Ukip election candidate Kerry Smith quits over offensive remarks

A Ukip candidate has resigned for describing gay people as “fucking disgusting old poofters” and referring to a woman with a Chinese name as a “chinky”, just hours after Ukip defended him saying he had been on sedatives at the time.

Kerry Smith, who was recently reinstated as Ukip’s candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock in Essex, initially apologised unreservedly for his remarks, before later deciding to resign.

On Sunday, Ukip stood by Smith, with the party’s economic spokesman, Patrick O’Flynn, telling the BBC’s Sunday Politics that the remarks had been made while Smith was not thinking rationally.

“This was a phone call some time ago while he was on sedatives by his own account, not really speaking [or] thinking rationally. He was on prescription sedatives after suffering an injury,” O’Flynn said.

“I think clearly what he’s said there is unacceptable. He’s apologised unreservedly. There are big mitigating circumstances – it was from some time ago. Anyone who’s a parliamentary candidate for Ukip … has to watch how they express themselves all the time.”

A first statement from Ukip on behalf of Smith said: “I wish to issue a wholehearted and unreserved apology to those who I have offended within the party and anyone else. With regards to the leadership and management of the party, I was completely wrong and my comments were fuelled by frustrations.”

But late on Sunday night, Kerry released a second statement saying: “I have this evening offered my resignation as Ukip PPC for South Basildon and East Thurrock.

“I want the best for South Basildon and East Thurrock and I want to see the real issues discussed that touch the lives of people. Therefore I have chosen to resign so that Ukip can win this seat next May.”

The remarks made by Smith more than two years ago were uncovered by the Mail on Sunday, which reported that he called members of a Ukip gay group called LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning) “fucking disgusting old poofters” and branded them “BLTs”.

The newspaper said he joked about “shooting peasants”, referred to a woman with a Chinese name as a “chinky”, made claims he later retracted about the party leader, Nigel Farage, and called Steven Woolfe, Ukip’s immigration spokesman, a “fucking carpetbagger” and an “arsehole”.

In October, Smith was deselected as the candidate for the Essex seat without explanation and a new contest was ordered, which was due to include Neil Hamilton, the former Tory minister, and Natasha Bolter, a former Labour supporter.

The contest descended into chaos as questions were raised by Ukip about Hamilton’s expenses and Bolter became involved in a controversy about whether the party’s general secretary, Roger Bird, had made inappropriate sexual advances towards her. She accused Bird of harassment but, after the party suspended him, he hit back with text messages suggesting they had been in a consensual romantic relationship.

After Hamilton and Bolter withdrew, Smith won back his position as candidate.

In a separate controversy also reported by the Mail on Sunday, it emerged that Ukip has sent a survey to supporters asking how close they feel to different ethnic groups on a scale of one to 10, with categories including “blacks”, “Muslims” and “eastern Europeans”. Those completing the survey were eligible to win prizes including cash and a Ukip golf umbrella.