ULEZ: Call for investigation into Facebook groups 'riddled with racism' and 'run by Tory staff and activists'

Labour has called for the Conservative Party to investigate Tory-run anti-ULEZ Facebook groups “riddled” with race hate and violent threats.

An investigation by Greenpeace’s Unearthed unit into 36 groups opposing the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) found that they are run by Conservative staff or activists - and that they have become “a platform for widespread racist, Islamophobic and antisemitic posts”. They have a combined membership in the tens of thousands.

The ULEZ has become a key issue in the London mayoral election. It was at the centre of the campaign as the Conservatives won the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election last year, shortly before the ULEZ was expanded to outer London.

Looking into activity this year in the Facebook groups, Unearthed found posts and comments describing the capital as “Londonistan” and being “overrun and being run by a load of foreigners”, despite group rules outlawing hate speech.

Other posts used a white supremacist slogan, calling for action to protect “a future for white children”.

Sadiq Khan, who expanded the ULEZ last year and running to be Labour mayor for a third term, is the target of racist or abusive posts in many of the groups analysed, with comments describing him an “Islamist”, a “terrorist sympathiser”, and calling him a “Khaki Punt”. One commentator posted: “I just want to rip his head off and s*** down his neck.”

An image with his picture photoshopped onto a urinal was posted in two of the groups, while another commenter posted that they would pay to get him “popped”.

Reporters found posts documenting and celebrating criminal vandalism by self-described ‘bladerunners’ – people who intentionally destroy ULEZ enforcement cameras.

Conservative Party

The Conservative mayoral candidate, Susan Hall, is a member of at least six of the groups and has interacted in two. Several Tory MPs are also members. There is no suggestion that any of these politicians posted or engaged with unacceptable content. 

While the groups appear at first to be grassroots communities, Unearthed found that three people linked to the Conservative party are admins on all or most of the groups - 28 of which were launched in a period of a few days in January 2023 without official party labelling.

Rachel Cromie, an admin on all 36 groups, is a Tory councillor from Sussex, and her current register of interests lists the Conservative Party as her employer.

According to an earlier register of interests found by Unearthed, in 2019 she was head of operations for Kanto Systems, a political consultancy linked to Thomas Borwick. Borwick was formerly a consultant at Cambridge Analytica, which became the focus of a major scandal over its use of Facebook user data for targeted ads and political influencing.

According to Open Democracy, in 2019 the Conservatives ran a number of paid adverts for groups presenting the ULEZ as a Labour-imposed tax on the poor. One of the groups was “run by Kanto Systems Limited”.

There is no suggestion that Kanto Systems or Thomas Borwick were involved in setting up or running the network of anti-ULEZ groups revealed by Unearthed, which said Ms Cromie did not respond to requests for comment.

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Unearthed found that of the 82 admins across groups, 46 have “clear links” to the Conservative Party. One activist who served as a campaign manager for an MP and campaigned in Uxbridge for the by-election is an admin on 34 groups. It is not known whether they are a paid staff member for the party.

A Conservative Party employee, a digital campaign manager since February, is an admin on 27 groups.

A party spokesperson told Unearthed the party “unequivocally condemns all discriminatory language, and never encourages nor condones vandalism or criminal activity”.

He said: “The Conservative Party is reviewing its processes and policies regarding Facebook groups.”

Susan Hall, the Conservative Party and Rachel Cromie were contacted by LondonWorld for comment.

Labour Party

Anneliese Dodds, the Labour Party chair, has written to the chair of the Conservative Party, Richard Holden, and called for an urgent investigation.

Ms Dodds said: “Some of these posts constitute the most appalling racism and I would urge the Conservative Party to swiftly distance itself from these hate-filled groups and urgently investigate what role any Conservative politicians and officials have played within them.

“Susan Hall and the Tory MPs who have belonged to these groups need to come out and explain why – and to denounce the content they have tacitly endorsed by their membership.”

Greenpeace UK

Greenpeace UK political campaigner Ami McCarthy said: “These groups are an absolute cesspit of vile racism and hate speech, as well as a breeding ground for dangerous conspiracy theories. 

“That they’re being managed by Conservative operatives speaks volumes about the direction in which the party has gone, and just how toxic these anti-ULEZ campaigns have become.”

She added: “The party should launch a full  investigation into this whole shameful scandal and everyone involved.”

Georgie Laming, director of campaigns and communications at the anti-extremism group Hope Not Hate, said: “These Facebook groups go much further than criticising ULEZ policy and endorse vandalism, violence and contain deeply Islamophobic and racist comments about the mayor of London.”