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A leading anti-racism group has unveiled some its target seats for the General Election – identifying MPs it thinks have crossed “red lines” on alleged racism who they will seek to boot from office.
Byline Times can reveal that Hope Not Hate is focusing its efforts on several prominent figures – including Conservative right-winger Jonathan Gullis in Stoke-on-Trent North. Other targets include Reform UK’s Lee Anderson MP in Asfhield, and the Workers’ Party leader George Galloway MP in Rochdale.
Ex-Conservative Anderson was stripped of the party whip after claiming that London mayor Sadiq Khan had “given our capital away” to Islamists. George Galloway, who won a by-election for his Workers’ Party amid outrage over the Gaza war at the end of February, is being targeted over his previous backing for dictators and work for Iranian state media. Jonathan Gullis has suggested housing refugees in tents and saying missing migrant children “shouldn’t have come here illegally”.
Georgie Laming, head of campaigns at Hope Not Hate, told this outlet that the group has undertaken a significant shift in its strategy due to the increasing “radicalisation” of parts of the Conservative Party.
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The group says we are witnessing “the radicalization of the Conservative Party”, with some of their representatives “moving into a space Hope Not Hate would be addressing.”
That includes MPs like former UKIP member Mark Jenkinson, and no-deal backing Brexiteer Andrea Jenkyns,” Laming explains.
Hope Not Hate is using “comprehensive” voter analysis, based on a mix of census data and a 25,000-respondent attitudinal poll to target parts of the UK the group believes are most vulnerable to, for example, xenophobic or prejudice-laden election campaigns.
The group’s hyper-targeted campaigning involves on-the-ground efforts alongside extensive use of Facebook and Instagram ads.