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Evening Standard front page of mayoral candidate a mockery, say Tories

PA Media Susan HallPA Media
Susan Hall has been a councillor in Harrow since 2006 and a member of the London-wide Assembly since 2017

The Conservative Party has complained to the Evening Standard about its "contemptible" front-page coverage of the selection of Susan Hall as the Tory candidate to be London's mayor.

Deputy party chairman Nickie Aiken said the full-page picture of the London Assembly member the newspaper had used was a "clear mockery".

She said there was a "whiff of misogyny" about the paper's coverage.

The Evening Standard has been approached for comment.

Ms Hall was announced as the Tories' candidate earlier, after winning 57% of the vote from members.

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In a letter shared on Twitter, Ms Aiken wrote to Evening Standard editor Dylan Jones, saying: "I am writing to you to express my sincere disappointment in your front page today.

"Your choice of photo of Susan Hall is a clear mockery, and it is contemptible, especially as the first female candidate for London mayor from either of the two main parties."

Party chairman Greg Hands backed Ms Aiken's complaint, saying the coverage was "extremely disappointing".

Ms Hall was running against only one other hopeful, Mozammel Hossain, after David Cameron's former special adviser Daniel Korski dropped out of the race.

He was accused of groping TV producer Daisy Goodwin at 10 Downing Street in 2013, an allegation he denied.

Ms Hall will go up against Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan on 2 May.

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