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Conservative Tom Tugendhat suffered antisemitism during Tonbridge and Malling General Election 2019 campaign

05:51, 13 December 2019

updated: 06:34, 13 December 2019

A Kent MP has revealed he suffered antisemitic abuse during the General Election campaign.

Tom Tugendhat romped home to give the Conservatives its largest ever majority in Tonbridge and Malling this morning, commanding more than 60% of the vote.

Tom Tugendhat after winning the Tonbridge and Malling General Election 2019 (24140854)
Tom Tugendhat after winning the Tonbridge and Malling General Election 2019 (24140854)

But that victory was marred, he said, by remarks about his Jewish background.

Speaking moments after his landslide election result was announced, Mr Tugendhat said: "It was a campaign that wasn't as always as clean as previous ones. For the first time I faced antisemitism, which I found particularly offensive and very surprising for a community like this and frankly rather distasteful.

"It's very un-Tonbridge it's very un-Kent and it's very un-British.

"I hope that kind of behaviour will be left behind us for various reasons, some of them particularly obvious, I would hope that type of attitude is going to leave our politics for good."

In his victory speech Mr Tugendhat thanked the police for protecting candidates during the election, he said: "Kent Police have been outstanding in keeping all candidates safe and making sure that people ahve been able to speak and exercise their voice clearly."

Read all the latest results from the General Election in Kent.

Read more: All the latest news from Tonbridge

Read more: All the latest news from Malling

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