Tory election candidate shared 'antisemitic' cartoon showing men with hooked noses

Tory candidate Stephen James with Home Secretary James Cleverly

A Tory election candidate posted an “antisemitic” cartoon depicting men with hooked noses at the white cliffs of Dover carrying bags of “false hopes”.

Stephen James claimed he was “the only true local candidate” in the now-deleted social media post which criticised so-called “carpetbaggers”. The wannabe MP – who has rubbed shoulders with Home Secretary James Cleverly – attempted to take aim at his opponents for the Dover and Deal constituency.

The image accompanying his tweet showed two men in expensive-looking three-piece suits donning top hats with exaggerated noses standing at the famous white cliffs in the Kent seaside town. But his Labour rival for the hotly-contested seat accused the Tory of sharing “antisemitic material” – declaring Mr James unfit to be an MP.

Mr James – ironically a CEO of a digital communications and personal branding firm for individuals including politicians – has boasted about being committed to reducing migration. Today he issued an apology and admitted he created the cartoon using AI.

The Conservatives won Dover in 2019 with a 12,278 majority but the seat’s former MP Natalie Elphicke controversially defected to Labour last month. The newly-named Dover and Deal constituency represents a key battleground at next month’s election.

Posting the cartoon, which the Mirror has seen but chosen not to publish, Mr James, 40, wrote on Sunday evening: “I’m the only true local candidate for #Dover, #Deal & The Villages. Unlike the carpetbaggers, I live, work, and raise my family in East Kent. Read why local representation matters...” He added a link to his website and also said "#VoteStephenJames #GE2024"

Encyclopedia Britannica says of the term “carpetbagger”: “... in the United States, a derogatory term for an individual from the North who relocated to the South during the Reconstruction period (1865–77), following the American Civil War.”

It adds: “The term was applied to Northern politicians and financial adventurers whom Southerners accused of coming to the South to use the newly enfranchised freedmen as a means of obtaining office or profit. Literally describing an unwelcome stranger with no more property than could be carried in a satchel (carpetbag), the epithet later came to refer to anyone perceived as an interloper who came to a region to exploit it against the wishes of the inhabitants.”

Mike Tapp, Labour’s candidate for Dover and Deal, said: “Any candidate who shares antisemitic material online is not fit to be an MP. Rishi Sunak should condemn Mr. James’s actions, and immediately suspend him as a candidate. If the Conservatives will not do that, it shows that they are willing to run antisemitic candidates.”

In his deleted tweet, Mr James linked to his website which goes to great lengths to highlight his local man credentials. It says: “I live, work, and raise my family in East Kent, right in the heart of the Dover and Deal constituency. Unlike my opponents who reside in West Kent, I chose to make East Kent my home to ensure that I am always in touch with the daily realities and unique challenges that our community faces.

“This proximity means I don’t just visit our area; I live and breathe the same issues we face daily. From the challenges of our local infrastructure to the nuances of our maritime heritage, my firsthand experience is invaluable. My local knowledge is not theoretical but practical, grounded in everyday life within our community.”

It adds: “In recent years, we’ve seen an increasing number of candidates who have no real ties to the areas they wish to represent. These so-called “carpetbaggers” often come in with big promises but lack the deep-rooted understanding of the local issues and concerns that only a true local candidate can possess.”

Mr James is an ex-Intelligence Operator in the Intelligence Corps, the British Army’s intelligence gathering wing. On June 5 he tweeted a picture showing himself and Cleverly. He wrote: “I know firsthand the impact of high migration levels on our local community because they affect me and my family too. I am committed to reducing these numbers, securing our schools, housing, and healthcare.”

Mr James said: “I apologise wholeheartedly for any offence caused by this image and I have deleted it from all of my social media. I abhor antisemitism and any form of discrimination. I created the image using an AI app based on the work of Thomas Nast. I chose Nast as I was speaking about “carpetbaggers” in reference to a fellow candidate who has no ties to the area they want to represent. AI has safeguards to prevent the creation of offensive images, but on this occasion, it fell short and I shall be extra vigilant going forward.”

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “The Conservative Party has spoken to this individual, and reminded them of the Party’s code of conduct and standards expected of candidates, including on social media.”