Fury as Ukip blames May for jihadist terror attacks

... and in a dotty manifesto, they call for VAT-free fish and chips and burka ban (so wearers get more Vitamin D!)

UKIP yesterday claimed Theresa May ‘must bear some responsibility’ for the Manchester terror attack, as it ended the election truce by accusing her of allowing jihadists into the country.

Leader Paul Nuttall said ‘lighting candles is not enough’ as he vowed to provide tens of thousands more police and soldiers, and seize passports from Britons who go to fight for Islamic State.

In a swipe at the Prime Minister, Ukip deputy chairman Suzanne Evans said Mrs May had allowed the spread of extremism and cut police numbers during her six years as home secretary.

Miss Evans, who wrote the party’s manifesto, said: ‘I think she must bear some responsibility – all politicians who voted against measures or voted for measures to make cuts bear some responsibility. I think when 9/11 happened we should have had a serious rethink about immigration.

She added: ‘Theresa May might like to portray herself as a strong and stable leader who can tackle extremism, but her record suggests otherwise. She has allowed jihadists who fought alongside Islamic State back into our country. She has failed to prevent extremists spreading hatred in our universities and our mosques.

Under her watch, even non-EU migration spiralled out of control and net migration reached record highs. ‘A growing backlog of failed asylum seekers and a failure to deport illegal immigrants or foreign criminals were further hallmarks of her time as home secretary.’ Ahead of the other parties resuming national campaigning today, Home Secretary Amber Rudd last night said it was ‘not the time to make political points’.

‘I think it’s entirely the wrong approach. What we’re trying to do now is support police, the intelligence services and of course the victims,’ she added. Mr Nuttall branded radical Islam ‘a cancer that needs to be cut out’ and promised ‘a far more muscular approach’ to extremism and inte- gration. ‘I believe that anyone who leaves this country to fight for Islamic State should forfeit their passport, their citizenship, and never be allowed to return,’ he added. Policies in the manifesto include recruiting 20,000 police officers, 20,000 soldiers, 7,000 more prison officers and 4,000 border guards. Mr Nuttall said: ‘It is not the British way to turn a blind eye to evil in our midst. It is not good enough to light candles and proclaim that extremists will not beat us.’

The launch descended into chaos as supporters booed when Mr Nuttall was asked if he was seeking to exploit the Manchester attack. Shouts including ‘crawl back down your hole’ and ‘Don’t you understand English?’ were aimed at the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg. Miss Evans later appeared to backtrack on her comments blaming Mrs May for the Manchester attack. She said: ‘The only person who is responsible, or people who were responsible, for what happened in Manchester are the terrorists, let me make that absolutely clear.’