A government minister, Nusrat Ghani, has criticized Susan Hall, the Tory Mayoral candidate, for suggesting that Jewish Londoners are "frightened" of Sadiq Khan, the current Mayor of London.

Ghani emphasized that Conservatives should refrain from using "the language of fear and demeaning our political opponents."

Susan Hall is challenging Sadiq Khan, a Muslim, as he seeks a third term as London Mayor. She defended her comments, claiming they were "misinterpreted."

At a Friends of Israel event during the Tory Party conference in Manchester, Hall stated, "I live in north London and I know the wealth and joy of the (Jewish) community. But I tell you something else, I know how frightened some of the community is because of the divisive attitudes of Sadiq Khan. One of the most important things we can do when I become mayor of London is make it safer for everybody, but particularly for our Jewish community."

These remarks faced criticism from various Jewish groups, including the Board of Deputies, as well as from Hall's Labour opponents.

Nusrat Ghani cautioned that such rhetoric could damage the party's prospects in the upcoming election. She cited Zac Goldsmith's unsuccessful mayoral campaign, which employed similar tactics.

Jewish leaders have called on Susan Hall to retract her "divisive" remarks, asserting that there is no fear within the community.

Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge, who is Jewish, characterized this kind of politics as "beneath us all" and urged Hall to retract her remarks, stating, "If she had any integrity, Susan Hall would immediately retract her remarks." In response, Hall insisted that her comments had been misunderstood and clarified her intention to stand up for the Jewish community. Photo by London Assembly, Wikimedia commons.