Green Party Candidates Under Fire for Racist Slurs and Controversial Views
A Mail on Sunday investigation has uncovered that a Green Party election candidate used a vile racial slur against Justice Secretary David Lammy and former Home Secretary Priti Patel, calling them 'coconuts'. This offensive term implies someone is black or brown on the outside but white on the inside, sparking outrage and condemnation.
Controversial Comments and Social Media Posts
Hau-Yu Tam, the deputy leader of the Greens in Lewisham, south-east London, made the derogatory remarks on social media platform X last year. In her post, she criticized Lammy for reportedly discussing a family member on benefits and compared it to Patel's immigration policies, stating, 'These coconuts.' The post was later deleted, but the damage was done.
Tam also retweeted and shared posts that branded Zionism as 'the Nazism of our time' and described it as 'pure evil and must be abolished.' Additionally, she expressed support for a campaign to remove Hamas from the UK's list of proscribed terror organisations, praising barrister Franck Magennis for his efforts in this regard.
Wider Issues with Green Party Candidates
The investigation reveals that Tam is not alone among Green candidates with questionable backgrounds. Other individuals standing in next month's local elections have been involved in criminal activities or expressed controversial views. For instance, Ed Thacker, a candidate in Haringey, north London, received a suspended jail sentence for protesting at Heathrow Airport and was part of a group that blocked a deportation flight at Stansted Airport.
Stephanie Golder, a candidate in Tower Hamlets, east London, was convicted for throwing orange powder at the Chelsea Flower Show and causing damage at an M25 service station. Meanwhile, Jo Dowbor, a candidate in Islington, north London, has suggested that the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is debatable, reposting social media content supporting Argentina's claim over the islands.
Conspiracy Theories and Anti-Israeli Sentiments
Further findings show that some Green candidates have promoted wild conspiracy theories. Mark Adderley, a candidate in Croydon, south London, released videos questioning whether a drone attack on an RAF base was a 'false flag' operation and made offensive comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany. Chandni Chopra, a candidate in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, has posted about chanting 'death to the IDF' at protests and demonstrated at a Labour MP's office over Gaza ceasefire motions.
Karishma Patel, a candidate in Brent, north London, resigned from her BBC journalism job, citing the corporation's 'failure to hold Israel to account,' amid allegations of anti-Israeli bias.
Political Reactions and Party Response
Dame Priti Patel, now Shadow Foreign Secretary, condemned the racist slur, stating, 'The Left preaches tolerance until a woman of colour refuses to agree with them and their intolerant views – the mask has slipped.' Labour Party chairman Anna Turley MP called the candidates 'crackpot' and urged Green leader Zack Polanski to clarify whether he endorses their views or remove them from the party.
The Green Party has distanced itself from the comments, asserting that they do not reflect the party's views. A spokesman emphasized that the elections are about 'fairness, not the Falklands,' in response to Dowbor's statements. Despite the controversies, the Greens are expected to field over 2,000 candidates and potentially win hundreds of council seats, including at least four in London, according to recent polls.
This audit raises significant questions about the party's vetting processes for candidates, as the revelations come at a critical time ahead of the May 7 local elections.
