UKIP candidate suspended after threatening to 'put a bullet in the eyes' of an Asian Conservative rival

The Daily Mirror

The UK Independence Party suspended parliamentary candidate Robert Blay after threatening to shoot a rival from the Conservative Party and making other racists remarks.

Blay is a candidate for North East Hampshire in southern England. The 55-year-old made the comments about Ranil Jayawardena as he was being filmed by a Daily Mirror reporter.

Blay, responding to the idea that Jayawardena could potentially be Britain's first Asian prime minister, said in the video: "If he is I will personally put a bullet between his eyes."

He continued: "If this lad turns up to be our prime minister I will personally put a bullet in him. That's how strongly I feel about it."

The Daily Mirror

Blay was suspended on Tuesday, two days from the general election, and his remarks were described by a UKIP spokesman as "abhorrent," the BBC said.

Jayawardena's father emigrated to Britain from Sri Lanka, according to AFP.

In the video, Blay said of Jayawardena's heritage: "So he's come here and pounced off us hasn't he like all the East Europeans are? That's what is happening."

The video was filmed on Saturday at a public meeting in Kent attended by UKIP party leader Nigel Farage, the Mirror said.

UKIP, once a fringe group that has gained in popularity and is now threatening to steal more seats from the mainstream Westminster parties, campaigns against the country's membership of the European Union and immigration.

Meanwhile, Britain's closest general election in recent history gets underway on Thursday, with the two major parties still neck-and-neck in the polls.