The Conservative Party has picked a candidate for London mayor who supported Donald Tump and expressed “deep joy” at Liz Truss’ mini-Budget.
Susan Hall, a member of the London assembly, was chosen by the Tories on Wednesday to take on Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan at the election in May.
She was also a big supporter of Boris Johnson who she praised as “awesome”.
In the ballot of party members she won 57% of the vote, beating her rival Mozammel Hossain who won 43%.
Hall said it was “huge honour” to be chosen as the candidate. “I am so grateful to everyone for their support,” she said.
“Over the coming months, I will work tirelessly to defeat Sadiq Khan and offer Londoners the change we need.”
Labour immediately accused Hall of being a “hard-right” politician and pointed to a series of her past statements.
“She’s an outspoken supporter of Trump, Boris Johnson and a hard Brexit,” a party spokesperson said.
“She cheered Liz Truss’s mini-Budget, which sent mortgages and rents soaring. She doesn’t stand up for women. And she hates London’s diversity.”
Greg Hands, the chairman of the Conservative Party, said Hall was a “brilliant” candidate,
“I know she has the vision and vigour to take the fight to Sadiq Khan,” he said.
It comes ahead of three by-election tests for the Conservatives on Thursday, including in Boris Johnson’s former London seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
Labour are hopeful of capturing the constituency. But the Conservatives have attempted to turned the contest into vote on Khan’s decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to the entire capital.
On Tuesday, the last Tory candidate for London mayor, Shaun Bailey, took his seat in the House of Lords.
He was handed a peerage by Johnson despite despite the anger over his campaign’s “Jingle and Mingle” party at the height of the Covid pandemic.