Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has called for immediate action against candidates who have made antisemitic comments, as a series of cases emerged ahead of Thursday's local elections. Lucas, who led the party for six years and served as its first MP, stated on X that such statements are 'totally unacceptable' and require swift disciplinary measures.
Among the cases, two Lambeth council candidates, Sabine Mairey and Saiqa Ali, were arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred online. Ali allegedly posted an image of an armed man with a Hamas headband and the slogan 'Resistance is freedom,' while Mairey shared a post reading 'Ramming a synagogue isn’t antisemitism. It’s revenge.' Both have been suspended.
Other candidates under investigation include Brian Capaloff in Waltham Forest, accused of using an anonymous X account to post incendiary comments about a stabbing of two Jewish men, and Joe Belcher in Walsall, who suggested Hamas might have been paid by Israel for the 7 October 2023 attacks. Belcher was suspended during the 2024 election campaign.
Current co-leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, condemned the comments as 'disgusting' and said the party's disciplinary process must take its course. He rejected claims that antisemitism is especially prevalent in the Greens, adding that he disowns candidates who make such remarks. A party spokesperson acknowledged the issue but noted that only a small number of the 4,500-plus candidates are involved, and vetting procedures are being strengthened.
