Kilroy Silk quits UKIP, branding it as a joke

Robert Kilroy Silk's short and stormy fling with the UK Independence Party finally ended in an acrimonious divorce last night.

Robert Kilroy Silk's short and stormy fling with the UK Independence Party finally ended in an acrimonious divorce last night.

He resigned from the party with a furious swipe at his former comrades as he declared that he was now "ashamed to be a member".

In a vitriolic resignation speech at a Leicestershire golf club, the former daytime television presenter stopped short of formally launching his own rival party, but made it clear that he would be standing at the next general election.

The MEP's new political grouping, which may be launched in the coming weeks, is likely to be called Veritas, the Latin word for truth.

Mr Kilroy Silk said in his resignation speech yesterday: "I have to say that the party is regarded by those outside it as a joke. I am ashamed to be a member. I cannot ask people to vote for it because it has no policies, no spokespersons, no energy, no vision, no idea of how Britain should be governed.

"Instead I shall advise people not to vote for the party. To do otherwise will be to be dishonest, to pretend that the party has a purpose when in fact it is a charade, an empty vessel."

UKIP dismissed Mr Kilroy Silk's charges. A spokesman said: "If we're that duff why did he want to lead us last week?"