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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jun/26/ukip-candidate-fired-by-national-express-over-inter-racial-marriage-post
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| Ukip candidate dropped by National Express over interracial marriage post | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A Ukip council candidate has been dropped by National Express after making disparaging remarks about interracial marriage – in another day of bad publicity for the coach company. | |
| Steve Latham was a coach driver for the firm and is standing for Ukip in a Sandwell council byelection on 9 July in the Newton ward. He made the controversial remarks on Facebook. | Steve Latham was a coach driver for the firm and is standing for Ukip in a Sandwell council byelection on 9 July in the Newton ward. He made the controversial remarks on Facebook. |
| “We face Europe’s fusion with the third world. The interracial marriage produces each year thousands of young people of mixed race,” he wrote in a public post. “The servants of globalisation are trying to convince us that to deny our identity is a progressive and humanitarian act, because they want us all to be blind consumers.” | “We face Europe’s fusion with the third world. The interracial marriage produces each year thousands of young people of mixed race,” he wrote in a public post. “The servants of globalisation are trying to convince us that to deny our identity is a progressive and humanitarian act, because they want us all to be blind consumers.” |
| He continued: “It is necessary, now more than ever, to counter the lies of the system, to awaken the revolutionary spirit of the Europeans. Everyone must see this truth, that European integration amounts to genocide. We have no other option, the alternative is national suicide.” | He continued: “It is necessary, now more than ever, to counter the lies of the system, to awaken the revolutionary spirit of the Europeans. Everyone must see this truth, that European integration amounts to genocide. We have no other option, the alternative is national suicide.” |
| The Guardian was unable to reach Latham for comment. But he previously explained his remarks to a local newspaper. | The Guardian was unable to reach Latham for comment. But he previously explained his remarks to a local newspaper. |
| “I’m not saying I’m against interracial marriage but the truth about the European Union is washed over. It is attempting to create another society. We’ve lost our identity,” he told the Express and Star. | “I’m not saying I’m against interracial marriage but the truth about the European Union is washed over. It is attempting to create another society. We’ve lost our identity,” he told the Express and Star. |
| Asked how he could compare integration to genocide, he said: “The English person will eventually be mixed race.” | Asked how he could compare integration to genocide, he said: “The English person will eventually be mixed race.” |
| Latham’s sacking came a day after the Guardian reported a Muslim woman’s claim she and three friends were racially abused by a National Express coach driver in Manchester. The women complained they were targeted because of “preconceived ideas about brown people” after being barred from the bus after being accused of taking “smelly curry” on to the vehicle, despite them not having any. | Latham’s sacking came a day after the Guardian reported a Muslim woman’s claim she and three friends were racially abused by a National Express coach driver in Manchester. The women complained they were targeted because of “preconceived ideas about brown people” after being barred from the bus after being accused of taking “smelly curry” on to the vehicle, despite them not having any. |
| When standing for parliament in West Bromwich East, Latham previously called Islam “an evil cult” in a 2014 Facebook post. He said: “So the Muslims have infiltrated the Labour party. What a surprise. Who would have guessed such a thing was possible? The Labour party of Diane Abbott and Harriet Harman infiltrated by the evil cult of Islam. Wow.” | When standing for parliament in West Bromwich East, Latham previously called Islam “an evil cult” in a 2014 Facebook post. He said: “So the Muslims have infiltrated the Labour party. What a surprise. Who would have guessed such a thing was possible? The Labour party of Diane Abbott and Harriet Harman infiltrated by the evil cult of Islam. Wow.” |
| Contacted by the Guardian on Friday, a National Express spokesman said Latham was not directly employed by National Express but the firm had “taken steps to ensure that he was immediately removed from the network and will not be driving for us again”. | |
| In a further statement the firm said: “High professional standards are expected of all our drivers and we can confirm Mr Latham has been removed from the National Express network with immediate effect.” |