Tory candidate axed over ‘anti-Islam’ tweet
Conservatives suspend city council election hopeful Iancu after offensive posts
A TORY election candidate has been suspended over allegations that she posted anti-Islamic tweets.
Roxana Iancu, 30, was to stand for the Conservatives in Glasgow City Council’s Govan ward at the local elections in May.
She was deselected after a picture was posted on her Twitter account of a coin, accompanied by the caption: “This coin is 2000 years old. Says Israel on it”.
The message next to it read: “No sign on Palestine. Say something w ****** .”
Iancu, who is Jewish Romanian and campaigns against anti-Semitism, denied writing the tweet.
She said: “The post that has been highlighted to the party wasn’t something that I wrote.
“I was contacted by Kyle Thornton, chairman of Glasgow Conservative Association, and he told me that I was being deselected and suspended.”
The coin post could be seen as anti-Muslim in light of the dispute between predominantly Jewish Israel and Palestine, which is mainly Muslim.
Iancu, who was previously an SNP supporter who campaigned for Scottish independence in 2014, added: “I am absolutely not anti-Islam. I have many friends who are Muslims and I respect them and all religions.”
A Conservative Party spokesman said: “The candidate was suspended following unacceptable and offensive remarks made online.”
Iancu came to Scotland three years ago. She lives in Govan and works as a carer.
She said she now intends to look into whether she can stand for the council as an independent candidate.