Questions over selection of suspended Tory candidate
A YORKSHIRE Tory candidate has expressed his dismay at how suspended hopeful Amjad Bashir was ever selected in the first place as the Conservative Party distanced itself from the former MEP.
Mr Bashir was the Tory’s pick for Leeds North East, having previously defected to the party from Ukip as a Member of the European Parliament.
But he was suspended on Wednesday after anti-Semitic comments he made in 2014 were revealed.
A Conservative candidate standing in Yorkshire, who did not wish to be named, said they were shocked that Mr Bashir had been selected in the first place and added: “In light of the large Jewish community why would you parachute someone like that in?”
They added Mr Bashir had “form” of being rude and aggressive.
The candidate said the Jewish community in Leeds North East must be “devastated” by the candidate options on offer and questioned how Mr Bashir had got through the vetting process and queried why a former Ukip MEP had been chosen to stand as a Conservative.
He said: “I don’t know why we chose him in the first place.”
On Wednesday, local
Tories and members of the opposition distanced themselves from Mr Bashir. Dan Cohen, a Jewish Conservative councillor for Alwoodley ward, said if the comments were revealed prior to selection he would likely have been removed from the candidates list. He said both he and the local Conservative Association had said prior to the suspension they would not be campaigning for Mr Bashir.
He said: “Questions are, I know, being asked about how Mr Bashir made it onto the approved list.”
Fabian Hamilton, Labour candidate for Leeds North East, added: “I share the community’s anger that someone with these views could have been selected to represent any political party in our constituency.”
A party spokesman said: “Amjad Bashir has been suspended from the party pending investigation and election support has been withdrawn.”