Ukip In Second Scandal As Candidate John Leathley Claims Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Needs 'A Good Shag'
Ukip Candidate's 'Shag' Comments About Female Journalist Pile On Shame For Party
Steven Hopkins— The Huffington Post/PA
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Warning: graphic content
Already on the back foot over Robert Blay threatening to shoot a Tory opponent, Ukip is facing further embarrassment today over offensive comments made by another candidate about a prominent female journalist.
John Leathley posted on Facebook that newspaper columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown "needs a good shag" and that she "would love a big black thing up her a***", after she appeared on BBC's Question Time.
Leathley said he was "appalled and deeply ashamed" about making the comments.
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Ukip's John Leathley said that Yasmin Alibhai-Brown looked like she "needs a good shag" after she appeared on BBC's Question Time
Leathley, who is standing for Nigel Farage's party in Tony Blair's old constituency of Sedgefield, County Durham, apologised "unreservedly".
He said: "I read what I wrote now, I am shocked by them and am appalled and deeply ashamed of my words. The comments were made during a private conversation in the evening and clearly were never meant to be publicly released, and they should never have been said.
"I am very sorry and regret deeply being so coarse, it is out of character but no more excusable for that."
Ms Alinbhai-Brown said that the Durham University student's comments were "appalling".
She told Mirror Online: "Was he drunk? If he wasn't, then what he said was absolutely appalling. It's sexist, it's racist, it's violent."
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Ukip's John Leathley made offensive comments
General Election 2015 campaign - May 2nd(01 of16)
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Ukip Leader Nigel Farage gives morning interviews in Ramsgate, Kent, ahead of a day of campaigning for the Thanet South seat at the upcoming General Election. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
General Election 2015 campaign - May 2nd(02 of16)
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Ukip Leader Nigel Farage toasts the arrival of the Royal baby at a public house in Ramsgate, Kent, during a day of campaigning for the Thanet South seat at the upcoming General Election. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
General Election 2015 campaign - May 4(03 of16)
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Ukip Leader Nigel Farage (left) is joined by parliamentary candidate for Bootle Paul Nuttall (right) during the General Election campaign in Cliftonville, Kent. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
General Election 2015 campaign - May 4(04 of16)
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Ukip leader Nigel Farage (centre) meets members of the public at the Belle Vue public house during the General Election campaign in Cliftonville, Kent. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
Britain election 2015 - UKIP(05 of16)
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UKIP leader Nigel Farage attends an election rally in Margate, United Kingdom, 04 May 2015. Farage who is a famous right-wing populist meets potential voters in this socially weak area. Britain heads to the polls in the general election which will take place on 07 May 2015. Photo:BITTASCHULTEJANS/dpa (credit:Bitta Schultejans/DPA)
General Election 2015 campaign - May 5th(06 of16)
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Ukip leader Nigel Farage (centre) meets supporters while canvassing for support during a walk about in Sandwich, Kent, as he continues his campaign for the Thanet South seat in the General Election. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
Britain election 2015 - UKIP(07 of16)
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UKIP leader Nigel Farage gestures during an election rally in Margate, United Kingdom, 04 May 2015. Farage who is a famous right-wing populist meets potential voters in this socially weak area. Britain heads to the polls in the general election which will take place on 07 May 2015. Photo:BRITTASCHULTEJANS/dpa (credit:Bitta Schultejans/DPA)
Britain Election UKIP(08 of16)
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Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party arrives for the launch of his party's manifesto in Thurrock, England, Wednesday, April 15, 2015. The UK will go to the polls in a general election on May 7. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Election UKIP(09 of16)
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Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party gestures as he answers a question from the media at the launch of his party's election manifesto in Thurrock, England, Wednesday, April 15, 2015. The UK goes to the polls in a general election on May 7. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Election Farage's Fight(10 of16)
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FILE - This is a Wednesday, April 15, 2015 file photo of Nigel Farage leader of the UK Independence Party as he holds up his party's election manifesto, left, and economic policy review, right, during its launch at a media event in Thurrock England. Farage â the bad boy of British politics â is trying to clean up his image ahead of the May 7 general election. His once surging party has started to languish in the polls and Farage himself admits he is in a dog-fight to try to win his first seat in the British Parliament. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Election(11 of16)
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Nigel Farage leader of Britain's United Kingdom Independence Party awaits to deliver a speech in Hartlepool, England, Tuesday, April 28, 2015. Britain goes to the polls in a General Election on May 7. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain Election(12 of16)
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Nigel Farage leader of Britain's United Kingdom Independence Party delivers a speech in Hartlepool, England, Tuesday, April 28, 2015. Britain goes to the polls in a General Election on May 7. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The New Statesman Centenary Party(13 of16)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 20: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown attends The New Statesman Centenary Party at Great Hall on June 20, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images) (credit:Ben A. Pruchnie via Getty Images)
The New Statesman Centenary Party(14 of16)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 20: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown attends The New Statesman Centenary Party at Great Hall on June 20, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images) (credit:Ben A. Pruchnie via Getty Images)
North East UKIP Conference 2015(15 of16)
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HARTLEPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: John Leathley, chair of the North east Young Independents, addresses delegates during the UK Independence Party North East conference on February 7, 2015 in Hartlepool, England. Hartlepool will play a key role in UKIP plans to gain seats at the General Election this coming May potentially offering the party an opportunity for a regional breakthrough. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) (credit:Ian Forsyth via Getty Images)
North East UKIP Conference 2015(16 of16)
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HARTLEPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: John Leathley, chair of the North east Young Independents, addresses delegates during the UK Independence Party North East conference on February 7, 2015 in Hartlepool, England. Hartlepool will play a key role in UKIP plans to gain seats at the General Election this coming May potentially offering the party an opportunity for a regional breakthrough. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) (credit:Ian Forsyth via Getty Images)
She added: "I've always said Ukip was the nasty party and we find out again and again with incidents like this."
Ukip said Leathley has said he was "very sorry" for being "so coarse".
This is not the first time a politician has responded aggressively towards Ms Alibhai-Brown.
In June last year Michael Fabricant, a former Conservative party vice-chairman, posted a tweet after watching the journalist take part in a television debate, saying that if he was to appear alongside her, "I would either end up with a brain haemorrhage or by punching her in the throat”.
Responding to outrage over the comments, Fabricant initially made out that he was joking. But when door-knocked by a television crew he said the attention made him "feel like a star".
Later he tweeted to Ms Alibhai-Brown directly saying, “If you actually thought I would punch you, I actually don’t do that sort of thing. But you are utterly infuriating!”
David Cameron labelled Fabricant’s remarks as “completely unacceptable”, but resisted calls to suspend the MP.
Ukip's Blay, who made the threat against Ranil Jayawardena, as well as making racist remarks about him, was caught out in a video published by the Mirror. The newspaper had recorded Blay at a public meeting on Saturday in Ramsgate.
Ex-Conservative Blay - who is standing for election in North East Hampshire - noted that Mr Jayawardena had been tipped as Britain's first Asian prime minister.
The Mirror reported that he said: "If he is I will personally put a bullet between his eyes. If this lad turns up to be our prime minister I will personally put a bullet in him. That's how strong I feel about it.
"I won't have this f***** as our prime minister. I absolutely loathe him."
According to the newspaper, he then went on to question Jayawardena's background.
A Ukip spokesman said: "The views expressed by Mr Blay are abhorrent.
"As soon as they were brought to our attention he was suspended from the party. Any comments of this sort have absolutely no place in British politics or public life, and the party would like to take this opportunity to apologise to Mr Jayawardena for any distressed caused."
Ukip's deputy leader Paul Nuttall described the Blay video as "pretty woeful" but argued the party did not have the "monopoly on this".
He said: "I want to make this point, there's been Conservative candidates who have been suspended and indeed a Labour candidate in London for fraud.
"Since January 1 this year, there's been 319 councillors from all of the other political parties who've either been convicted or stood down for issues as bad as paedophilia, fraud, theft, terrorism, rape, the list can go on, so we don't have a monopoly, this is a problem with all political parties."