Conservative councillors in Oliver Dowden’s constituency have been disciplined for a “hate” campaign against a Jewish Labour candidate, according to an independent investigation commissioned by Tory HQ. The report found the behaviour of five Hertsmere Tory councillors “may well have encouraged” antisemitic abuse of Labour’s Dan Ozarow, as well as multiple breaches of the party’s code of conduct. Campaigning tactics included a digital billboard at Elstree and Borehamwood station with a picture of Ozarow suggesting he was a supporter of Hezbollah, mocked up on a fictitious newspaper. In a statement, the five councillors denied the findings and said they were disappointed details had leaked before their appeal had finished, saying the accusations were “politically motivated”. CCHQ asked an independent QC to examine the behaviour of the councillors and the subsequent abuse of Ozarow on social media, where he was told to “go to the gas chambers” and that he “lacked a Jewish soul”. Ozarow described feeling “terrorised” by the abuse of him and his family, including an anonymous phone call that appeared to threaten his wife and unborn child. Hertfordshire police recorded several social media posts as “hate incidents”. Ozarow, who stood as a candidate in the Borehamwood Kenilworth ward byelection in 2020, told the investigation that the hate began after negative campaigning by the Conservative councillors. In his 104-page submission considered by CCHQ, he alleged that threatening messages were sent to his work email and he received a chilling anonymous message purported to be from a Conservative councillor warning that he “had to live with his past” and mentioning his and his wife’s unborn baby. The Conservatives’ co-chair Ben Elliot accepted the recommendations of a panel of party members led by the independent QC Richard Price, which found that the councillors Brett Rosehill – who won the byelection – Glenn Briski and Paul Morris were “party to a personal campaign against the claimant in relation to the 2020 byelection and which continued for many months”. It also concluded that “this negative campaigning may well have encouraged others to send antisemitic posts or messages to the complainant”. The report also criticised the council leader, Morris Bright, who it said should have “taken steps to rein in the activities of these councillors at an early stage”. The same criticism was made about a former councillor, Jane West, the Hertsmere election agent. All five have received formal reprimands.
In a joint statement, the five councillors said the report was a political distraction from an upcoming case against another Labour councillor. “We are deeply concerned to note that Hertsmere Labour party have decided to publish the findings of an investigation while the process of appeal by those named is still continuing. “The named individuals, four out of five of whom are proud members of the Jewish community are hurt and dismayed, over what are clearly politically motivated claims of antisemitism from Labour. Further comment will be made after the appeal process has reached its conclusion.” Ozarow, who won a byelection in the ward in 2021, said: “After this two-year investigation, I am delighted that the terror that my family and I went through is finally over and that the Conservative party has reached this verdict. I wanted to show people that I wasn’t going to be bullied away just for wanting to make my community a better place. “No one should have to suffer like my family and I did and it really saddened me to hear Jewish people from other parties telling me that they were too frightened to stand for election because of what happened.”