Liberal Democrat Candidate Compares Brexit to Nazi Germany

A Liberal Democrat candidate has compared Brexit to Nazi Germany in the latest embarrassment for the pro-EU party.

David Chalmers wrote on Facebook in comments reported by Guido Fawkes that leaving the EU is causing “huge rises in violent crime on our streets and domestic abuse in our homes”.

The candidate for Torridge and West Devon added: “We have to stop this — just as we stopped the Nazis in Germany and their sympathisers in this country at the time from destroying this country in the 1930s.”

Last month, another Liberal Democrat candidate resigned after saying that people in her prospective constituency were too “white”, “isolated”, and poor to “appreciate” being in the EU.

Kirsten Johnson, who was running in the North Devon seat, made the comments during an interview on BBC Radio 4 on September 19th.

When asked about the constituents’ enthusiasm for leaving the EU, Ms Johnson said: “Demographically it’s 98 per cent white. We don’t have a lot of ethnic minorities living in north Devon.

“People aren’t exposed to people from other countries. They don’t travel a lot. I think there is a slight disconnect with North Devon being isolated, being rural, and low income. Perhaps they don’t appreciate the advantages of being in the European Union?”

Anti-Brexit Lib Dems Cheer EU's Verhofstadt as He Hails 'World Order' of 'Empires' https://t.co/wh5u3actyq

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) September 15, 2019

Just three days before, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Banff and Buchan stepped down after saying Tory Brexiteer MPs should be “hung, drawn, and quartered”.

“Johnson, Fox, Gove, Davis, Rees-Mogg should be hung, drawn, and quartered, with each quarter being sent to the four corners of the UK to be burned at the stake,” Galen Milne had written on social media.

Jacob Rees-Mogg responded in typical good humour, saying: “Typical Lib Dem. Mr Milne should get his facts straight. As Lord President of the Council, I am entitled to the privilege of being beheaded.”

It is not just the candidates who are known for their colourful language. During May’s European Parliament elections, then-party leader Vince Cable launched campaign material bearing the slogan: “Bollocks to Brexit.”

The motto was passed down to his successor Jo Swinson, who said during her leadership acceptance speech in July: “When I say Bollocks to Brexit I mean it.”

Party members approved at September’s conference to back revoking Article 50 — cancelling Brexit altogether — without a referendum. However, that would only occur if the party won an absolute majority — seen as highly unlikely, given the Liberal Democrats are riding comfortably in third place in the polls.