Former Conservative candidate for Coventry South criticised for Hitler tweet

The former Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Coventry South, Michelle Lowe, shared an inflammatory tweet on Monday evening, containing a picture of Adolf Hitler, in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster. It was deleted the following afternoon.

The tweet, which featured a photo of Adolf Hitler with his arms around a group of smiling young women, was captioned: “Politicians should go out and hug the public more. It proves they are nice people.”

This was apparently a reference to the political aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster in London last week, when Theresa May faced criticisms for not meeting with the victims of the fire. So far, the fire has claimed an estimated 79 lives while the police fear the death toll could enter triple digits.

Some critics accused Lowe, deputy leader of Sevenoaks council, of directly comparing Jeremy Corbyn, whose visits to some of the fire’s survivors were highly publicised, to the dictator.

Michelle Lowe, who lost to longstanding Labour MP Jim Cunningham earlier this month, has denied that the tweet referred to Corbyn, telling the Coventry Telegraph: “The purpose of the Tweet was not to cause offence but to point out that just because some people are reserved and not as able to be as familiar with strangers as others it does not mean they don’t care about their suffering.”

“People show emotions and comfort in different ways. We are all different and respond differently – and that was all I meant by it.”

“It was a comparison with Theresa May and no one else dealing with the Grenfell Tower victims – for which she took a lot of criticism – and nothing else.”

To evoke his memory in this way is disrespectful to those who suffered at the hands of this monster and trivialises the crimes of the Nazi regime.
Gary Ridley

Lowe was condemned by both Labour and Tory representatives in the area, with Coventry Conservative Party leader Gary Ridley commenting: “In a city which still bears the scars of Nazi aggression, I’m disturbed by any attempt to use Adolf Hitler to make a political point.”

“He brought pain and suffering to the world on an unimaginable scale and was responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent people.”

“To evoke his memory in this way is disrespectful to those who suffered at the hands of this monster and trivialises the crimes of the Nazi regime.”

“I’d urge Michelle Lowe to reflect on her comments and apologise for any offence which she may have caused.”

Conservative councillor Tim Mayor, who this year stood for election in Coventry North East after Lowe failed to unseat Labour’s Colleen Fletcher in 2015, added: “Atrocities committed during that war or any other should not be used as a joke.

“I find the image insulting. We lost a lot of family to him.”

It beggars belief that a senior Tory, someone who recently thought they should be an MP for Coventry, thinks this is acceptable.
Jim Cunningham

Coventry South Labour MP Jim Cunningham stated: “Comments and remarks like this are so far away from what most people are concentrating on in the wake of awful tragedies.”

“It beggars belief that a senior Tory, someone who recently thought they should be an MP for Coventry, thinks this is acceptable.”

“The Tories must stand up and take a stance against these offensive comments, they have no place in political discourse.”

Labour’s Geoffrey Robinson, who has represented Coventry North West in Parliament since 1976, added: “I find it incredibly insensitive and in very poor taste to be used by anyone, but especially from a councillor and someone involved in politics.”

“I hope Michelle will take a moment to reflect and acknowledge the offence she has caused.”

Read more:

• Interview: Michelle Lowe, Conservative candidate for Coventry South 
• Interview: Jim Cunningham, Labour candidate for Coventry South
• Labour’s Jim Cunningham wins Coventry South
• Warwick Councillor suspended for racist Eurovision Tweets

This is the latest of a series of Twitter controversies surrounding Conservative representatives in the West Midlands. Earlier this week, Solihull councillor Ken Hawkins posted “Let’s get ourselves a hangin’!” following the response to the Grenfell Tower fire. The cabinet member for Environment, Housing and Regeneration has since been suspended and is facing an investigation.

Last month, Warwick District councillor and magistrate Nick Harrington was forced to resign in the wake of Eurovision, having tweeted: “Thanks Ireland. You can keep your f’king gypsies! Hard border coming folks!”

This followed Ireland not awarding its maximum points to UK entry Lucie Jones. Harrington also came under fire for sexist comments towards the contestant.

Last year, Rugby councillor Jim Buckley was charged in court for a “grossly offensive tweet” on first Muslim London mayor Sadiq Khan during his election campaign: “Your next London Mayor? You think his corner shop would be open on a Saturday?” The tweet was quickly deleted and Buckley was later found not guilty.

The University of Warwick Conservative Association commented on the incident: “The tweet was inappropriate and awful. Michelle knows this. We don’t have anything else to add at this time.”