Who is Susan Hall – the gaffe-prone Tory who desires to be London Mayor

The Conservative candidate to be Mayor of London is no stranger to controversy.

Susan Hall has faced criticism over social media posts as well as gaffes she has made during the campaign. The former Harrow Council leader supported Donald Trump and expressed “deep joy” at Liz Truss’ mini-Budget.

Campaigners have raised concerns about her suitability to be mayor after footage emerged of her suggesting the Black community has “problems with crime”. And during the election contest she has appeared to struggle with even the most basic questions.

Here we take a look at her most controversial moments.

Liz Truss mini-Budget joy

Ms Hall was delighted with Liz Truss’s mini-Budget that crashed the economy and created mortgage misery for million.

In September 2022, then chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced a tax-cutting bonanza, with giveaways for the super-rich. The carnage sent the pound tumbling and hiked mortgage rates – as pension funds came close to collapse.

Mr Hall tweeted: “Oh deep joy, a proper Conservative government – thank you Kwasi Kwarteng – thank you Liz Truss. #MiniBudget.”

Pickpocketing farce

In November, Ms Hall claimed that she had been pickpocketed on the Tube after she lost her wallet that included her travel pass and £40 in cash. But she faced embarrassment after it was found by a fellow passenger – with the money still inside.

Asked if she was still claiming she had been pickpocketed, she told LBC: “I’m claiming I lost my wallet. I had assumed I had been pickpocketed. For all I know, I still was. I genuinely do not know.”

LBC host Nick Ferrari asked why a pickpocket would take a wallet and then leave it on a seat with the cash still in it. He added: “If you can’t be trusted with your wallet, Susan Hall, why can you be trusted with London?”

Enoch Powell tweet

Ms Hall has faced criticism over her social media history. She liked a 2020 tweet that showed an image of Enoch Powell with the caption: “It’s never too late to get London Back!”

She also liked a 2019 tweet by Katie Hopkins, calling Mr Khan “our nipple height mayor of Londonistan”. The term “Londonistan” is viewed as Islamophobic as it is used to convey the idea that Muslims are taking over the capital.

Ms Hall shrugged off criticism, telling LBC she didn’t remember liking either post. She said “I can’t remember doing that… If you’re a serial tweeter, you tend to go through liking all sorts of things… If anybody is offended, then obviously, I would apologise.” Asked why she was surprise that some people were offended, she replied: “Some people are and some people aren’t. Those that are offended, I didn’t intend to cause any offence at all.”

Gemma Collins abuse

Ms Hall faced calls to resign as a councillor in 2014 after tweeting offensive comments about former TOWIE star Gemma Collins.

As she watched her as a contestant on I’m A Celebrity, she tweeted: “OMG this fat woman Gemma is ghastly, really ghastly..however watching her squeal may be funny!” In another social media post, she wrote: “Who on earth is that stupid fat blond woman Gemma?”

Employees at Harrow Council where she led the Conservative group signed a petition demanded that she resign over the “offensive and inexcusable” comments, but she remained in post.

Bus fare gaffe

In January, Ms Hall admitted she didn’t know the price of a bus fare – just days after criticising a decision to freeze fares in the capital.

She was unable to answer the basic question in a painful LBC radio interview, where she was grilled on issues facing Londoners. Asked how much people have to pay to get on a bus in the city, she said: “I don’t use them. I use trains all the time.” The astonished presenter, Nick Ferrari, said: “You don’t know what a bus fare is?” Ms Hall responded simply: “No.”

Ms Hall also admitted that she did not know the starting salary of a police officer or who controlled Hammersmith Bridge across the River Thames, which is at the heart of a bitter funding row.

Donald Trump fan

Ms Hall tweeted enthusiastically in favour of Donald Trump when he was running to become US President in November 2020. After Mr Khan described him in an interview as a “hate-fuelled”, she posted: “Come on Donald Trump – make sure you win and wipe the smile of this man’s face.”

During the London mayoral campaign, Ms Hall faced awkward questions about claims she pushed the myth that the 2020 US election was stolen from Mr Trump.

In the aftermath of the vote, she shared a blog post suggesting that 130,000 ballots “all for Joe Biden” had turned up at a counting station in Detroit in the middle of the night.

Asked on LBC earlier this year “do you still think the 2020 election was stolen?”, Ms Hall said “no” while laughing. “I think you’re referring to an old tweet,” she added. “I never intended to go into this sort of level of politics. If [I had known] I probably would not have had a Twitter account because you like things and repeat things that you don’t always like, but the one thing that…”

Black community row

During her time as a London Assembly member, Ms Hall has been criticised for saying the Black community has “problems with crime”. In a City Hall debate, she said: “Problems with crime within the Black community is something I have brought up constantly because we need to assist those communities; the problem is, the minute we do we are accused of being racist or as near as damn being racist.”

Ms Hall has also denied institutional racism exists in the Metropolitan Police. Responding to a tweet by veteran Black MP Diane Abbott, Ms Hall said “there is not institutional racism in the Met” and accused her of “trying to cause division”. It came in the summer of 2020 as Black Lives Matter protests swept across the world in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. She also endorsed a comment saying those with concerns about stop and search have “something to hide”.

Labour MP Dawn Butler said it showed she was “utterly unfit to be Mayor”. Ms Butler added: “Not only is she outright denying the existence of institutional racism in the Met – a fact that has since been proven by Baroness Casey’s review – but she called out a Black woman for raising the issue, accusing her of trying to cause division.”

Jews fear Sadiq Khan claim

Ms Hall came under intense criticism for suggesting that Jewish people are afraid of Mr Khan. Addressing a Tory Conference event last year, she said: “I live in North London and I know the wealth and joy of the (Jewish) community,” she said. “But I tell you something else, I know how frightened some of the community is because of the divisive attitudes of Sadiq Khan.”

The Board of Deputies of British Jews hit out at the comments, saying the incumbent London Mayor has treated the community with “friendship and respect”. And Labour frontbencher Wes Streeting asked: “Will decent Conservatives ever call this out?”

Declaring herself Labour Mayor

Ms Hall put her foot in it when she proudly declared she would be the first “female Labour mayor” of London at the Conservative Party Conference in October.

In a speech talking up her chances of defeating Mr Khan, Ms Hall said: “In 213 days’ time, (Mr Khan) can do whatever he likes, because I will be sitting at my desk in City Hall as your first female Labour – not, not Labour, never Labour – your first, female, London mayor.”