Tory London mayor candidate condemns Zac Goldsmith's 2016 campaign

One of the three Conservative London mayoral candidates has broken ranks to criticise Zac Goldsmith’s controversial 2016 campaign, after the Muslim Council of Britain wrote to them to ask if they would condemn its racial overtones.

Andrew Boff said he believed Goldsmith’s attacks on Labour rival candidate Sadiq Khan were a “mistaken tactic”, while the other two candidates responded with a joint statement that sidestepped the issue by not mentioning the party’s previous campaign.

That prompted the MCB to criticise the other candidates, early favourite Shaun Bailey and his lesser-known rival, Joy Morrissey.

An MCB spokesman said: “Muslim Londoners would have expected all Tories seeking the votes of Londoners to clearly set themselves apart from this shameful episode, but it is deeply disappointing to see that is not the case for two of the candidates.”

The MCB had written to three of the party’s mayor candidates last month “to ask for your views on Mr Goldsmith’s strategic campaign to focus on Sadiq Khan’s faith and background in an effort to win the election”.

The Goldsmith campaign was first criticised for attempting to divide voters when leaflets emerged targeting Hindu voters that suggested Khan would tax their jewellery if he became London’s mayor.

His campaign then tried to accuse the now mayor of London of associating with alleged extremists before he became an MP, although that backfired when one of those cited turned out to be a Tory supporter.

All three Conservative candidates initially responded to the MCB’s request for comment with a joint statement. It said: “We celebrate that London is the most open, diverse and tolerant city in the world, and we support all efforts to keep our capital open and integrated between all our communities.

“We welcome and support interfaith initiatives that foster dialogue and increase understanding such as the excellent ‘Visit my Mosque’ day.”

Shaun Bailey, a London assembly member, was endorsed by the London Evening Standard on Tuesday, making him the frontrunner in the race for the party’s nomination. He was a youth worker who became an adviser to David Cameron on young people and crime before being elected.

Ballot papers went out this week and the result is expected in time for the party’s annual conference this month.

Morrissey is a councillor in Ealing, who works at the Centre for Social Justice thinktank. Boff is a libertarian politician who has been an assembly member since 2008 and has previously voiced concern about the Goldsmith campaign.

He also endorsed the MCB’s call for an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Tory party, but that has been repeatedly rejected by the party’s hierarchy, even after the controversy over a Boris Johnson’s comments comparing fully veiled Muslim women to letter boxes and bank robbers.

A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain added: “We welcome Boff’s call for an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative party, and his distancing from Zac Goldsmith’s campaign.”