SNP hits out at Ukip after resignation

The SNP yesterday criticised Ukip for its “unacceptable views” after one of the party’s politicians resigned for having “offensive opinions” about the Scots.

Ron Northcott, a former candidate in Plymouth for Ukip, tendered his resignation following an exchange on Twitter about the hostile reception given to his party leader Nigel Farage in Edinburgh last week.

A demonstration, in which protesters shouted down Farage, accused him of being a racist and demanded he go home to England ended with the Ukip leader having to be escorted away from a pub on the Royal Mile in a police van. Northcott quit after making comments, many of which have since been deleted from Twitter, which suggested Scots were work-shy and drug addicts.

Yesterday a SNP spokesperson said: “These remarks reveal yet again the unacceptable views which Ukip propagate. For a senior member to have such offensive opinions also under-lines that Ukip are a major embarrassment to the No campaign.”

The results of a ComRes poll published last night showed that support for Ukip throughout Britain has hit a record high. The party’s support was at 19 per cent, behind Labour on 35 per cent and the Tories on 29 per cent. It found 46 per cent of Britons would vote to leave the EU now, with 24 per cent in favour of staying in.