'It is intimidating' - Calls for controversial Dudley Conservative to stand down over 'divisive language'

Dudley’s Liberal Democrats say Conservative Steve Hancock should not be on the ballot paper in May’s council elections for the Wollaston and Stourbridge Town ward.

Mr Hancock was criticised in September for filming two women pushing a shopping trolley through Stourbridge while telling them ‘It’s not on, it makes the town look a mess when they are dumped’.

The community-minded Tory, who regularly posts videos on social media of himself cleaning graffiti in Stourbridge, attracted further complaints when he wrote on Facebook ‘I’ve never been one to mince my words. Agree or disagree, you’ll know where I stand. I’m a Zionist’.

Ryan Priest, leader of Dudley’s Lib Dems, said: “Anyone standing for public office has a duty to behave responsibly and to treat people with respect. Following and filming women in the street is not campaigning, it is intimidation.

“Public life depends on civility and trust. When candidates resort to harassment or divisive language, they undermine both.

“The Conservative Party should now reflect seriously on whether Mr Hancock is fit to represent the people of Wollaston and Stourbridge.”

Mt Hancock said: “Zionism does not mean an automatic endorsement of every action by the Israeli government, it does not mean a rejection of the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.

“Zionism is simply the belief that Israel has a right to exist in the Jewish people’s ancestral homeland. It is in fact a prerequisite for a two state solution.

“It does not mean the suffering of civilians is irrelevant. The term has been demonised and used as a slur by extremists.

“I had civil and polite discussions with people explaining this.

“I had several comments and private messages from members of the small local Jewish community – thanking me for being a rare voice willing to speak out.

“To call my post unacceptable, points to a worryingly biased and extreme attitude. Politically unwise? Maybe. Morally wrong? No.”

The leader of Dudley’s Conservatives, Cllr Patrick Harley, said: “It would be easier to take Cllr Priest’s complaint more seriously had he not cut and pasted the text of his complaint to Stourbridge Conservatives and sent it to the media.

“Clearly, he is playing politics and probably running scared of a very good potential candidate.

“However, the meaning of being a Zionist is someone who believes in the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel.

“Surely any reasonable person would support that sentiment. Obviously the left wing credentials of the Lib Dems either disagree with this or simply don’t understand what the term means.”

Cllr Harley added it is up to Stourbridge Conservative Association to select candidates for local elections.

The women in Mr Hancock’s controversial shopping trolley video claimed they had mobility issues and were using the trolley to take shopping to the bus stop before returning it.

The video was quickly removed from social media.

Mr Hancock said: “Litter, abandoned trolleys, and graffiti send the wrong message about Stourbridge – I’m passionate about addressing these and other issues. I regularly return trolleys that I find dumped around town.

“I saw someone with a Tesco trolley heading towards the bus station.

“As this was potentially petty crime or anti-social behaviour I recorded our interaction. I was brief, civil, and maintained a more than appropriate distance.

“Wanting to make people think about this issue I posted the video to Facebook. When the lady identified herself, I reached out to her. She got back to me the following day.

“She had been receiving abuse from people about the incident. This is entirely unacceptable, and not something I condone.

“I told her I would take the video down. I told her that even though the abuse was from third parties, I felt some responsibility because it was my post that they had hijacked for a witch hunt.”