Twitter taunts land ex-UKIP candidate teaching ban

Former UKIP candidate Ron Northcott. Picture: Submitted

Ron Northcott, 66, was forced to resign from the UK Independence Party in May 2013 after suggesting that “Jocks” were workshy and addicted to drugs.

The former secondary school teacher’s Tweets ensured party leader Nigel Farage was given a hostile reception in Edinburgh last year.

They also landed him in front of a disciplinary panel which found he was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and of bringing teaching into disrepute.

Mr Northcott, who was working at St Boniface’s Roman Catholic college in Plymouth, Devon, last year, also made abusive comments about Catholics, Muslims and immigrants.

The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) professional conduct panel have now said his views were intolerant and lacked respect for people with different faiths.

Recommending that he should be banned from teaching, panel chair Mary Speakman said: “We find many of the views expressed to be in conflict with fundamental British values.

“Much of the language is inflammatory and abusive. Many of the posts express intolerant attitudes to ethnicity, religious beliefs and nationalities.”

Mr Northcott admitted the allegations but denied that the comments amounted to unacceptable professional conduct.

He must wait five years before he can challenge the ban but has a right of appeal to the High Court.