A British Reform candidate defected to the Tories today slamming the party’s ‘racist, misogynist and bigoted’ views.
Georgie David stood up for Nigel Farage’s shirt at West Ham & Beckton, but has quit with ‘immediate effect’.
He is the second Reform candidate to endorse the Tories this week after several revelations about the election.
Most recently, a candidate in Scotland allegedly called for former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to be ‘shot’, calling her a ‘b****’ in 2016.
The comments by Robert Smith, who runs in Orkney and Shetland, reported by the Times, were branded ‘absolutely appalling’ by chairman Richard Tice.
Mr Smith has come under fire for his comments about the royal family, when he said he would ‘prefer Fred and Rose (West) to go to one of the c****’.
Last year, the candidate, who was previously UKIP in the region, said Charles was a ‘WEF fascist’ referring to the World Economic Forum.
Ms David insisted she was in ‘no doubt’ that the leader was not racist – but suggested she had tried to ‘brush’ the problem ‘under the carpet’.
Georgie David stood up for Nigel Farage’s shirt at West Ham & Beckton, but has quit with ‘immediate effect’.
He is the second Reform candidate to endorse the Tories this week after several revelations about the election.
After Ms David announced her defection, Mr Tice accused the Tories of ‘dirty tricks’, adding: ‘What safe jobs and seats are the Tories offering this candidate? As he did with many others.’
Most recently, a candidate in Scotland was accused of calling for former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to be shot. The allegations made by Robert Smith, who ran in Orkney and Shetland, were branded ‘absolutely appalling’ by chairman Richard Tice.
Earlier this week a candidate resigned and backed the Conservatives, citing a ‘failure of leadership’ due to allegations of racism in the party.
Liam Booth-Isherwood, who is standing in the Derbyshire seat of Erewash, has announced he will quit the race and will instead encourage Tory rival Maggie Throup to ‘quit Labour’.
The candidate said he had become ‘increasingly disillusioned’ with the party’s behaviour, which he suggested showed ‘significant moral problems’ within its ranks.
After Ms David announced her defection, Mr Tice accused the Tories of ‘dirty tricks’, adding: ‘What safe jobs and seats are the Tories offering this candidate? As he did with many others.’
Labor is expected to coast to victory in West Ham & Beckton seats on Saturday, but the news is a blow to Mr. Farage’s efforts to shake off claims about his candidate.
In a statement released through the Conservatives, Ms David said: “I have no doubt that the party and its senior leaders are not racist.
‘However, as the majority of the candidates are racist, misogynistic and bigoted, I do not want to be directly associated with people who hold such views that are diametrically opposed to me and what I stand for.
‘I have also been very frustrated and disappointed by the failure of the leaders of the Reform Party to deal with this problem in a meaningful way, and their attempts to brush it under the rug or cry.
‘As such, I have now been suspended from campaigning with Reform, and I am endorsing the Conservative Party – I would encourage all fellow patriots to do the same.’
Liam Booth-Isherwood stood in the Derbyshire seat of Erewash before announcing he would back the Conservatives.