Ukip activist claims that Roger Bird 'lied over relationship' despite publication of text messages
She denies any relationship or sexual contact took place
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Your support makes all the difference.A female Ukip candidate who quit the party claiming she was sexually harassed by its General Secretary has conceded that “friendly and affectionate” text messages were exchanged but that the pair were not in a relationship.
Natasha Bolter, 35, has accused Roger Bird of propositioning her on the day she was interviewed as a potential candidate and seeing her as a “sex object”. She denies any relationship or sexual contact took place.
However Mr Bird, who has been suspended from the party pending an investigation, claims that the pair shared a "consensual" relationship that lasted six weeks and began shortly after she had been approved to join the approved candidates list.
On Tuesday he released a series of texts as evidence. They included messages such as: "I love u and miss u and think u r sort of perfect", and another in which she suggested her life was a “meaningless void” before she met him.
Another, apparently referring to the closing stages of the Ukip conference in Doncaster, read: "R u still cool with me leaving suitcase here and coming home with u? Xx".
The texts, released on Monday, appeared to challenge Mr Bird’s claims that the pair were not in a consensual relationship. In an interview with BBC’s Newsnight Ms Bolter, who said she was looked at as a “sex object” accused Mr Bird of lying about the consensual relationship. “I know he is lying because I did not sleep with Roger Bird. End of.”
She added: “If I would have slept with him, I would have had an easier time than I have had in Ukip.”
Ms Bolter added that she “never felt scared” of Mr Bird. “I just felt pressured maybe that if I did the right thing my career would go faster and further."
"He wasn't taking me seriously as a candidate; he was looking at me as a sex object."
She said the issue could have been dealt with by way of a "tap on the wrist" if the party had acted more swiftly and both parties continued.
But she suggested it was part of a wider issue. "We need to look at it in the greater picture: if they are not looking after a candidate that is going to stand in one of their target seats who is bringing forward serious allegations of sexism and racism and misogyny, are they really going to look after our electorate?"
The Ukip leader Nigel Farage has yet to comment on the issue but the party insist the matter was dealt with immediately.
Mr Bird, who is single, said he "really could not even hazard a guess" at why Ms Bolter might wish to invent a claim against him. "I suspect that perhaps she's fallen out of love with Ukip for reasons unconnected to me,” he said.
The alleged texts: Bolter to Bird
6 Nov 19.05
I have sang you [sic] praises to Nigel for 12 minutes.
6 Nov 00.24
U r not coming back and accordingly my life will go back to a meaningless void and it was chance that I met u. But I didn’t invent u – u were real...
2 Nov 23.45
I love u bird and wish u let me look after u. Hope u feel better xx
1 Nov 09.27
But I love u and miss u and think u r sort of perfect...
19 October 19:57
it’s one of the reasons u r fabululisious no one ever has won with me unless I allowed them too, so see u Wednesday and let’s please try to get of[f] the circle line x
19 October 19:57
U r a really great mentor bird
27 Sep 09.48
R u still cool with me leaving suitcase here and coming home with u? Xx
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