Two Green party candidates standing in the local council elections in Lambeth, south London, have been arrested by the Metropolitan police on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred over alleged antisemitic social media posts. The arrests took place on Thursday morning, with the women identified as Saiqa Ali, a candidate for Streatham St Leonard’s ward, and Sabine Mairey, who was standing in Clapham Town. The Green party declined to comment, citing the ongoing police investigation.
Police Investigation and Charges
The Metropolitan police stated: “Police have arrested two women, aged 57 and 54, on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred online, an offence under section 19 of the Public Order Act 1986. They remain in police custody. The arrests follow an investigation launched after concerns were reported to police on Tuesday 21 April about antisemitic material that had been posted online.” The arrests underscore the Met’s commitment to addressing hate speech and maintaining public order, particularly in the context of heightened tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Details of the Alleged Posts
According to screenshots obtained by journalists, Ali’s Instagram account, which is now set to private, reportedly featured an image of an armed man wearing a headband of the banned Islamist group Hamas, accompanied by the slogan: “Resistance is freedom”. Another screenshot indicated that Mairey had shared a post containing the text: “Ramming a synagogue isn’t antisemitism. It’s revenge.” These posts have been widely condemned as antisemitic and have sparked outrage within the Jewish community and beyond.
Background of the Candidates
A Lambeth council “notice of poll” document confirmed that Ali had a home address in Croydon and had been nominated to stand as a Green party candidate. Her name has since been removed from the Lambeth Greens’ website, but archived records described her as a community leader and founder of the Southern Women’s Aid Network. Earlier this month, she issued an apology “for any offence or distress caused to anyone by my social media posts” after the Lambeth Labour group accused her of sharing antisemitic content that “repeat harmful tropes about Jewish people”.
Similarly, Mairey’s profile has been taken down from the Lambeth Greens’ website. A notice of poll recorded her address in Lambeth, where she has been actively involved in activism to save an estate marked for demolition. Her arrest has raised questions about the vetting processes for candidates and the party’s stance on antisemitism.
Political Context and Impact
Lambeth council, a long-standing Labour stronghold, is one of the Green party’s top targets in London for the local elections. The party currently holds four council seats but has been projected to make significant gains. A recent multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP) poll, based on a survey of 2,022 Londoners conducted by JL Partners, indicated that the Greens could capture as much as 34% of the vote, potentially becoming the second-largest political force in the inner London borough. However, these arrests could damage the party’s reputation and electoral prospects, as voters may question the party’s ability to field candidates who uphold its values of inclusivity and respect.
The arrests have also drawn attention to the broader issue of antisemitism in British politics. Labour and other parties have previously faced scrutiny over antisemitic incidents, and the Greens are now under similar pressure to address such concerns. The outcome of the police investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings will be closely watched, as they may influence public opinion and the results of the upcoming elections.
