Ukip branded chicken as party donor Arron Banks follows ex-leader Nigel Farage in ducking out of General Election
Even party leader Paul Nuttall barricaded himself in hotel room to avoid questions on whether he'd be running to be an MP
UKIP were branded chicken last night after emerged the party’s big hitters would sit out the election.
Controversial donor Arron Banks cancelled a planned tilt at Clacton in Essex, just days after ex-party chief Nigel Farage also announced he would sit out the snap poll.
And yesterday embattled party leader Paul Nuttall hinted even he may not contest a seat on 8 June — barricading himself in a hotel room to avoid media questions.
Probed by the Sun at his party’s first policy launch in central London party chief hit out: “that leaders of Ukip have done quite well not being in Parliament haven’t they?”
And he repeatedly refused to say he would throw his hat in the ring.
After a bruising defeat in the Stoke Central by-election in March Mr Nuttall was under intense pressure to declare another run for Parliament as leader of Britain’s fourth party.
It came as the troubled Brexit party launched a policy war on Islamic extremism.
As well as a public ban on wearing veil ban, the party’s “integration agenda” included annual medical checks for girls at risk of female genital mutilation.
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And they would make grooming a hate crime where the victim was a different race to the attacker.
A future Ukip government would also implement a ban on new Muslim schools and postal voting.
But probed at the policy launch even by Sun dozens of times, the party boss refused to say he would or even wanted to run himself.
Running away from journalists, Mr Nuttall locked himself in a side room at the Westminster Bridge Marriott Hotel with his closest aides.
After repeatedly swerving questions, he emerged 15 minutes late to insist “today is not about me.”
But rival parties said Mr Nuttall would be a laughing stock if he did not fight a seat.
Last night Tim Farron said: “Ukip look frit — they all seem to be doing a chicken run to avoid the judgement of voters.”
Thee Lib Dem boss went on: “If Ukip really believe in their Hard Brexit values then they should let the public have their say. I am standing, my party is standing, and they should stand too.”
And top Tory Daniel Hannan said it was “to no one’s surprise” that “the blustering Banks has chickened out.”
The millionaire insurance tycoon had publicly declared that he would contest the Essex seat after clashing with its MP Douglas Carswell.
Last night Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas condemned Ukip’s new policies “full-throttled Islamophobia”.
And anti-FGM campaigner Nimko Ali — a survivor of the barbaric practice — also hit out.
Adding: “Ukip are not just wrong but offensive as well.”
But the policy was previously supported by Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott,
She said in 2014 that “routine medical examinations” were need as “it is a disgrace and a shame that we cannot protect those young girls.”