An investigation is underway regarding social media posts made by an NHS England manager, who allegedly directed a racist insult at Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
Lucy Hunte, who serves as the national programme manager for apprenticeships at NHS England, reportedly used a string of coconut emojis in a message to Badenoch on the platform X.
A dossier revealing Ms. Hunte’s social media activity, reviewed by the Mail, includes posts where she seemingly downplays the concerns of Jewish individuals during pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London.
In one particular post, she implied that ‘normal Jewish people’ were not worried about the protests, suggesting that only ‘those who support genocide’ were concerned.
Additionally, Ms. Hunte expressed public support for the band Bob Vylan, who sparked controversy by leading chants of ‘death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)’ during their performance at the Glastonbury Festival last summer.
The term ‘coconut’ is commonly recognized as a racist slur, used to accuse someone of being a ‘race traitor.’
Ms Hunte used three coconut emojis in a message to Mrs Badenoch in August last year when the Tory leader supported the flying of St George and Union flags across towns and cities in England.
NHS England said it was ‘urgently investigating’ while Mrs Badenoch told the Mail that Ms Hunte’s post ‘tells you all you need to know about the culture that has taken root in many of our public services’ and vowed her Conservative Party would tackle ‘bigotry’.
Lucy Hunte, national programme manager for apprenticeships at NHS England, used a series of coconut emojis when sending a message on X to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch
Mrs Badenoch told the Mail that Ms Hunte’s post ‘tells you all you need to know about the culture that has taken root in many of our public services’
Ms Hunte is an ‘award winning national programme manager – apprenticeships at NHS England’, according to her LinkedIn profile
The Tory leader said: ‘The fact that an NHS manager felt comfortable hurling racist abuse at me for loving Britain and our flag tells you all you need to know about the culture that has taken root in many of our public services.
‘If she’d do that to a high-profile politician, imagine what she’s doing to the ethnic minority colleagues unfortunate enough to work with this cretin.
‘The far-Left has spent years embedding itself in our institutions, and the result is NHS managers who think patriotism is a provocation and racism is progressive.
‘They can’t see the bigotry for the buzzwords and the Conservatives will root it out.’
Ms Hunte sent the message to Mrs Badenoch on 24 August, posting: ‘Are you really this dumb?! It’s the likes of you they are up in arms about?!
‘They don’t see it as ‘our’ country even if we are born and bred here?!’
The NHS England employee’s post was in reply to the Tory leader sharing a newspaper article she had penned to celebrate English flags being flown ‘proudly as symbols of unity, nationhood, and optimism’.
Campaigners put UK and England flags on display last summer following an online movement called ‘Operation Raise the Colours’.
But it sparked a row after some local councils took them down from council-owned infrastructure such as lampposts, while the campaign was also linked to far-Right groups.
Ms Hunte posted the racial slur despite her having previously been vocal about racism on social media.
She has used the hashtag #NoRoomForRacism and also complained that ‘xenophobia and racism is rife’.
In one post, Ms Hunte expressed her hope that ‘racists decide to boycott the NHS’ as she suggested they might find ‘too many brown faces’ in a new NHS careers advert.
In one post, Ms Hunte suggested that ‘normal Jewish people’ were not concerned by pro-Palestinian marches but ‘only those who support genocide’
The NHS England employee also publicly supported Bob Vylan after the band led ‘death to the IDF’ chants during their controversial performance at Glastonbury Festival last summer
In one post, Ms Hunte expressed her hope that ‘racists decide to boycott the NHS’ as she suggested they might find ‘too many brown faces’ in a new NHS careers advert
In September last year, Ms Hunte responded to a fellow X user who said Jewish people ‘completely avoid London’ as a result of ‘pro-terror’ marches in the capital since the 7 October attacks on Israel.
Ms Hunte replied: ‘No not normal Jewish people only those who support genocide!’
She expressed her support for Bob Vylan during a major row over the band’s Glastonbury performance in June.
The Prime Minister condemned the UK punk duo for urging ‘death’ to Israeli troops in what he called ‘appalling hate speech’.
But, posting on X in response to Avon and Somerset Police announcing they were assessing the comments, Ms Hunte said: ‘Haven’t you got anything better to do?! Genocide is the actual crime!’.
The police investigation later concluded with no further action taken.
Ms Hunte has often expressed her party political leanings on social media.
She criticised the decision by Keir Starmer to block Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from standing as Labour’s candidate in the recent Gorton and Denton by-election.
Ms Hunte also expressed her disappointment about ‘infighting’ during the launch of Your Party, the new Left-wing movement fronted by ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Since NHS England and Ms Hunte were approached about her social media posts, Ms Hunte appears to have deleted her X account.
An NHS England spokesperson said: ‘Any form of racism or discrimination by members of NHS staff is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We are urgently investigating these posts.’
