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The mainstream media have not disclosed all of the disturbing details about a political figure who “deliberately sabotaged” a rape trial and is now no longer a candidate for the Welsh Assembly (WA), so it has been left to The Eye to offer more information.
Controversial Ross England has been withdrawn as Vale of Glamorgan Welsh Conservative candidate in the 2021 WA elections.
A spokesman for the party said: “Ross England is …no longer a Welsh Conservative candidate”.
During the collapsed rape trial, Mr England had referred to a past sexual relationship he had enjoyed with the complainant, but was severely chastised by the senior judge overseeing the case.
Judge Stephen Hopkins QC said to him: “Why did you say that? Are you completely stupid?!
“You have managed single-handed, and I have no doubt it was deliberate on your part, to sabotage this trial… get out of my court.”
But Mr England is no stranger to alarming headlines.
In 2016 he tweeted that he had told ‘Remain’ campaigners to fuck off and was suspended by his party.
Earlier the same year Mr England had been heavily criticised by the Vale of Glamorgan Labour councillor Lis Burnett after CCTV footage showed that he had been responsible for a bizarre prank when he left a ‘post-it’ note on her parked car’s windscreen saying “penalty charge notice”.
Mr England was a former adviser to one-time Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns, and a letter was published in the Vale local newspaper from one resident who was clearly baffled about his credentials.
The voter complained: “What is his (Mr England’s) education, work and life experience or policies? It is clear he wants to be elected, and wants to do a good job, but what exactly will he do?
“Clearly schooled by Alun Cairns to stage photo opportunities and schoolboy stunts (fake parking tickets and for sale notices) what creative policies can he offer?”.
The departure of Mr England’s former close colleague Mr Cairns from the UK cabinet over allegations that he gave misleading information clearly embarrassed the Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson at the start of the election campaign.
In his resignation letter to the PM Mr Cairns said: “This is a very sensitive matter, and in light of continued speculation, I write to tender my resignation as secretary of state for Wales”.
In the controversy over tweets sent after the referendum, Mr England was accused of using ‘inflammatory’ language.
One of his tweets read: “Remoaner MPs are not only determined to ignore the referendum result and subject us to foreign rule, they are also happy to wreck our constitution as they do it. Remember their names. We must never forgive and never forget”.
Another read: “Loyalty to the EU over the UK has no place in our society or our politics. Parliament and the media stink of it. There will have to be a reckoning”.
He also tweeted: “This hasn’t created a media storm because we are being de-sensitised to treason by the thousands parading their loyalty to the EU over their own country. There will be a backlash. There will be consequences”.
In the tweet which led to Mr England’s suspension from the Conservative party, his fury was directed at a Remain supporter.
The Remain supporter tweeted Mr England asking: “so @voteleave are using @AlunCairns office as a base for their activities?”
Mr England responded, in a since-deleted tweet: “Certainly not! We had a call from @StrongerIn yesterday asking us to distribute signs and told them to fuck off”.
The Remain campaigner tweeted back: “Charming! Was the call taken in your role working for @AlunCairns or for @voteleave – conflict of interests?”
But evidently Mr England has in the past been aware of his embarrassment to Tory high command.
After one of the scandals he issued a statement saying: “I have apologised to Alun Cairns and would like to apologise to anyone else who has taken offence”.
It would seem the Tories may have taken offence – if Mr England is now longer a candidate in the WA elections…
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