Leader of party backed by Farage quits over her anti-Islamic comments online

THE leader of the Nigel Faragebacked Brexit Party has resigned after anti-Islamic comments she posted on social media were discovered.

Catherine Blaiklock quit two months after she set up the party with Mr Farage, who went on to represent the group in the European Parliament.

The former Ukip economics spokeswoman had claimed in Twitter posts that Islam was a threat to most of society, was “incompatible with liberal democracy” and a submission “mostly to raping men”. It is understood she took the decision to stand down in response to journalists discovering the comments online.

In a resignation statement yesterday, Ms Blaiklock said her role had been successful in “working with Nigel Farage... to set the party up and register it with the Electoral Commission”.

“The out-of-character comments that I made on social media some time ago were unacceptable in tone and content,” she added.

“After speaking to Nigel Farage, I realise that my comments fall well short of what is expected in any walk of life.

“I have accordingly tendered my resignation as party leader.”

Anti-racism campaigners Hope Not Hate, who helped unearth the since-deleted posts, celebrated her resignation.

“Blaiklock’s abhorrent racist social media posts reveal the true nature of Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party: new branding, same old nasty underbelly,” campaign director Matthew McGregor said.

One tweet in June 2017 read: “Islam = submission — mostly to raping men it seems. #ukip.”

And, in December that year, another tweet from Blaiklock said: “Islam — Threat to women, gays, whites, non-Muslims, Blacks, Indians, Chinese — aggression to everyone but themselves.” A RESTORED Stormont Executive cannot have a veto over the working of the border backstop, Sinn Fein’s Stormont leader has insisted.

Michelle O’Neill made clear that Sinn Fein would reject any move to bolster Stormont’s powers in relation to the backstop’s operation.

“There will not be any situation where there will be a veto handed to this Assembly,” said Mrs O’Neill.

Her comments came in response to speculation that the Government may move to strengthen the role of the Assembly in domestic law in order to win DUP support for the Brexit withdrawal treaty.

Assembly structures mean the DUP could, with the assistance of a small number of like-minded MLAs, wield a veto on backstop matters by triggering the petition of concern voting mechanism.

The Government has already committed to giving Stormont a consultative role before a decision is made to either enter the backstop or extend the implementation period.

And, if the backstop does come into effect, the Assembly and Executive would be given a role in its operation, with the legislature being asked to consent to any new or amended EU laws applying to the region.

Mrs O’Neill said while there can be a consultative role, “there cannot be any veto afforded to the DUP or anybody else”.

“The EU have been clear about that, because that’s not what’s in the withdrawal agreement, and I have spoken to the Tanaiste (Simon Coveney) this week and he also gave the same assurance that there would be no veto handed to an Assembly that obviously doesn’t exist at this moment in time,” she said.