Lib Dem candidate resigns after ‘offensive’ Brexit vote comments

political Correspondent

A LIBERAL Democrat candidate has resigned after claiming people in her constituency voted for Brexit because they were “white and don’t know people from other countries”.

Kirsten Johnson, a pianist and composer, made the comments in an interview with BBC Radio 4 on Sunday, where she said North Devon voted for Brexit because it was “98 per cent white” and that “people aren’t exposed to people from other countries, they don’t travel a lot”.

She added: “I think there is a slight disconnect that North Devon being isolated, being rural and low income perhaps hasn’t appreciated the advantages of being in the European Union.”

Ms Johnson came under fire from Peter Heaton-jones, the Tory MP for North Devon, who said many people “will be extremely offended by the suggestion that they support Brexit because they’re white and don’t get out much”, while Dawn Westcott, the Brexit Party candidate, said she thought there was “something running through the Liberal Democrats with an intolerance and desire to run roughshod over the will of the British people”.

Standing down, Ms Johnson, said: “I am acutely aware that my comments ... caused offence, and I reiterate my sincere apologies.” She added that she had “lost the thread” of what she was saying and this was “interpreted in ways that I certainly did not intend or believe about the people of North Devon”.

It comes as a poll showed support had surged for the Lib Dems, putting them neck and neck with Labour as the second major party in British politics.

Although still behind the Tories’ 33 per cent, the party gained three percentage points to 23 per cent since it was last polled by Ipsos MORI in July. It puts them a point behind Labour, which was unchanged at 24 per cent.

Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, also did well in satisfaction scores, with 35 per cent of voters saying they were satisfied with how she did her job, up seven points from July.

Keiran Pedley, the Ipsos MORI research director, said: “Although [Ms Swinson’s] strong anti-brexit stance will not appeal to everyone, reflected in her net satisfaction scores having actually fallen this month, the Lib Dems now sit just a point behind Labour in headline voting intention figures. The key question ... is will the party be able to sustain such levels of support, or even improve upon them, during a general election campaign.”