Ukip "racist" Andre Lampitt is to stand in the Merton elections despite being suspended by his party and publicly derided for controversial comments posted online.

Mr Lampitt is standing as a prospective candidate in the St Helier ward of the borough and nominated fellow Ukip candidate Councillor Richard Hilton.

He was suspended from Ukip last week after "racist" views were posted on Twitter.

A series of tweets posted on Andre Lampitt’s Twitter account branded Islam as ‘evil’, claimed Ed Miliband is ‘not British’ and that he wanted Africans to ‘kill themselves off’.

Mr Lampitt, of Lynmouth Avenue, Morden, is up against seven other candidates from other parties in the St Helier ward.

Mr Lampitt, a Zimbabwean decorator, featured in Ukip’s election broadcast, on Wednesday, April 23, in which he wore a builder’s hat and complained ‘lads from Eastern Europe’ were undercutting him.

Councillor Suzanne Evans, a candidate for Ukip in Hillside ward of Wimbledon, has distanced herself from the controversy.

Coun Evans said: "We did our utmost to get him off the ballot paper but election law won’t allow us to do that.

"It is out of our hands.

"We don’t want his name on the ballot papers but there’s nothing we can do about it."

Coun Evans insists she had nothing to do with vetting the first time candidate whose Twitter account has since been disabled.

Ordinarily a candidate could be withdrawn from standing, but the election nominations closed the day before the news of the comments broke which means he is still eligible to stand for the seat.

It is the latest scandal to hit Ukip in Merton, after Coun Evans and Hilton were excluded from attending the annual mayor of Merton’s charity ball on Saturday, April 26. Primary school teacher Jackie Schneider was investigated and cleared after Coun Hilton reported her for sending "offensive" tweets during a public meeting.

Mrs Schneider live-tweeted the event to almost 4,000 followers, disputing Ukip views on immigration, honour killings and tax.

Nigel Farage, leader of Ukip, has launched an investigation into the incident involving Mr Lampitt and said he was ‘very angry’.

A Ukip spokesman said: "We are deeply shocked that Mr Lampitt has expressed such repellent views.

"His membership of the party has been suspended immediately pending a full disciplinary process."

The European elections and local council elections are on May 22.

 

TWEETS:

 

I believe being British it is earned through generations of existence not through birth - just my opinion though.

Ed Miliband is Polish and not British so how'd he know what's good for Britain?

Oh for God’s sake get over it, slavery was an act of war. you lost stop being so damn jealous and move forward.

I was born and grew up in Africa please please leave Africa for Africans let them kill themselves off don't go there.

I want to start a website islamoutofuk.co.uk :)