He is still set to appear on the ballot paper despite the suspension
A Conservative candidate who is set to run in the upcoming local elections has been suspended by his party. Ishfaq Hussain has been dropped by the Conservatives as a candidate councillor for Dogsthorpe ward following criticism of posts he made on social media that have been described as antisemitic.
The former councillor caused offense when he used the word “Zio” to respond to an anti-Islam post on social media. “Zio” is a pejorative shortening of the word Zionist popularised by former Ku Klux Klan Grad Wizard, David Duke.
A Conservative party spokesman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “These apparent comments are wholly unacceptable, and this individual has been suspended from the Conservative Party pending an investigation. Whilst this process is rightfully confidential, the Party has withdrawn support from their campaign with immediate effect.”
Hussain was briefly suspended in 2021 after posting comments on Facebook which said Jewish people living in Israel are not “true Jews” and that Israel is part of a “Zionist trilogy” alongside America and Saudi Arabia which “breed terrorists”.
Despite exhibiting language the Jewish Leadership Council described at the time as “abhorrent and antisemitic,” Hussain was readmitted to the party after he issued a public apology.
Even though the Conservatives are withdrawing their support, Hussain will still appear as a candidate on the Dogsthorpe ballot paper for the upcoming local elections as it is now too late to make any changes.
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