Hamilton says Anti-Islam candidate has been "demonised"

The  controversial anti-Islam campaigner running for the UKIP leadership has been "demonised", according to the party's leader in the assembly.

Anne Marie Waters,a former Labour Party activist  who called Islam evil, said she had faced an "avalanche of lies and smears" and "the party's establishment is terrified I will win".

Neil Hamilton said he did not think Ms Waters looked "out of the ordinary".But 's plans were "nowhere near as fire-breathing as one might expect".

She proposes a ban on the burka, the closure of all sharia councils and a temporary freeze on all immigration and is one of 11 candidates taking part.

She had predicted she would be prevented from standing, as had Mr Hamilton's assembly colleague David Rowlands, who said her views were "too extreme".

Mr Hamilton said: 

"I just think that Anne Marie Waters has been demonised because it's easy to paint her in sort of technicolour colours, by virtue of remarks that had been taken out of context from, in some cases, many years ago."
"It's part of the debate on issues which are very important to lots of people, fundamentalist Islam, etcetera."

 I have yet to see  Ms Waters repudiating  her previous statements so I think we are entitled to form our opinions of her/

 Mr Hamilton said he would not endorse or criticise any leadership candidate and would work with whoever won.

Wales MEP Nathan Gill said he would leave UKIP if Ms Waters won the contest, which was called after the resignation of Paul Nuttall.

Asked about the prospect of Mr Gill leaving, Mr Hamilton said:

 "It wouldn't make the slightest difference. We hardly ever see him and he never says anything unless it's to undermine the UKIP group or UKIP as a party."

 Ms Water responded to the criticism of her in an email to BBC Wales.

"It's very clear to me that the party's establishment is terrified I will win, and they are right to be," she said.
"I have support all over the country and it is growing.
"I have been subject to an avalanche of lies and smears from people who don't understand the issues (or the difference between race and religion) and don't have the courage to.
"It's disappointing that some in UKIP should use the same smear tactics that have been used against them for years."

Don't assume that Ms Waters cannot win the publicity may mean she id the most well known of the eleven candidates/

Ukip in the past have been called the BNP in suits  something I have in the past rejected .

But having won over Brexit they now are probably trying to find a new issue as a unique selling point.

A key divide between candidates was between what The Guardian described as "Farage-ist economic libertarians" like Bill Etheridge and the "more hard-right, Islam-focused" Anne Marie Waters and Peter Whittle. Etheridge stated that "whichever side wins, the other side won't have a future in the party".^[10] In early July, over a thousand new members had joined the party in only two weeks, leading to accusations of far-right infiltration in support of Waters.^[10] Party sources suggested Waters had concluded a deal with Whittle that were he to win, she would become deputy leader.^]

At least 18 of the party's 20 MEPs were reported to be considering resigning and forming a new party if Waters gained a senior role in the party, owing to her anti-Islam views and support from the far-right. Etheridge publicly said that he would resign if Waters wins, and Jonathan Arnott MEP said it would be difficult for him to remain.Etheridge subsequently launched his third leadership bid, having previously declared in both of UKIP's 2016 leadership elections.

On 26 July, two days before close of nominations, Etheridge withdrew his candidacy. He urged candidates from the "libertarian" wing of the party to unite against what he described as fringe candidates using the party "as a vehicle for the views of the EDL and the BNP". He said he would leave the party if Waters or Whittle won the leadership.

Whether a a right wing Libertarian  Party or a BNP light racist party are not finished yet 

Ms Waters may well find solace after  this appeared in the Sun


I can't see the Sun endorsing a Waters led Ukip ut only because they will not see her  as a winner .

Do not look to the Ukip leadership and Ms Waters with glee in that this will finally finish this party off.

The UK media like the Sun, Mail and Express share her views and as I said they may not endorse her views but will express  them in their vile way