Ukip MEP says to sit as independent
Ukip MEP, Godfrey Bloom has announced his intention to sit as an independent MEP until next year™s EU elections, media reports said.
Bloom, who was stripped of the party whip last week, says he will not leave Ukip, British media reported.
The representative for Yorkshire and Humber made headlines last week after he used abusive language to refer to women and was caught up in a physical encounter with a Channel 4 reporter.
The MEP said he has not left Ukip, adding, however, that the “new Ukip was not really right for me any more” and that he would no longer sit with the group in Europe.
The senior Ukip MEP later tried to distance himself from the abusive language in which he had referred to women as œsluts”, describing his comments as a “joke”.
Channel 4′s reporter, Michael Crick then asked him why œthere were no black people pictured on a conference brochure”.
“What a racist comment is that. How dare you. That’s an appalling thing to say. You’re picking people out for the colour of their skin. You disgust me, get out of my way”, Bloom shouted.
“Appalling man. Racist. You, sir, are a racist. You take this and you’ve checked out the colour of people’s faces”, he continued.
He then grabbed the brochure and hit Crick with it before throwing it to the ground. “Disgraceful. You’re disgraceful.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Bloom said: “I have felt for some time now that the new Ukip is not really right for me any more perhaps than New Labour was right for Dennis ‘The beast of Bolsover’ Skinner.
“However, our message is clear: self-government. Our wonderful and loyal membership will win through with their dedication and hard work. It has been a pleasure to work with them for 15 years.
“May I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the thousands of people who have supported me with messages of goodwill in the recent months and particularly in recent days. There have been simply too many to make a personal response, forgive me.
“I shall sit out my term as an independent and give my wholehearted support to Jane Collins, who is almost certainly going to be the next Ukip MEP. I shall of course retain my membership”, Bloom added.
MOL/HE
Copyright: Press TV
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