Prostitute user is booted out of UKIP

Mar 21 2007 By Eddie Docherty, East Kilbride News

SELF-confessed prostitute user John Houston has blasted the UK Independence Party after it kicked him out last week.

The West Mains man was firstly told he would not be the party’s East Kilbride candidate for this May’s Holyrood elections and then received a letter saying he had been expelled from the UKIP altogether.

However, the 53-year-old hotel worker and self-styled publisher claims the move will not prevent him standing in the election and that he still intends to stand under some kind of UKIP banner.

UKIP did not divulge the exact reasons why he was expelled but said it found his views repellent.

However, his claims in the News last week that prostitution should be legalised along with his admission that he regularly uses prostitutes, has clearly upset party bosses.

Mr Houston said: “I’m appalled at the way I’ve been treated. I’ve been expelled for being open and honest.

“Everyone in the party I spoke to always agreed with me when I said political correctness had gone too far.

“But, the expulsion won’t stop me standing.

“I’m from East Kilbride and I have every intention — indeed I think I have a duty — to stand for Holyrood for my home town as a UKIP candidate. I don’t think the party has supported me at all.

“I’ve never hidden my views and I’m disgusted it never supported me when I was criticised. There’s more to me — and they know this — than just someone who has used prostitutes.”

However, UKIP’s Scottish organiser Peter Adams said under no circumstances would John Houston be representing the party.

He said: “To use the name of a political party, a candidate must have a letter from the nominating officer to permit them to use the party name.

“UKIP has not and will not be giving such authorisation to Mr Houston.”