UKIP selects former Lord Mayor to replace ‘disgusting poofters’ candidate

UKIP has selected a new parliamentary candidate to replace Kerry Smith – who quit after ranting about “disgusting poofters”.

The UK Independence Party today announced that former Lord Mayor of London Ian Luder will run for Parliament in the seat of South Basildon and East Thurrock.

Mr Luder, a former Labour councillor, replaces Kerry Smith – who was forced to step down after recording leaked of him making a series of seriously offensive comments.

In the recording Mr Smith ranted about “f**king disgusting old poofters”, called a Chinese woman a “Chinky bird”, and joked about “shooting peasants”.

Mr Smith now plans to run against his own former party as an independent.

UKIP told the BBC that Mr Smith is “entitled to stand” as an independent candidate – and that he is “his own man”.

Mr Luder – who was Lord Mayor of London from 2008 until 2009, and until this month was chairman of Basildon hospital – is the party’s third prospective parliamentary candidate in the seat, after Mr Smith and former Tory Neil Hamilton.

The seat is currently held by Conservative MP Stephen Metcalfe – but is a key UKIP target.

Elsewhere, UKIP MEP David Coburn – who plans to stand against SNP leader Alex Salmond in Gordon – recently claimed that “equality Nazis” in the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties are trying to ban sex.

The Scottish MEP – who is the party’s most senior gay politician – said: “If you want an authoritarian party, there’s nobody more authoritarian than the Lib Dems or Labour party.

“They’ll tell you eat your five a day, no smoking, no drinking, no sex, no nothing.”

When questioned on banning sex, he added: “They’re getting round to it. What I call the equality Nazis, people who want everyone to fit into their stereotypes.”

• Dec 01 2023

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