General Election 2024: Sheffield candidate who missed hustings was campaigning for another candidate elsewhere

By Julia Armstrong, Local Democracy Reporter

Published 2nd Jul 2024, 11:25 BST

Updated 2nd Jul 2024, 14:34 BST

A Sheffield general election candidate who said that he had Covid and couldn’t come to a hustings in the constituency was out campaigning for a fellow Conservative candidate.

Aaron Jacob is standing for the Conservative Party in the Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency. Last Monday (June 24), Sheffield Conservative Federation chair Steven Winstone stood in for Mr Jacob at a hustings event held by Christ Church, Pitsmoor at the church.

Mr Winstone told the audience that Mr Jacob, who lives in St Albans in Hertfordshire, had Covid and couldn’t attend.

Mr Jacob told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he had been unwell for a week before the event and Mr Winstone had agreed to step in the previous weekend. When he felt well enough to return to work on Monday, June 24, there was not enough time to drive up for the hustings.

A screenshot of picture on a Twitter post by Sheffield election candidate Aaron Jacob, showing that he was campaigning for Conservative candidate Theresa Villiers on the evening of June 24, when he said he could not appear at a hustings in Sheffield

placeholder image — A screenshot of picture on a Twitter post by Sheffield election candidate Aaron Jacob, showing that he was campaigning for Conservative candidate Theresa Villiers on the evening of June 24, when he said he could not appear at a hustings in Sheffield

A post by Mr Jacob on his Twitter/X account, dated June 24, said: “Great to see a lot of support for Theresa Villiers this evening on the doorstep.”

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He also shared two pictures on the post, one a selfie taken by campaigner Ahmereen Reza of herself with him and Ms Villiers, a former Conservative Cabinet minister who is the party’s candidate for Chipping Barnet in north London. A picture of his fitness tracker watch shows the date June 24 and the time 8.17pm, indicating that he had walked 9,435 steps that day.

Mr Jacob has also posted about campaigning for Iain Duncan Smith in Chingford and Woodford Green, Essex and Alexander Stafford in Rother Valley.

A picture supplied by Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough Conservative Party candidate Aaron Jacob of his positive Covid test

placeholder image — A picture supplied by Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough Conservative Party candidate Aaron Jacob of his positive Covid test

Campaign

Mr Jacob, who announced on social media on June 7 that he had been chosen as the party candidate, has posted pictures of Hillsborough Park and two businesses in the suburb but none of them show him on the campaign trail in the constituency.

Mr Jacob told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I started to feel unwell on Monday night (June 17, 2024), with feelings of exhaustion, shivers, and a sore throat. It transpired that I had Covid-19, and I tested positive as such (see attached photo). I therefore told my federation chairman about this, and that I would not be able to attend Sheffield on the weekend of June 22.

“The federation chairman Steven Winstone then put himself forward to the organisers for the candidates’ hustings in my stead on Monday, June 24. The organisers agreed, and Steve attended.

A screenshot of a Twitter post by Sheffield election candidate Aaron Jacob, showing that he was campaigning for Conservative candidate Theresa Villiers on the evening of June 24, when he said he could not appear at a hustings in Sheffield as he had Covid

placeholder image — A screenshot of a Twitter post by Sheffield election candidate Aaron Jacob, showing that he was campaigning for Conservative candidate Theresa Villiers on the evening of June 24, when he said he could not appear at a hustings in Sheffield as he had Covid

“After being unwell with Covid that week, I then felt better on Monday, June, 24 and I campaigned locally to me in Chipping Barnet that evening because we need as many Conservative MPs elected.”

He said that he had not canvassed between late Monday, June 17 and the evening of June 24.

Mr Jacob added: “The only story here is: we had Conservative representation at this hustings, whereas Labour did not turn up.

“This is an election where the future of our great country is at stake. We need to debate the substantive issues rather than seek to engage in ad hominem attacks on people that we disagree with.

A screenshot of picture on a Twitter post by Sheffield election candidate Aaron Jacob, showing that he was campaigning for Conservative candidate Theresa Villiers on the evening of June 24, when he said he could not appear at a hustings in Sheffield

placeholder image — A screenshot of picture on a Twitter post by Sheffield election candidate Aaron Jacob, showing that he was campaigning for Conservative candidate Theresa Villiers on the evening of June 24, when he said he could not appear at a hustings in Sheffield

“We can either move forward in cutting tax and bearing down on the cost of living, or we can go back to square one with Keir Starmer. Vote Conservative on July 4 for a better future for you and your family.”

Full list of constituency candidates:

Maxine Bowler – Independent

Gill Furniss – Labour Party

Christine Gilligan Kubo – Green Party

Aaron Jacob – The Conservative Party

William Sapwell – Liberal Democrats

Jeremy Turner – Social Democratic Party

Mark Tyler – Workers Party – For Britain, For Gaza.

Sheffield Local Democracy Reporting Service Hillsborough