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Suspended Ukip supremo Roger Bird vows to clear his name of harassment scandal Suspended Ukip supremo Roger Bird vows to clear his name of harassment scandal
(about 1 hour later)
The rising female Ukip star who quit the party claiming a senior official sexually harassed her had sent text messages calling him “perfect” and said “I love you and miss you”, it was claimed tonight. Ukip general secretary Roger Bird last night fought back against claims that he sexually harassed a potential parliamentary candidate – by releasing text messages that he claimed showed they were in a relationship.
Natasha Bolter resigned her candidacy for next year’s election claiming that the party’s general secretary Roger Bird had propositioned her while she was being interviewed as Westminster candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock. Mr Bird was suspended by his party on Monday after Natasha Bolter alleged that he had propositioned her while interviewing the 35-year-old to be Ukip’s parliamentary candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock on 10 September. Ms Bolter, a party high-flyer who defected from Labour, has since resigned her candidacy, and Ukip are investigating her claims.
Mr Bird, 41, who was immediately suspended following the allegations, fought back today in a bid to save his career, claiming the pair was in a relationship. Mr Bird, 41, maintains that they were subsequently in a “consensual relationship... with interest on both sides” – and yesterday released text exchanges between the pair in late September and early November this year in which she called him “perfect” and wrote that “I love you and miss you”.
He said: “Natasha Bolter and I were in a consensual relationship between 18 September and 2 November, well after her admission to the list of approved candidates, with interest on both sides. “She was keen on me and I was keen on her,” the suspended official said. “I have got emails and texts to show we had a relationship and I will be presenting these to the inquiry. In any relationship there are some texts of an intimate nature.”
“She was keen on me and I was keen on her. I have got emails and texts to show we had a relationship and I will be presenting these to the inquiry. In any relationship there are some texts of an intimate nature.” Natasha Bolter at the Ukip annual conference in Doncaster in September (PA) In a reference to the pair leaving the Ukip party conference in Doncaster in September, where she was a headline speaker, Ms Bolter allegedly wrote: “R u still cool with me leaving suitcase here and coming home with u? Xx”
A series of text messages allegedly sent by Ms Bolter, 35, to Mr Bird between late September and early November were published online today. Ms Bolter calls Mr Bird “a great mentor” and that she was “really looking forward” to seeing him” in messages allegedly sent in October. On 1 November she allegedly said: “But I love u and miss u and think u r sort of perfect...”
Natasha Bolter at the Ukip annual conference in Doncaster in September (PA) In a reference to the pair leaving the Ukip party conference in Doncaster in September, where she was a headline speaker, Ms Bolter allegedly said: “R u still cool with me leaving suitcase here and coming home with u? Xx” Mr Bird said the relationship came to an end on 2 November. A text message allegedly sent by Ms Bolter a few days later said: “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...”
Ms Bolter calls Mr Bird “a great mentor” and that she was “really looking forward” to seeing him in messages allegedly sent in October. On 1 November she allegedly said: “But I love u and miss u and think u r sort of perfect...” adding the next day: “I love u bird and wish u let me look after u. Hope u feel better xx.” Mr Bird’s suspension came after Ms Bolter claimed told a newspaper that he made a pass while vetting her to be a prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC).
Mr Bird said the relationship came to an end on 2 November. A text message allegedly sent by Ms Bolter a few days later said: “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...” Labour defector Ms Bolter said the interview continued at Mr Bird’s Oxford and Cambridge club in London where he had invited her to join him for dinner. She claimed that on a second occasion he called her for a meeting and bought her an expensive dress, before telling her she “now looked like a girl who could get in a taxi”.
The final message, sent on 9 November, said: “I am really missing u bird...” Ms Bolter told The Times: “When I went I could see that he wasn’t really interested in what I had to offer as a politician. He took me down to the snooker room and said ‘I find you very attractive’. He said, ‘Would you like to come home with me?’”
Mr Bird’s suspension came after Ms Bolter claimed he had made an indecent proposal when the pair met on 10 September when she was being vetted for her suitability as a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC). Mr Bird, a former Tory councillor for Wandsworth who defected to Ukip in 2009 who has been general secretary since July this year, said he had acted appropriately.
Labour defector Ms Bolter said the interview continued at Mr Bird’s Oxford and Cambridge club in London where he had invited her to join him for dinner. She claimed that on a second occasion he called her for a meeting and bought her an expensive dress to wear to the club, before telling her she “now looked like a girl who could get in a taxi”.
Ms Bolter told The Times: “When I went I could see that he wasn’t really interested in what I had to offer as a politician. He took me down to the snooker room and said ‘I find you very attractive’. He said: ‘Would you like to come home with me?’”
Mr Bird, a former Tory councillor for Wandsworth who defected to Ukip in 2009 and has been General Secretary since July this year, said he had acted appropriately.
He said: “I have done nothing wrong. I am a single man, she is also single. We are both single people who conducted a consensual relationship outside the office. I’m very sorry that a story like his should have arisen because it detracts from our [Ukip’s] central messages. The party had to respond in a formal way and conduct an appropriate investigation.”He said: “I have done nothing wrong. I am a single man, she is also single. We are both single people who conducted a consensual relationship outside the office. I’m very sorry that a story like his should have arisen because it detracts from our [Ukip’s] central messages. The party had to respond in a formal way and conduct an appropriate investigation.”
The row brought the issue of women in the party back under the spotlight with women making up fewer than 10 per cent of Ukip’s 322 PPCs for next year’s general election.The row brought the issue of women in the party back under the spotlight with women making up fewer than 10 per cent of Ukip’s 322 PPCs for next year’s general election.
Anne Marie Waters, Ukip's PPC for neighbouring constituency Basildon and Billericay, said she had never experienced sexism in the party she defected to from Labour. Anne Marie Waters, Ukip PPC for neighbouring constituency Basildon and Billericay, said she had never experienced sexism in the party she defected to from Labour.
She told the Independent: “I was selected against a male opponent. I hear that sexism is in Ukip all the time and I don’t see it. We have one of the better records [regarding women] to be honest with you. When I was in the Labour party they dropped the all-women shortlists for a year and no women at all were selected so they brought it back. The fact Ukip doesn’t need an all women shortlist is to our great credit. She told The Independent: “I was selected against a male opponent. I hear that sexism is in Ukip all the time and I don’t see it. We have one of the better records [regarding women] to be honest with you. When I was in the Labour party they dropped the all-women shortlists for a year and no women at all were selected so they brought it back. The fact [that] Ukip doesn’t need an all-women shortlist is to our great credit.
“These things happen in all parties and I’m a feminist. I just don’t see [sexism] or misogyny during my time in Ukip. Every party has a shortage of women and who knows why that is? I really don’t know.”“These things happen in all parties and I’m a feminist. I just don’t see [sexism] or misogyny during my time in Ukip. Every party has a shortage of women and who knows why that is? I really don’t know.”
The disgraced ex-Tory MP Neil Hamilton is now expected to win the vacant South Basildon nomination Wednesday. The disgraced ex-Tory MP Neil Hamilton is now favourite to win the vacant South Basildon nomination tonight.