Nigel Farage quits Ukip over anti-Muslim policies and link with Tommy Robinson
Nigel Farage has dramatically quit Ukip in protest at the party’s anti-Muslim policies under leader Gerard Batten.
The former Ukip leader slammed the appointment of far-right activist Tommy Robinson as an adviser and the party’s “fixation” with Islam.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Farage said he was leaving Ukip “with a heavy heart” due to its growing association with extremist views.
“While Robinson may hold an appeal to some members of society who feel they are disenfranchised, I believe he is entirely unsuitable to be involved in any political party,” he wrote.
The resignation comes ahead of a planned pro-Brexit march this weekend, which has received backing from Ukip.
Farage lambasted the party’s involvement in the protest, warning it “may well inspire violence and thuggish behaviour”.
“The very idea of Tommy Robinson being at the centre of the Brexit debate is too awful to contemplate,” he added.
Batten’s decision to hire Robinson as an adviser was met with criticism from within the party, but he survived a vote of no confidence held yesterday by Ukip’s National Executive Committee (NEC).