UKIP councilor arrested over ‘dispute with campaigner’
A councilor of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has been arrested following an alleged assault on an election campaigner in Great Yarmouth, east of England.
Tom Andrews, an elected member of UKIP council is said to have been involved in the dispute with a campaigner from the anti-fascist campaign group, ‘Hope Not Hate.’
The incident reportedly took place at a meeting of the group on Saturday. Police confirmed that a “72-year-old man was taken in to custody.”
The victim, 30-year-old campaigner, David Braniff-Herbert claims he was distributing anti-UKIP leaflets outside the hall when Andrews began taking pictures of those entering the building.
A video of the incident suggests Herbert felt intimidated by Andrews and confronted him, to which he responded with an insult and a “slap across the face.”
The councillor is said to have been cautioned for the minor assault.
The UK Independent Party has received widespread criticism across the country over what is seen as its racist and intolerant policies and views on immigration, social class and even those with disabilities.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been scrutinized over his comments regarding women, stating once that “working mothers are worth less than men”; scaremongering over HIV and insulting audience members at the so-called ‘Leaders’ Debate.’
The party has been forced to suspend a number of its members after comments made on social media caused backlash. In April 2014, Andre Lampitt tweeted: “Most Nigerians are generally bad people… I grew up in Africa and dare anyone to prove me wrong.”
Candidate for Derbyshire, Ken Chapman caused controversy by writing against Islam, a trend also advocated by former UKIP candidate, Joseph Quirk.
‘Hope Not Hate’ is a campaign which aims to “expose and undermine groups that preach hate, intolerance and division whilst uniting communities around what they have in common.”
It was founded in 2004 in response to the rise of the right-wing British National Party (BNP).
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