Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate for London mayor, is reported to have liked tweets praising controversial former minister Enoch Powell.
Ms Hall, who will go up against Labour’s Sadiq Khan in the mayoral election next May, liked a message in February 2020 quoting the far-right, anti-immigration politician as saying: “It’s never too late to save your country,” according Hope Not Hate.
The tweet, uncovered by the campaign group, also included the phrase: “It’s never too late to get London back!”
The Tory candidate is also said to have liked tweets calling Mr Khan a “traitor rat” and “our nipple height mayor of Londonistan”.
Others appears to suggest the London mayor would endorse electoral corruption, with one alleging Mr Khan is “begging for Londoners to do a Tower Hamlets postal vote for May next year and we all know how that works”.
Image: The tweet liked by Susan Hall. Credit: Hope Not Hate
In response, Mr Khan told ITV News that the views of his Conservative rival are “questionable”.
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He said: “I don’t think Londoners want somebody who supports Enoch Powell or Donald Trump,” he said.
“I personally don’t like Enoch Powell or Donald Trump’s views. The fact that this Tory does, speaks volumes.”
Powell was a highly controversial figure of his time, particularly for his notorious “Rivers of Blood” speech in 1968, which warned of the perceived dangers of immigration.
Ms Hall, a London Assembly member, was chosen by the Conservatives to take on Mr Khan in next year’s mayoral election – a decision which surprised many due to her low profile and far-right views.
Image: Enoch Powell pictured in 1969, the year after his famous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech
Her account on X – previously known as Twitter – also contains apparent endorsements of Donald Trump, including his claim that he lost the presidential election in 2020 to Joe Biden because of voter fraud.
A spokesperson for Ms Hall’s campaign told Sky News that the mayoral candidate “engages with many people on Twitter without endorsing them”.
“Londoners want a mayor who listens to people and deals with the bread-and-butter issues that matter to them – making our streets safer and putting more money back in people’s pockets,” the spokesperson said.
As a member of the London Assembly for five years, she is no stranger to City Hall and has regularly faced off against the current leader at Mayor’s Question Time.
Her tagline is “Safer with Susan” and during the selection race, she called herself “the candidate Sadiq Khan fears the most”.
Further flights are due to take place this week and next week, while the first arrivals through the new legal route are expected to arrive in the coming days.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “This is an important first step to securing our borders. It sends a message to people crossing in small boats: if you enter the UK illegally, we will seek to remove you.”
It allows the UK to send back a migrant who crosses the Channel illegally in exchange for accepting the same number of migrants in France who have a valid asylum claim.
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Today’s news will be seen as a win for ministers after the high court blocked the deportation of another individual on Wednesday.
An Eritrean man was granted 14 days to make representations to support his claim that he was a victim of modern slavery.
The home office has lodged an appeal to limit the time the person has to provide evidence for reconsideration, while a “rapid review” of modern slavery legislation has been launched to prevent it misuse.
Ms Mahmood said she will “challenge any last-minute, vexatious attempts to frustrate a removal in the courts”.
“The UK will always play its part in helping those genuinely fleeing persecution, but this must be done through safe, legal, and managed routes – not dangerous crossings,” she added.
The number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel has topped 30,000 for the year so far.
It is the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 30,000 mark has been passed since data on the crossings was first reported in 2018.
The government has come under immense pressure to get a grip on the issue.
A survey for Sky News last week found immigration is the top concern of voters for the first time since Brexit.
It is hoped the new scheme will act as a deterrent by persuading migrants not to pay people smugglers to help them get to the UK knowing there is a risk they could be detained and deported.
The government has stressed that although the numbers will start off small, they expect removals to be ramped up over time as the scheme is tested.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.