Failed UKIP leadership candidate Anne Marie Waters launches new anti-Muslim party. Photographer: Kuolem/WikiCommons.
Nadine Osman
Defeated UKIP leadership candidate Anne Marie Waters announced she will split from the party and found a new one called For Britain (FB).
Anti racism group Stand Up To Racism say they are troubled by the launch of new far-right FB noting the support of former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson for concern.
Waters spoke alongside Robinson at a “violent racist march in Manchester in June”. Both had previously tried to launch a UK version of the anti-Muslim anti-immigrant German body, Pegida.
Sabby Dhalu, Co-Convenor of Stand Up To Racism, told The Muslim News, “Much of what FB stands for is reminiscent of the fascist BNP. For Britain claims the rights of British citizens should be placed above those of non British people. Waters and Buckby are hard-right racists who need monitoring and their poison defeated.”
“Waters is due to speak at this month’s conference of the Traditional Britain Group (TBG), a far-right discussion group. This reveals much about her and For Britain’s racist rhetoric. For Britain should be rejected by all who treasure a multi cultural society”.
Waters lost to Henry Bolton in the recent UKIP leadership election. Known for her hard-line anti-immigration and anti-Muslim positions, Waters said she decided to found the new far-right party after Bolton and former UKIP leader Nigel Farage branded her and her supporters “Nazis and racists.”
During her failed UKIP leadership campaign, Waters told her base that “Islam is a killing machine” and urged them to “join UKIP and vote for me,” adding that the party will “try to stop me”.
Waters said FB “will be different. We will speak to the forgotten people”.
According to a UKIP spokesperson, the party is “pretty sanguine” about the split, “We don’t think there is a market for the views Ms Waters claims, and of course some people support her in the party and some will leave, but, as Henry [Bolton] said, if people have the perspective that Anne Marie [Waters] does, that Islam is evil, then it is not one endorsed by our own constitution.”
“Why would we worry about people leaving that disagree with our constitution?” added the spokesperson.