General Election 2015: Ukip candidate Christopher Gillibrand quits as vice president of far-right Traditional Britain Group

Christopher Gillibrand has stood down from the Traditional Britain Group after his link with the group was reported by WalesOnline

A Ukip candidate in a Welsh constituency has resigned as vice-president of a far-right group which, in a 2013 Facebook post, said the mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence should return to her “natural homeland”.

Christopher Gillibrand, who is Ukip’s general election candidate in Dwyfor Meirionnydd, left the Traditional Britain Group (TBG) after we revealed that he was one of its leading members.

In a terse statement, a spokesman for Ukip Wales said: “Chris Gillibrand has stood down from Traditional Britain.”

His profile has been removed from the group’s website.

Very senior figure

Welsh language activist Simon Brooks, who protested about Ukip’s “contemptuous” attitude to the Welsh language at a Ukip public meeting in Porthmadog last week, said: “I’m very unhappy that he remains a candidate.

“It says a lot about Ukip that they are still prepared to have him as an MP. He should stand down, or be sacked."

He added: “Chris Gillibrand has been a very senior figure within the Traditional Britain Group, and one of its three vice-presidents.

“The group has provided a platform for far-right groups to disseminate propaganda in Britain. Its response to the Charlie Hebdo attacks was to publish a statement by Marine Le Pen.

“A keynote speech at their 2014 conference at which Gillibrand himself spoke was entitled The Irresistible and Happy Political and Cultural Rise of the Front National in France.

“The guest speaker at the 2014 annual black tie dinner was a far-right Flemish MEP.

“All of these things have happened since Gillibrand became vice-president. What’s his defence? That he had to bravely soldier on as vice-president through it all?

“He must have known about events held by his own group. Why did he only resign after being exposed by WalesOnline? He should go.

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said the Traditional Britain Group held “grotesque” views that “have no place in Dwyfor Meirionydd nor anywhere in Wales”.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that David Soutter, who as Ukip’s head of candidates is responsible for vetting all the party’s general election candidates, was himself a member of TBG until 2013.

A Ukip spokesman said: “When Mr Soutter was a member it was a Classical Liberal think tank. He left after comments [were made] about [Doreen Lawrence], thoroughly disapproving of them.”

Mr Gillibrand did not respond to our request for a statement. Nor did Mr Soutter respond to our request that he explain why he allowed Mr Gillibrand to be selected as a parliamentary candidate.

Earlier this week, Mr Gillibrand sought to distance himself from the Doreen Lawrence comments, saying they were posted on the Traditional Britain Group Facebook page by another member of the group. Referring to the comments, he added: “I do not share or support them - indeed I condemn them entirely.”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/general-election-2015-ukip-candidate-8958461

Oh dear, they really can't help themselves can they!