This Green candidate thinks the UK is a ‘terrorist state’

A Green candidate at tomorrow’s election has called the UK a ‘terrorist state,’ blamed Jeremy Corbyn’s demise on the ‘web of lies Israel released on him’ and reposted a claim that Israel has ‘captured’ Britain’s Department for Education. Batchford is, by my count, the 24th Green candidate at tomorrow’s election to be exposed for expressing extremist views specifically related to Jews, ‘Zionism’ or Israel Marc Batchford is one of a cluster of Green candidates in Walsall with extreme views.

Another, Raja Ateeq, described Jews as ‘ cockroaches ’. A third Walsall Green candidate, Joe Belcher, has been allowed to run again tomorrow for the party despite having been dropped from a previous election for claiming that ‘My hunch is the leaders of Israel and Gaza conspired to carry out what happened on 7 Oct for financial gain.’ Batchford is running – entirely without irony – on the slogan ‘Hope not hate’ with a social media timeline on which he calls Israel ‘ Nazis .’

He retweeted a video by ‘death to the IDF’ musician Bob Vylan on ‘the shocking story of how the British Department for Education has been captured by Israeli forces.’ (This is, apparently, because Vylan’s band was stopped from playing at a university campus, and someone who is now working at the DfE, but wasn’t then, went on a free trip to Israel.) Not content with cancelling gigs from violence-supporting singers, Tel Aviv’s long arm also, says Batchford, reached out for Jeremy Corbyn.

The former Labour leader ‘never stood a chance,’ Batchford says , what ‘with the conspiracy and sabotage from within the party itself as well as all of the web of lies Israel released on him.’ That was in March. The same month, speaking about Iran, Batchford said : ‘We all know now the UK, Israel and the US are the terrorist states.’ Most popular Batchford is, by my count, the 24th Green candidate at tomorrow’s election to be exposed for expressing extremist views specifically related to Jews, ‘Zionism’ or Israel.

Today’s Daily Mail says there are 30. A further seven candidates have expressed extremist views of a different nature. Zack Polanski, the Greens’ leader, continues to claim that extremists are not welcome in his party. But of the 24, only six, by my count, have been suspended or disowned, mostly weeks after their statements came to light. Two candidates were only suspended after they were arrested for allegedly stirring up racial hatred.

Local Greens have been seen out campaigning with, and for, one of the arrested candidates and several of the other suspended ones. The Spectator has played an important role in what has become the biggest story of the local election campaign, exposing many of the worst cases, including the two who were arrested. That scrutiny will continue after the results are in. For those arrested, there may also be criminal charges. The police have been in touch for our screenshots of social media posts that have now been deleted.

Batchford and the Green party declined to comment.