UKIP general election candidate stands down over electoral fraud claims

Four months after being charged with electoral fraud involving nomination papers for local elections, UKIP’s general election candidate for Yarmouth has resigned.

Stepping down, Matthew Smith said:

I will continue to fight this case knowing that I am innocent of all charges and it is a sad indictment that this case has taken such an unusually long time to progress.

However I believe that I owe it to the people of Great Yarmouth to have a UKIP candidate, democratically selected by the local branch members in due course, who is free from such distractions and can give the people of Yarmouth the time and attention that this case is depriving me from doing to deliver a famous UKIP win in 2015. [Eastern Daily Press]

The trial has been set for January.

I’ve no doubt that if I was facing similar charges, those four months would feel like an eternity. It’s worth noting, however, that this is another case of a politician complaining about how long the legal system takes after they, a colleague or a friend face charges. It would be nice if one day politicians started arguing more widely for swifter justice for all – including the many who wait long times for their cases to be resolved but who don’t have any connection with a political party.