Tice defends convicted Reform MP amid Farage’s ‘near catastrophe’ vetting claim

Richard Tice has said a Reform UK MP convicted of assaulting his erstwhile woman 18 years agone volition not beryllium suspended and would walk the party’s caller vetting process.

The lawman person said James McMurdock was idiosyncratic who had “got things wrong, learnt from it and has grown and succeeded”.

The erstwhile concern banker did not publically disclose his condemnation for battle earlier being elected, and claimed helium had “pushed” his spouse erstwhile details were archetypal disclosed this summer.

However, The Times aboriginal obtained accusation astir his sentencing from the courts, which said helium was detained for 21 days successful a young offender instauration for kicking the unfortunate “around 4 times” successful 2006 erstwhile helium was a teenager.

Speaking aft a enactment rally successful north-west Essex, Mr Tice told the PA quality agency: “We’re a Christian federation and portion of Christianity is astir faith, it’s astir spot but it’s besides astir forgiveness.

“We’re each sinners, we each marque mistakes, and James by his ain admittance made a mistake, a atrocious mistake, but really helium did his time.

“So the strategy works. He was sentenced, helium did his time, paid the terms and present he’s shown a large illustration of idiosyncratic who had a atrocious commencement with a atrocious mistake but look however good he’s done.

“And what that shows really is, we tin forgive and we larn from things, but radical tin succeed. And I deliberation that’s truly important.”

When asked if Mr McMurdock could ever look suspension for his conviction, Mr Tice responded: “The opposite.

“He’s doing brilliantly and he’s a shining illustration of idiosyncratic who’s worked hard, got a beauteous family.

“His wife’s large virtually arsenic we speak, with a caller babe connected its way, and to beryllium an MP is simply a large privilege, and we’re precise arrogant of him and he’s doing a large job.

“(He’s) truly really focused connected his constituents and it’s different occurrence story.

“Someone who made a mistake, got things wrong, learnt from it and has grown and succeeded, taken a hazard coming into authorities and bully connected him. He’s enactment his caput supra the parapet and we’re precise arrogant of him.”

Speaking astatine the rally connected Friday, enactment person Mr Farage conceded the vetting of candidates had been “probably rather adjacent a catastrophe” successful the past, aft respective were dropped for making sexist remarks and utilizing radical slurs.

But Mr Tice said helium was assured Mr McMurdock would inactive walk Reform’s caller vetting process, a strategy helium has described arsenic “getting amended and better”.

He added: “We had many, many, large candidates but immoderate candidates fto america down. We had a vetting institution that wholly fto america down, which is wherefore we had immoderate challenges.

“But to enactment it successful context, the Green Party, astatine the wide predetermination they had to retreat enactment from 10 candidates. You ne'er work astir that successful the property and I wonderment why.

“So each enactment is disquieted astir vetting. Every enactment is doing their champion connected vetting, it’s similar an MOT. It’s bully astatine the clip you bash it.

“But if idiosyncratic past goes retired the pursuing day, has a atrocious time and says oregon types thing daft astatine the incorrect moment. It’s a never-ending process but yes of people we’re getting amended and amended and that’s a truly important thing.”

Mr Farage compared Reform UK’s emergence successful the polls with Donald Trump’s statesmanlike triumph successful the US, arsenic the enactment squared up to the Tories with the rally successful their person Kemi Badenoch’s constituency.

The rally, which heard speeches from 4 of Reform’s 5 MPs, followed a spat betwixt Conservative Party person Mrs Badenoch and Mr Farage implicit enactment rank figures during the Christmas period.

Mr Farage told Reform members connected Friday that the Tories “should beryllium bloody frightened of you” arsenic helium spoke astir the statement with Mrs Badenoch.

The rally comes arsenic polling suggests the enactment has pulled level with, and perchance overtaken, the Conservatives.

A Techne UK canvass has enactment Reform successful 2nd spot with 24%, 1 constituent up of the Conservatives connected 23% and 2 points down first-placed Labour connected 26%.