Lib Dems candidate claims North Devon voted Brexit because “it’s 98% white”

The Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for North Devon has undertaken what can only be described as a car crash interview over the weekend. Kirsten Johnson was speaking on The World This Weekend programme when Ms Johnson claimed that her prospective constituency voted to Leave as a result of it being “it’s 98% white” and went on to add “we don’t have a lot of ethnic minorities living in North Devon, people aren’t exposed to people from other countries, they don’t travel a lot”. It is difficult to suggest these comments won’t be received with great offence in North Devon especially given the fact that the constituency overwhelmingly voted to leave the European Union. 

Ms Johnson certainly can not be accused of not being forthcoming. She went on to add that North Devon hasn’t “appreciated the advantages” of being in the EU as a result of it being “isolated, rural, and low income.” She went on to imply that leave voters have links to hate crime. 

This bizarre and highly offensive rhetoric would almost certainly have received outrage by the mainstream media had the comments came from the prospective Candidate in North Devon for the Brexit Party Dawn Westcott. UNN contacted Dawn Westcott for some comments on the weekend’s developments and can reveal exclusive quotes. Mrs Westcott states “One thing is for sure, people of North Devon are not thick, ignorant, racist, engaging in hate crimes, untravelled or unexposed to people from other countries. The imperious disdain and high-handed arrogance being shown to North Devonians by the Liberal Democrats is going down like the proverbial lead balloon.”  

In addition to these comments Mrs Westcott also is delighted at the response she is receiving in North Devon, especially given that a general election is widely reported as imminent. Mrs Westcott says “The North Devon people I’ve met so far, have impressively got their heads around the complexities of Brexit and particularly, the perils of the Withdrawal Agreement. They understand that signing the UK into vassalage and forced servitude to the EU, with no vote, veto or say, including relinquishing control of our armed forces, is extremely dangerous.”

These comments appear to portray a figure who is in touch with her prospective electorate and is actively engaging with the local community. She even offers stories of local resident’s concerns. “A current complaint I hear regularly is people being approached in the street by ‘pro-EU’ campaigners who start the conversation with, ‘You didn’t know what you were voting for, did you?’ To which the robust reply has been, ‘Are you calling me bloody thick?!” and ripping up their leaflets in front of them.”. The seat in North Devon was held by the Liberal Democrats for over 20 years prior to 2015 and given the comments by Kirsten Johnson it is difficult to envisage that the seat could return to the Lib Dems anytime soon.

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Oliver Down

Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!

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