Brexit news: Ukip candidate refuses to apologise to Labour MP over rape tweet as pro-Leave party launches EU election campaign
Latest updates as Corbyn urged to back second referendum to avoid defeat in EU vote
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A Ukip election candidate has refused to apologise for sending a rape tweet to Labour’s Jess Phillips, as the anti-EU party kicked off its European election campaign at a chaotic event.
Carl Benjamin claimed he was justified in being ”a giant dick” to the MP.
He complained she had been a “bitch” before he sent her a message saying: “I wouldn’t even rape you.”
Ukip leader Gerard Batten earlier stormed out of an interview after being challenged over his defence of the tweet.
His party faces being eclipsed by its former leader in next month’s EU vote, with polls showing Nigel Farage‘s Brexit Party is on course for victory.
Official figures show consumers have continued to ignore concerns about Brexit to send retail sales surging in March
Sales were up 1.1 per cent on February, well above expectations of a fall of 0.3 per cent, driven by food and non-store retailing, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
However all retailers except department stores and household goods stores saw an increase in sales in the three months to March 2019 compared with the previous quarter.
Department stores were the only store type to suffer a decrease in sales – of 0.3 per cent - when compared with last March.
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Fifty-two per cent of the UK electorate say they would vote Remain if a second referendum was held tomorrow, compared to 38% for Leave, according to a ComRes poll. The remainder either would not vote or declined to say.
That Remain lead is the largest in any ComRes poll, according to analyst John Curtice.
Among those who said they would vote, the Remain lead was 52-48 - the highest for three years.
The survey was commissioned by pro-Leave campaign group Brexit Express.
The "government must take urgent action to protect the integrity of our democracy", writes Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson in light of allegations that Leave.EU faked a viral anti-immigration video:
Boris Johnson has landed himself a swish new Commons office in a move designed to help him win a Conservative leadership contest.
The leading Brexiteer is moving into spacious rooms big enough to accommodate a campaign team at the heart of the Westminster estate, my colleague Rob Merrick reports:
The Ulster Unionist Party's European candidate has said he will be a voice for Unionists who voted to remain in the EU.
Former Stormont minister Danny Kennedy was speaking after his party confirmed he will be the candidate in next month's elections to the European Parliament.
His selection will be formally ratified at a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Party Executive on Saturday.
Mr Kennedy previously revealed he had voted remain in the referendum, but said the vote by the UK as a whole to leave the EU "must be respected and implemented".
He said there is a lack of a voice for Unionists who voted remain, with the largest party in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionists backing the leave campaign, and emphasised a vote to remain was not a vote to leave the UK.
"Like many people I am angry that Brexit has been so badly handled and uncertainty has increased," he said. "I will offer a constructive approach to Brexit. Let's do Brexit right and end the uncertainty.
"I'm from a border community. I am a border Unionist and I know exactly what all this means. There are those who claim to represent people who voted remain but they haven't represented Unionists who voted remain in the last two years and they won't do so in the future.
"Unionists who voted to remain in the EU did not vote to leave the United Kingdom."
Sajid Javid has said the Metropolitan Police have the "full support" of the government in a crackdown on environmental protesters from the Extinction Rebellion movement which have caused days of disruption in London.
The home secretary said: "I totally condemn any protesters who are stepping outside the boundaries of the law. They have no right to cause misery for the millions of people who are trying to lead their daily lives. Unlawful behaviour will not be tolerated."
A Brexit-supporting troll who sent MPs death threats and racist messages has been jailed for nearly 10 months.
Jarod Kirkman, 51, sent malicious messages to seven politicians, including former cabinet minister Nicky Morgan and Labour's David Lammy, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.
Some, sent through the MPs' websites, had the subject lines "Brexit traitor" and "Brexit loser" with menacing email addresses such as MPdeadpoliticianwalking.com and Putinfsb.ru.
Unemployed Kirkman sent a message to Heidi Allen, of the Independent Group, saying: "Your days are f****** numbered bitch.
"Will it be polonium or novichok? Either way you will never know, expect it soon."
The court also heard he told Mr Lammy: "Go back to the jungle n***** where you belong", while another said "f*** off and die in the jungle".
Kirkman sent threatening emails to Labour MPs Yvette Cooper and Jenny Chapman, Conservative Ms Morgan, former Tory Nick Boles, as well as Sarah Wollaston and Ms Allen of the Independent Group.
The messages, which were said to have also caused distress and anxiety to the MPs' staff who opened them, were all sent between December 4 2018 and January 21 this year.
Kirkman, of Torquay Drive in Luton, was arrested on 29 January after officers traced the messages to his home IP address. He pleaded guilty to seven charges earlier this month.
Here's more on Carl Benjamin's comments after he called Labour MP Jess Phillips "a giant bitch". He has been selected as a Ukip candidate in next month's European Parliament elections and defended a tweet he made in 2016 saying he "wouldn't even rape" the Birmingham Yardley MP.
The leader of the Alliance Party in Northern Ireland has announced she will run in the European elections.
Naomi Long said she is running as a candidate to allow voters to express their will for a second referendum on membership of the EU.
"The chaos and uncertainty created by Brexit has impacted every aspect of life here, including our economy, our community and our political situation," she said.
"People have felt badly let down in the 2016 referendum and since, and Parliament has now reached an impasse. The best and potentially only way through this crisis is to put Brexit back to the people.
"Alliance supports a People's Vote, crucially including the option to remain. A vote for Alliance in this election is the best way to send a clear message we want that new referendum."
Ms Long said Brexit is not an "orange versus green issue", adding: "It affects us all. Alliance is best placed to unite people from all parts of our community together to resolve this divisive issue."
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