conservatives to take decisive steps to deal with their Islamophobia crisis.
Throughout 2019 there was a steady flow of allegations made against Conservative Party councillors, activists and members which, when viewed alongside the polling of members conducted by YouGov in July, paints a picture of a party that has a significant problem with anti-Muslim sentiment at local level. Now HOPE Not Hate can reveal a new dossier of Islamophobic social media posts by more than twenty Tory officials and activists, including six sitting councillors. We are calling on CCHQ to take immediate action against these individuals, and will continue to demand that they take proper steps to tackle the Islamophobia crisis that has gripped the party at every level.
Cllr Steve Vickers, Nottinghamshire County Council

After the Nice attacks, Cllr Vickers claimed that Sadiq Khan âand his brethrenâ were âpart of the problemâ. He went on to inquire as to whether an Islamic school in Nottinghamshire would be making a statement on the attacks, but also stated that such a statement would be âtoo little too lateâ
Cllr Sonia Armstrong, Harworth and Bircotes Town Council
Town councillor and local party chair Sonia Armstrong has posted a number of anti-Muslim rants to her Facebook profile, including this one that was triggered by Theresa May wishing UK Muslims a happy Eid:

Cllr Judith Clementson, Winchester City Council
City councillor Judith Clementson uses the anonymous Twitter handle @Clem205 to post Islamophobic conspiracy theories about a âdangerous Muslim agenda for world domination”

Cllr Karl Lewis, Llandinam Community Council
On the night of Donald Trump’s election win, Cllr Lewis posted gleefully that âall the immigrants are shitting themselvesâ, which made it âanother brilliant political night.â

Cllr Derek Bullock, Bolton Council
Cllr Bullock posted an article about Sayeeda Warsi from anti-Muslim activist Robert Spencerâs âJihadWatchâ, to which he added âSheâs been a cuckoo in the nest!â

Cllr Ranjit Pendhar Singh Gill, Hounslow
Borough councillor for Turnham Green, Cllr Gill gleefully celebrated the election of Trump and his promised exclusion of Muslims, along with alarmist posts about how 75 million Muslim Turks are planning to âinfiltrate the UKâ.

Parliamentary Assistant Fraser McFarland

In September of 2019, the Parliamentary Caseworker for Brendan Clarke-Smith shared an article by Debbie Schlussel, a notorious anti-Muslim activist. This lengthy rant contained innumerable Islamophobic generalisations, and placed collective responsibility for the 9/11 attacks at the feet of the entire global Muslim community.
“…the 9/11 attacks were the best public relations move ever by Muslims, who got America […] to bend over backwards (and forward) for Islam, Muslims, their intolerance, and their regressive, backward ways”
Quote from an article shared by Fraser McFarland
Ex-Cllr Bryan Denson, Wakefield
Mr Denson, who has served multiple terms as councillor and led the Conservative Opposition on Wakefield Council between 2007 and 2009, shared a post by the far-right English Democrats party that sought to associate Islam generally with the acts of extremists:
Ex-Cllr Gail Hall

Ex-Cllr Gail Hall has shared countless anti-Muslim posts from far-right pages, including calling Muslims âsavagesâ and promoting conspiracy theories about Muslim officials and has âlikedâ comments that refer to Muslims as âScumbagsâ who should âsling their hooks back to their ancestral homelandsâ.

Ex-Cllr Christopher Meakin, Southwark
Leader of the Conservative opposition on Southwark council in the 70s and 80s, Meakin also stood for Southwark council in 2002. Meakin has written dozens of disturbing posts advocating the the murder of Muslim migrants and his belief in the conspiracy theory that Europe is being âinvadedâ.

Ex-Cllr Susanna Dixon, Coventry
Former Coventry City councillor from 2004 – 2012, Susanna Dixon has shared and liked numerous misleading articles about British Muslims from far-right sources including Britain First. These include false stories regarding attacks on British soldiers by âgangs of Muslimsâ and the allegation that âIslamofascistsâ were taking over British towns.

Ex-Cllr Martin Akehurst, Henley-On-Thames
Martin Akehurst, who served as both Town- and District councillor between 2010 and 2017 has endorsed a number of anti-Muslim posts on social media. He âlikedâ a post that said âMuslims hate everything and everyone who is not Muslim. They have no conception of truthâ, and he has endorsed the conspiracy theory that immigration is intended to âobliterateâ the host culture.
2019 Council Candidate Liam Christopher Ritchie
Liam Ritchie shared a post from Leave.EU that spread an alarmist narrative about âLondonistanâ and Sadiq Khan:
2019 Council Candidate Roger Vernon, Bassetlaw
Candidate Roger Vernon has shared a number of anti-Muslim posts, including one that compares moderate Muslims to Germans living under the Nazis and another that suggests that Muslims âbring Islamophobia on themselvesâ.
2019 Council Candidate Deidre Vernon, Bassetlaw
Deidre Vernon, wife of Roger (see above) has also shared anti-Muslim posts about âIslamic illegals on the rampageâ, and âlikedâ a comment that suggested Muslims would eat âfreshly slaughtered halal infidelâ at Eid.
2016 Council Candidate Yonah Saunders
Yonah Saunders, the son of the 2019 GE candidate Arnold Saunders, has shared posts suggesting that Muslims are âBanning everythingâ and that Muslims leaving the UK would be a good thing.
2018 Candidate Paul Ingham, Tower Hamlets
Paul Ingham has stood for the council in Tower Hamlets at least six times since 1990, most recently in 2018. Ingham has shared content from far-right figures such as Paul Joseph Watson and Tommy Robinson, and blaming Muslims for the existence of Islamophobia.
2017 Council Candidate & Former Chair Alan Booth, Durham
Former Chair of the Bishop Auckland Conservative Party Alan Booth has a long history in the Conservative Party. He frequently shares anti-Muslim posts far-right fake news sites.
2016 Council Candidate John Hill, Portsmouth
Council candidate and long-time member John Hill has frequently posted about his fear of the Muslim community, calling them a âdangerous minorityâ with a âmission to subjugate our society.â
2016 Council Candidate John Shoesmith, Calderdale
Calderdale member and 2016 council candidate John Shoesmith has an extreme hatred for Muslims, posting that Muslims should âgo back to Pakistan or wherever youâre from […] you are not wanted hereâ. Most shockingly of all, he responded to a story about the murder of a Muslim with a comment that heavily implied that he wanted more Muslims to die.

2016 Council Candidate Charles Beckham, Darlington
Charles Beckham has posted and shared content that promotes conspiracy theories about Muslims and calls for their exclusion from the United Kingdom:
Party Donor Fraser Duffin
Fraser Duffin has donated at least ÂŁ15,000 to Simon Hart MP over the past five years. He has also suggested that âlynch mobs in South Manchesterâ might take âjustified retributionâ against the Manchester Muslim community in the aftermath of the MEN arena bombing, and âlikedâ a number of anti-Muslim posts targeting Sadiq Khan.

Activist Lorraine Cullen, Inverness
Lorraine Cullen is an active Conservative Party campaigner in the region, canvassing for Douglass Ross MP in the 2019 General Election and signing nomination papers for the candidate in Inverness.