Mick Hartley

Green Part candidate Saiqa Ali was elected in Lambeth, despite the fact (or perhaps because of the fact) that she’d posted numerous inflammatory antisemitic posts on social media.

From the Times:

Two primary schools are being forced to close to serve as polling stations for a local council by-election after a Green Party councillor elected this month chose not to take up her seat.

Saiqa Ali appeared on the ballot paper as a Green candidate in the May 7 election, despite being suspended from the party after a raft of controversial social media posts, which later resulted in her being arrested by the Met Police. Already on the ballot, she was elected in the Streatham St Leonard’s ward in Lambeth council, south London.

Due to her decision, two schools have been told they will be requisitioned to serve as polling stations in a forthcoming by-election on July 2, forcing them to close for the day. Parents are being forced to find alternate childcare arrangements.

A letter from the head teacher at Henry Cavendish, one of the primary schools, to parents read: “We want to be entirely transparent with you — we are not happy with this request.”

Both schools were shut on May 7 for the original elections.

Controversial posts? Blatantly antisemitic posts, to be quite clear.

A ridiculous woman, and a ridiculous party.