Politics.co.uk

UKIP suspends prospective parliamentary candidate

UKIP suspends prospective parliamentary candidate

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) has suspended prospective parliamentary candidate John Houston after he advocated the killing of the criminally insane and the return of the British Empire.

Mr Houston was selected in December to fight the East Kilbride seat in Lanarkshire held by Adam Ingram, armed forces minister, but was suspended on Friday after his proposals for the party’s manifesto were forwarded to newspapers, including the Glasgow-based Herald and the Scottish Daily Express.

Mr Houston is reported to back the killing of the criminally insane, wanting their organs “made available to law-abiding members of the community”, and the legalisation of drugs and the sex trade.

“The problems for the human race – environmental and others – can only be dealt with on a global scale, and that calls for a radical alliance of the English-speaking nations, which they are uniquely able to do,” his proposals read.

Mark Croucher, communications director for the anti-Europe party, said: “The information he sent appears to be his submission to the manifesto working group, which canvassed opinion from across the party last year.

“He has been suspended from membership and as a candidate while the party investigates the circumstances.

“But they (the policies) bear no relation to UK Independence Party policy.”

Mr Houston was quoted in the Herald newspaper as saying: “I feel UKIP have over-reacted and overshot the runway.”

Meanwhile, UKIP MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk, slammed some of his former colleagues as “bloody right-wing fascist nutters”.

In a BBC3 documentary, “Kilroy: Behind the Tan”, to be screened on Monday night, the former chat show host admits he did not know who he was getting involved with when he joined the anti-Europe party last year.

“The trouble is, some are serious and some are nutters,” he said.

“And you get the lot. Is this one serious? Or is this another nutter? I didn’t know what I joined. What’s been irritating is that I’ve been defending some of these bloody right-wing fascist nutters.”