Susan Hall: Tory London mayor candidate is ‘hard-right’ Trump fan who wants trans women out of sports
Conservatives select Donald Trump supporter Susan Hall as candidate for London Mayor in 2024. (Screengrab/GB News)
Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate for mayor of London, is a “hard-right, out-of-touch” Trump supporter who’s faced criticism for her comments on race and trans rights.
Hall, a member of the London Assembly, will go up for election against incumbent Labour mayor Sadiq Khan in the 2024 election, the Conservatives announced on Wednesday (19 July).
Though hardly a household name, Hall is notorious in certain online spaces for her right-wing rhetoric. She’s previously faced criticism for her support of indicted former US President Donald Trump, her statements about trans people, and for claiming in 2022 that the Black community in London has a “problem with crime”.
Who is Susan Hall?
Susan Hall has been a member of the London Assembly since 2017, and from 2019 to 2023 was leader of the Assembly’s Conservative group.
The politician from Harrow beat Mozammel Hossain to become the party’s London Mayoral candidate for 2024, winning 57 per cent of the vote, which she described as a “huge honour”.
Hall has said that her “passion is policing”, and has pledged to invest in the Met Police to “tackle the scourge of knives, modernise the police to use the latest artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology, and work to dismantle the gangs and organised crime networks that ruin so many lives”.
She has also said she will scrap Sadiq Khan’s plan to expand the ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) “on day one” if elected.
Hall spoke in support of Donald Trump during his 2020 reelection bid, agreed with Suella Braverman’s description of migrants as an “invasion” in 2022, and has opposed trans women participating in women’s sports.
London Labour criticised her for being out of touch with London’s diverse population, telling PinkNews: “The Conservative candidate for Mayor is a hard-right politician who couldn’t be more out of touch with our city and its values.
“She’s an outspoken supporter of Trump, Boris Johnson and a hard Brexit. She cheered Liz Truss’s mini-Budget, which sent mortgages and rents soaring. She doesn’t stand up for women. And she hates London’s diversity.
“Londoners deserve better than a candidate who represents the worst of the Tory failure and incompetence over the last 13 years.”
What has Susan Hall said about trans people?
Susan Hall has spoken out about the trans community on Twitter several times, claiming “trans athletes should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports” in a tweet to GB News.
She has often described trans rights as being in competition with women’s sports, telling TalkTV in April: “Trans people deserve to have their rights protected… but this has got to be balanced with the rights of women. We have been watching our rights diminish.”
She also opposed Scotland’s struck-down gender recognition bill, which would have made it easier for trans people to update the sex marker on their birth certificates, though she did claim “trans rights are important”, as is “respecting the trans community’s position”.
She has attacked trans-inclusive language, tweeting in February: “‘People of all genders get abortions’ – err, no they don’t.”
Hall has previously aligned herself with equalities minister Kemi Badenoch, describing her as “fantastic”.
Badenoch has been criticised for her stance on trans rights and was documented mocking trans people in a leaked recording from 2018. Hall defended Badenoch following her appointment, saying: “She is not anti-trans, she’s pro protecting women’s private/safe spaces and competitive sports”.
London Assembly member for the Green Party, Zack Polanski, said that he would caution Hall against “trying to fuel culture wars” during her run for London mayor.
“London is an inclusive city that is proud of our LGBTQIA+ heritage. I work with Susan Hall in the London Assembly … and I’d caution her against trying to fuel culture wars. It’s vital we have a democratic election where our community’s rights are not at risk,” he told PinkNews.
Who else is running for London mayor?
Sadiq Khan will be running for London mayor in 2024, and has said he wants to “send a message” to the Tories in seeking to become the first politician to hold the office for three terms.
“[This is] an opportunity for Londoners to send a message to the Tories, not only for crashing the economy but for their anti-London approach,” Khan said.
Khan has consistently supported the LGBTQ+ community throughout his tenure as London mayor since 2016, calling for the trans community to be “respected and celebrated”, rather than “simply tolerated”.
Khan has also celebrated the queer community through art installations like blue plaques around London, and has laid out plans to tackle “homophobia and racism” within the Met Police.
The Greens have chosen Hackney councillor Zoë Garbett as their candidate for the election, while the Liberal Democrats will choose between a shortlist of tech industry advisor Rob Blackie and community advocate Chris French.
Garbett said in a statement to PinkNews: “Trans rights are human rights and our community must stick together.”
