Have UKIP Defections Gone Too Far: Party Accepts 'The Barking of Barking'

UKIP is facing criticism for accepting a stack of deselected Labour Councillors in the London Borough of Barking. The Councillors had all been removed as candidates due to their poor performances. 

The defectors are reported to have failed Labour’s two stage re-selection process to stand as candidates for the party in the upcoming local elections in May. 

The councillors were interviewed by a panel of party members from outside the borough before having their case work reviewed by a group of local colleagues. 

Some of the Councillors that failed this process defected to Arthur Scargill’s Socialist Labour Party while others went to UKIP. 

Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader of the Labour Group, said: “These people at different periods throughout the process failed to get reselected for various reasons. 

“But ultimately it was because the party didn’t feel they had done enough work within the community. We don’t have any concern [about losing members] because these are people who we have felt weren’t good enough.”

“Those going to UKIP are going under a flag of convenience. If Ukip feel they are good enough for their party that’s fine but it shows you how far behind they are compared to us.” 

A source close to the UKIP leadership told Breitbart London: “This is the barking of Barking. The party appears to have given up on quality control. There is only one thing worse than being a Labour Councillor and that is being someone not deemed good enough to be one.” 

But one of the defectors, a Muslim councillor called Cllr Tariq Saeed, defended his move saying: “UKIP is not a racist party. Ukip is saying we aren’t gaining anything while we are in the European Union. We want to put the British people first.”