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| Labour sacks parliamentary candidate Trevor Merralls over Islam tweets | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Labour has sacked one of its parliamentary candidates following allegations that he suggested that Europeans should “eradicate Islam from our continent”. | |
| The Independent understands that Labour's investigation centred around the @wellingblueboy Twitter account, which is alleged to have been that of Trevor Merralls, who was until today the Labour parliamentary candidate for the safe Tory seat of Old Bexley and Sidcup. | |
| The Twitter account, which has now been deleted but is still viewable in web caches, posted and 'liked' a number of racist and Islamophobic messages over the course of the last few years. | The Twitter account, which has now been deleted but is still viewable in web caches, posted and 'liked' a number of racist and Islamophobic messages over the course of the last few years. |
| Mr Merralls is the general secretary of a taxi-drivers cooperative United Cabbies Group (UCG) and a black cab driver in London; he has held the leadership position since an announcement on 1 December 2016. @wellingblueboy identified itself as “trev” and said it was a taxi driver in London and campaigner with the UCG. | Mr Merralls is the general secretary of a taxi-drivers cooperative United Cabbies Group (UCG) and a black cab driver in London; he has held the leadership position since an announcement on 1 December 2016. @wellingblueboy identified itself as “trev” and said it was a taxi driver in London and campaigner with the UCG. |
| Mr Merralls denies that the Twitter account belongs to him. However, in a comment under a video of Mr Merralls posted on social media in November 2016, he is introduced by the person who posted the video as: “His name is Trevor Merralls, deputy general secretary of @unitedcabbies – UK’s only nationwide trade org for black cab drivers. Aka @wellingblueboy on Twitter.” | Mr Merralls denies that the Twitter account belongs to him. However, in a comment under a video of Mr Merralls posted on social media in November 2016, he is introduced by the person who posted the video as: “His name is Trevor Merralls, deputy general secretary of @unitedcabbies – UK’s only nationwide trade org for black cab drivers. Aka @wellingblueboy on Twitter.” |
| Denying that the Twitter account belonged to him, Mr Merralls said in a post on social media: “Already the smears and fake tweets have begun. I've been through this before. I'm standing in a safe Tory seat. What are they so afraid of? | Denying that the Twitter account belonged to him, Mr Merralls said in a post on social media: “Already the smears and fake tweets have begun. I've been through this before. I'm standing in a safe Tory seat. What are they so afraid of? |
| “Uber accessed highest level of government and used ministers like paid up lobbyists. Made up, cropped, and photoshopped tweets wont shut me up”. | “Uber accessed highest level of government and used ministers like paid up lobbyists. Made up, cropped, and photoshopped tweets wont shut me up”. |
| He added: "That's categorically not me". | He added: "That's categorically not me". |
| During a discussion about Islam on Twitter on 3 March 2014 the @wellingblueboy Twitter accounted posted “on a positive note that should eradicate Islam from our continent for years”. | During a discussion about Islam on Twitter on 3 March 2014 the @wellingblueboy Twitter accounted posted “on a positive note that should eradicate Islam from our continent for years”. |
| The account also ‘liked’ a tweet from a Twitter account with the display name “STOP #WHITEGENOCIDE” which read “Jew #Labour paid off the muslims with votes and illegal wars with 600,000 British White girls. #UKIP #BNP”. | The account also ‘liked’ a tweet from a Twitter account with the display name “STOP #WHITEGENOCIDE” which read “Jew #Labour paid off the muslims with votes and illegal wars with 600,000 British White girls. #UKIP #BNP”. |
| At one point the Twitter account also identified itself as a supporter of the BlueHand movement which describes itself as an “online movement against political correctness”. | At one point the Twitter account also identified itself as a supporter of the BlueHand movement which describes itself as an “online movement against political correctness”. |
| Its website says: “Free Speech is a fundamental right, one that is nature/God given. Sadly, it is also a right that our politicians are attempting to take from us, thanks to the appeasement of Islamism coupled with the constant wolf-cries of certain minority groups.” | Its website says: “Free Speech is a fundamental right, one that is nature/God given. Sadly, it is also a right that our politicians are attempting to take from us, thanks to the appeasement of Islamism coupled with the constant wolf-cries of certain minority groups.” |
| When the news was revealed a spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn said the party National Executive Committee was "urgently investigating allegations of racism involving a prospective parliamentary candidate". | |
| Later this afternoon a Labour spokesperson said: “Trevor Merralls has been removed as Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Old Bexley and Sidcup. His replacement will be announced in due course.” | |