The Conservative party has been accused of becoming a home for “cranks” after some of its candidates at the general election were revealed to have shared conspiracy theories on social media.
The posts seen by the Observer include the suggestion that positive tests for Covid-19 were “mass psychosis at work” and that the Black Lives Matter movement might be an attempt to “bring down British society”.
Labour said some of the postings shared by Tory candidates suggested “serious concerns” about the calibre of the party’s would-be MPs. Some candidates have already deleted social media accounts, or removed posts, or locked access to accounts.
One Tory candidate in London is revealed to have referred to the London mayor Sadiq Khan as a “snivelling little drip” who had done more to damage the capital “than the Luftwaffe”. Another wrote in a book in 2005 that “we must teach people to be prejudiced once again”.
Jenny Johnson, who is an associate professor at the University of Liverpool and the Tory candidate for Wirral West, has deleted her account on X, but archived posts reveal she shared apparent pandemic conspiracy theories.
In one post she appeared to suggest the testing regime for the pandemic might be unreliable. She wrote: “Time to stop control by outside forces. Regain our sovereign nation state. Anecdotally I know so many who supposedly have tested positive, but really just have common cold symptoms. Mass psychosis at work.”
Johnson told her local paper the Liverpool Echo in January that she was not a conspiracy theorist, but her training as an academic made her look at “the narrative and counter narrative”. She said: “I’m not endorsing anybody by the fact I’m retweeting them.”
Speaking to the Observer on Saturday, she said: “I use social media to inform the local community and of course I would never seek to cause any offence.”
Another Tory candidate, Yousef Dahmash, who is contesting the Rugby and Bulkington constituency, retweeted a post in February 2022 that pledged support for the US podcaster Joe Rogan after he was criticised for past use of racial slurs. Rogan later apologised over past use of racist language on his show, calling it the “most regretful and shameful thing” he ever had to speak about.
Niall Innes, who is standing in Stockton North, reposted a controversial BBC interview in June 2020 with the TV presenter Neil Oliver in which he suggested Black Lives Matter campaigners might be anarchists or communists attempting to “eat into the built fabric of Britain and thereby to bring down British society”.
Oliver also said there were significant issues with modern slavery that needed to be confronted.
Innes wrote: “well said and aptly put”, with an applause icon. Innes said on Saturday: “I apologise if any offence was caused.”
Two of the Tory party candidates in London also face scrutiny over their outspoken views. Alex Deane, the candidate for Finchley and Golders Green, wrote a book in 2005 called The Great Abdication in which he said the notion “that all cultures are equally valid” has risked undermining Britain’s culture. In his championing of traditional values, he wrote: “We must teach people to be prejudiced once again.”
Deane said he had written the book two decades ago. He said the comment on cultures was about being robust in asserting liberal democratic values. He said the comment on prejudice was elaborating on a quote from former prime minister John Major about the benefits of a rules-based society in which “we should condemn a little more and understand a little less”.
Lee Roberts, the Conservative candidate for Putney, attacked London mayor Sadiq Khan at a meeting with Conservative supporters in September 2023. He said: “We are going to drive that snivelling little drip out of County Hall. The man who has done more to destroy London than the Luftwaffe.”
Roberts said on Saturday: “I would like to apologise for my comments. These comments were not intended to give any offence.”
Jonathan Ashworth, shadow paymaster general, said: “Rishi Sunak’s Conservative party is being increasingly taken over by cranks and conspiracy theorists. Having promised to lead a government of integrity, there are now serious concerns about the calibre of these would-be Conservative MPs.”
A Tory spokesman said: “The Conservative party has spoken to these individuals and reminded them of the party’s code of conduct and standards expected of candidates, including on social media.”
Dahmash did not respond to a request for comment.
