Ms. Hall’s campaign team responded by denouncing the letter as a collection of “desperate smears and a complete mischaracterization” of her past statements. The letter was addressed to Tory party chairman Greg Hands and authored by Brent Central MP Dawn Butler, co-signed by nine other Labour London MPs. The focus of the letter is on comments made by Ms. Hall about the Notting Hill Carnival in recent years.
These comments, criticized by shadow foreign secretary David Lammy earlier in the week, include her description of the carnival as “dangerous” and causing distress to local residents. Ms. Hall, a former Harrow council leader, has advocated for relocating the event from its traditional Notting Hill location where it has been held since 1966.
While Ms. Hall has expressed concerns about the carnival’s impact, she has also praised it. Her remarks in 2019 on Twitter referred to it as an “incredible event,” albeit one that has outgrown its current venue. This year’s carnival, celebrating Caribbean culture and community, is expected to attract around two million attendees over the bank holiday weekend.
In her letter, Ms. Butler accused Ms. Hall of implying a belief in the inherent criminality of Black people and of portraying the community as prone to violence. Ms. Butler demanded that Ms. Hall withdraw her comments, apologize publicly to Londoners, and called for the Conservative Party to distance itself from these views.
In response, Ms. Hall’s campaign clarified that her comments were taken out of context. They stated that she supports the Notting Hill Carnival and advocates for making the route safer. The campaign criticized the letter as divisive politics from Sadiq Khan’s camp, detracting from other important issues. Ms. Hall, chosen as the Conservative Party’s mayoral candidate, will compete against incumbent Sadiq Khan in the May 2, 2024 election.