The NJA strongly condemns the social media posts made by two Tory local election candidates, Ashley Sykes and Stanley Murphy, which trivialised and made light of the Holocaust, and targeted the LGBTIQA+ community. The NJA is deeply troubled by these candidates’ insensitivity and lack of understanding of the atrocities committed against Jewish people during the Holocaust.
Their posts have caused significant pain and offence to Jewish communities around the world and have no place in any society, let alone in political discourse.
The NJA calls on the Conservative party to do better in screening their candidates to avoid situations like these in the future. The Holocaust is not a subject for jokes or political points scoring. It is essential that candidates who hold offensive views or have engaged in hate speech are held accountable for their actions.
The NJA commends the South West Devon Conservative Association for their swift action to suspend Stanley Murphy and initiate an investigation into his comments on social media. However, it urges them to take further steps to ensure that candidates with anti-Semitic views or those who trivialise the Holocaust are not permitted to run for public office.
The NJA calls on all political parties to take a stand against hate speech and ensure that their candidates uphold the values of respect, tolerance, and inclusivity. The NJA stands with Jewish communities around the world in condemning these reprehensible actions and urge all political parties to act with the necessary sensitivity and care required in addressing sensitive and emotive subjects like the Holocaust.
For further inquiries, please contact Heath Sloane – NJA Press and Marketing Manager (heath@nja.org.uk)
