The Conservatives have suspended a Nottinghamshire election candidate who posted on Facebook in 2021 about “stoning” refugees who cross the Channel. Stuart Peach is standing for the party to be the councillor in Ashfield's Leamington Ward ahead of the local elections on May 4.
In posts on Facebook, Mr Peach questioned about people using violence to stop those arriving in this country in small boats. He questioned what would happen if “the English started to take the law into their own hands” to deal with the issue, reports the Mirror.
“What would happen if 200,000 Englishmen marched down to Dover and started stoning the migrants?” he added. The Conservatives initially declined to say whether Mr Peach would face any disciplinary action after the Mirror revealed the posts yesterday.
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But today the party announced: “Officers of the federation have decided to suspend Stuart Peach pending an investigation." It is too late to remove him from the ballot paper where he will be listed as standing for the Conservatives.
Mr Peach has repeatedly described those coming on small boats as “invaders”. And he has praised Home Secretary Suella Braverman, writing: “You go girl.”
Alongside a picture of the Cabinet minister, he posted: “We the people stand with this fine lady to defend ‘our shores’. Stop the invasion!” He previously called on ministers to “stop the invaders or the barricades are going up”.
“I wonder how many people will be killed in this country by invaders?” he asked in another post. Nottinghamshire Live has contacted Stuart Peach and the Conservative Party for comment.
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