Kilroy going nowhere in the East Midlands, say Lib Dems

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 7th May 2004

A Liberal Democrat spokesman reacting to the rumours that disgraced TV presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk intends standing as a candidate in the elections for the European Parliament, said:

"This is just the latest ludicrous episode in the chequered career of Robert Kilroy-Silk. This is the man who as a Labour MP in the 70s abandoned his voters in Ormskirk because he didn't think his seat was safe enough. Then in 1986 he dumped his voters all over again-causing an expensive parliamentary by-election-when a well-paid career in TV beckoned.

"Now that TV doesn't look like a viable future for him, he's trying his luck in politics again. But with only a handful of people predicted to vote for the far-right extremist UK Independence Party in the East Midlands, it looks like he'll lose his deposit.

"Kilroy-Silk has been talking up his potential for all of his career. When he was in Parliament he boasted of becoming Prime Minister. To expect to get anywhere in European politics when he's already failed in domestic politics and failed in television is a bit much.

"UKIP seems a natural home for anyone expressing racist views like Robert Kilroy-Silk. The party has been known to work with Britain's other extreme right party the BNP.

"The Lib Dems will continue to work on our record of action in Europe and our promise to do more. We are the only party predicted to make gains on June 10th, with UKIP slated to lose all their seats. Kilroy Silk is going nowhere in the East Midlands."

Notes to Editors

The BNP reports that UKIP "won't be fighting any by-elections […] where the BNP are putting up candidates" at http://www.bnp.org.uk/freedom/regions/swukipelect.html

The Scotsman reported "The Liberal Democrats are the only UK political party predicted to actually increase the number of MEPs, from 11 to 12" at http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2775133