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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| UKIP MEP Amjad Bashir suspended over 'serious' financial issues | UKIP MEP Amjad Bashir suspended over 'serious' financial issues |
| (37 minutes later) | |
| A UKIP MEP has been suspended over financial and employment concerns, hours before he was due to announce his defection to the Conservatives. | A UKIP MEP has been suspended over financial and employment concerns, hours before he was due to announce his defection to the Conservatives. |
| Party leader Nigel Farage said there were "extremely serious" questions which Amjad Bashir had not answered. | Party leader Nigel Farage said there were "extremely serious" questions which Amjad Bashir had not answered. |
| The allegations against him include claims of interference with the candidate selection process, according to the party. | The allegations against him include claims of interference with the candidate selection process, according to the party. |
| Mr Bashir rejected the claims as "absurd and made-up allegations". | Mr Bashir rejected the claims as "absurd and made-up allegations". |
| The MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, who was also UKIP's communities spokesman, had been expected to announce his defection to the Conservative Party on Saturday evening. | The MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, who was also UKIP's communities spokesman, had been expected to announce his defection to the Conservative Party on Saturday evening. |
| He met David Cameron on Friday to discuss the move, and reported the prime minister told him he was "absolutely delighted" that he was rejoining the Tories. | |
| Mr Bashir had previously been a Conservative Party member, and became involved with UKIP three years ago. | Mr Bashir had previously been a Conservative Party member, and became involved with UKIP three years ago. |
| But he said UKIP had become a "party of ruthless self-interest", was "pretty amateur" and had a "ridiculous" lack of policies. | |
| And the party was "delusional" about its chances of winning seats in May's general election, he said. | |
| 'Zero tolerance' | 'Zero tolerance' |
| Mr Bashir has in the past defended the party against accusations of racism and insisted race and religion had nothing to do with his decision to leave UKIP. | |
| Regarding Mr Bashir's suspension, a UKIP spokesman said: "The UK Independence Party has a zero-tolerance policy and takes the matters at hand extremely seriously. | Regarding Mr Bashir's suspension, a UKIP spokesman said: "The UK Independence Party has a zero-tolerance policy and takes the matters at hand extremely seriously. |
| "The allegations against Mr Bashir are of a grave nature and we will be forwarding our evidence obtained so far to the police." | "The allegations against Mr Bashir are of a grave nature and we will be forwarding our evidence obtained so far to the police." |
| In a statement on its website, UKIP disclosed one of the reasons Mr Bashir has been suspended was his "continued affiliation" with Mujeeb Bhutto, who was involved in a Pakistani kidnapping gang. | In a statement on its website, UKIP disclosed one of the reasons Mr Bashir has been suspended was his "continued affiliation" with Mujeeb Bhutto, who was involved in a Pakistani kidnapping gang. |
| Mr Bashir told the BBC: "I would say these are old historical allegations that the party already knows about. Nigel Farage spoke on TV to defend me against these false allegations." | Mr Bashir told the BBC: "I would say these are old historical allegations that the party already knows about. Nigel Farage spoke on TV to defend me against these false allegations." |
| "These are just dirty tricks to try and discredit me." | "These are just dirty tricks to try and discredit me." |
| 'Body blow' | 'Body blow' |
| BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said: "The Conservatives are standing by their new member - and say that in effect he defected when he met the prime minister. They say UKIP's allegations are an attempt to smear him. | BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said: "The Conservatives are standing by their new member - and say that in effect he defected when he met the prime minister. They say UKIP's allegations are an attempt to smear him. |
| "UKIP says Mr Bashir failed to turn up to a meeting to discuss the allegations with Nigel Farage on Tuesday." | "UKIP says Mr Bashir failed to turn up to a meeting to discuss the allegations with Nigel Farage on Tuesday." |
| In an interview with the BBC carried out before the news of his suspension, he said controlled immigration and an EU referendum were "not achievable with UKIP". | In an interview with the BBC carried out before the news of his suspension, he said controlled immigration and an EU referendum were "not achievable with UKIP". |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Jim Reed, BBC News | By Jim Reed, BBC News |
| When Mark Reckless resigned in September 2014, becoming the second Conservative MP to defect to UKIP, the game of "who's next" got into full swing in Westminster. | When Mark Reckless resigned in September 2014, becoming the second Conservative MP to defect to UKIP, the game of "who's next" got into full swing in Westminster. |
| No one really expected a move in the other direction. | No one really expected a move in the other direction. |
| Amjad Bashir's decision is important for a number of reasons. He is one of the party's more confident media operators - able to hold his own in broadcast interviews. | Amjad Bashir's decision is important for a number of reasons. He is one of the party's more confident media operators - able to hold his own in broadcast interviews. |
| As the son of Pakistani immigrants he is often held up as evidence UKIP is far more than the "BNP in blazers" that its detractors try to paint them to be. | As the son of Pakistani immigrants he is often held up as evidence UKIP is far more than the "BNP in blazers" that its detractors try to paint them to be. |
| For David Cameron this is a gift from above four months before the general election. | For David Cameron this is a gift from above four months before the general election. |
| The PM, who is understood to have met Mr Bashir for an hour at his house in Oxfordshire last week, is said to be delighted at his decision. | The PM, who is understood to have met Mr Bashir for an hour at his house in Oxfordshire last week, is said to be delighted at his decision. |
| At one point David Cameron looked like he was struggling to stem the defections from his own party to UKIP. | At one point David Cameron looked like he was struggling to stem the defections from his own party to UKIP. |
| Now he's shown that this process does not have to be one-way traffic. | Now he's shown that this process does not have to be one-way traffic. |
| The defection is thought to have been brokered by another Tory MEP, the heavily Eurosceptic Daniel Hannan. | The defection is thought to have been brokered by another Tory MEP, the heavily Eurosceptic Daniel Hannan. |
| There are already rumours that at least one other UKIP MEP is considering their position following Mr Bashir's resignation. | There are already rumours that at least one other UKIP MEP is considering their position following Mr Bashir's resignation. |
| Mr Bashir told the BBC: "I think it is right that I make good the promises I made to my electorate and join a party that is able to deliver those promises. | Mr Bashir told the BBC: "I think it is right that I make good the promises I made to my electorate and join a party that is able to deliver those promises. |
| "The only party that is able to and is offering the referendum is the Conservative Party and they have the ability to deliver that." | "The only party that is able to and is offering the referendum is the Conservative Party and they have the ability to deliver that." |
| Mr Bashir, a former restaurateur who has also acted as UKIP's small businesses spokesman, revealed that he would not be standing down in order to prompt a by-election. | Mr Bashir, a former restaurateur who has also acted as UKIP's small businesses spokesman, revealed that he would not be standing down in order to prompt a by-election. |
| Defending that decision, he said: "They voted for the policies that UKIP have, and those policies I can best deliver from the Conservative Party." | Defending that decision, he said: "They voted for the policies that UKIP have, and those policies I can best deliver from the Conservative Party." |
| He described UKIP's campaigning against the Conservatives as "self-centred" since it would, he claimed, "cause a significant dent in the Conservative vote... and let in Labour, and Labour doesn't propose a referendum nor the immigration controls that we want". | He described UKIP's campaigning against the Conservatives as "self-centred" since it would, he claimed, "cause a significant dent in the Conservative vote... and let in Labour, and Labour doesn't propose a referendum nor the immigration controls that we want". |