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| UKIP MEP Janice Atkinson suspended over finance claims | UKIP MEP Janice Atkinson suspended over finance claims |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A UKIP MEP and general election candidate has been suspended and had the party whip removed "following allegations of a serious financial nature", the party said. | A UKIP MEP and general election candidate has been suspended and had the party whip removed "following allegations of a serious financial nature", the party said. |
| Janice Atkinson, MEP for the South East, was due to fight the Folkestone and Hythe seat on 7 May. | Janice Atkinson, MEP for the South East, was due to fight the Folkestone and Hythe seat on 7 May. |
| A party spokesman gave no further details but said she appeared to have "exercised poor judgement". | A party spokesman gave no further details but said she appeared to have "exercised poor judgement". |
| Ms Atkinson has not yet commented on her suspension. | Ms Atkinson has not yet commented on her suspension. |
| The spokesman said the party was "incredibly disappointed" with Ms Atkinson, who appeared "to have acted in a way the party has never and would never condone". | |
| He added: "The party has acted swiftly and immediately and just as we showed when we suspended another MEP for financial irregularities, we always maintain a zero-tolerance attitude towards acts of this nature." | He added: "The party has acted swiftly and immediately and just as we showed when we suspended another MEP for financial irregularities, we always maintain a zero-tolerance attitude towards acts of this nature." |
| Last summer, Janice Atkinson caused controversy in Kent when she referred to a Thai constituent as a "ting tong". | Last summer, Janice Atkinson caused controversy in Kent when she referred to a Thai constituent as a "ting tong". |
| Folkestone and Hythe is seen as a safe Conservative seat which was represented by the former home secretary and ex-Conservative party leader, Michael Howard, from 1983 to 2005. | |
| He stood down before the 2010 election and the seat was won by fellow Conservative, Damian Collins. |