Ukip’s deputy says leader Paul Nuttall ‘probably will stand’ in June election and insists there is ‘no war on Muslims’ with controversial new policies

UKIP'S deputy leader has said Paul Nuttall "probably" will stand to be an MP in the upcoming snap poll.

Peter Whittle said today that his leader is still thinking about whether to stand - as is he.

Yesterday the Ukip leader was mocked for running away from journalists who wanted to know if he would be standing to be an MP again.

He barricaded himself in a room and refused to say whether he would run.

Today Mr Whittle said: "I am sure Paul will probably will stand. He is still thinking about it, as am I."

Mr Nuttall's reputation was badly damaged when he failed to win Stoke on Trent Central from Labour in February's by-election.

Yesterday the party were labelled as "chicken" as big hitters ruled themselves out of standing for 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.

Probed by the Sun at his party’s first policy launch in central London, party chief Mr Nutall hit out: “that leaders of Ukip have done quite well not being in Parliament haven’t they?”

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.

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.

Today Mr Whittle denied that it was a 'war on Muslims' and insisted that Ukip wanted to address "cultural practises".

He told Radio 4 suggestions the party were anti-Muslim were "rubbish".

"The burka is not something that is in the Koran - it's a cultural practise. FGM is a cultural practise.

"It’s not a hell of a mess, we are completely clear. We have talked about these issues for many years."

Mr Whittle also hit out at Labour - who today said they will fight against Theresa May's 'hard Brexit'.

He said it was "absolutely extraordinary" that Labour MPs could get a veto over any deal with Brussels secured by a Jeremy Corbyn led-government in a key campaign speech this morning.

This would send Mr Corbyn back to the EU to try again – potentially delaying the process of leaving the European Union.

Mr Whittle said: "If there is a bad deal we simply walk away. That is what people voted for. It was unequivocal.

And he claimed that it showed "a level of denial and an anti democratic spirit from someone who is on the front bench of Labour".