‘We were in a relationship’ – Ukip’s Roger Bird

The high-profile ethnic minority Ukip candidate Natasha Bolter is reported to have quit the party after complaining that she was sexually harassed by Mr Bird.

Natasha Bolter, who defected to Ukip from Labour and was a headline speaker at Ukip’s party conference in September, has pulled out of the hustings to become the party’s parliamentary candidate in the winnable South Basildon seat.

But, speaking to this programme, Mr Bird said: “Natasha Bolter and I were in a consensual relationship between 18 September and 2 November, well after her admission to the list of approved candidates, with interest on both sides.

“She was keen on me and I was keen on her. I have got emails and texts to show we had a relationship and will be presenting these to the inquiry. In any relationship there are some texts of an intimate nature.”

Ukip announced that it had suspended him over allegations of impropriety.

A spokesman confirmed that the investigation related to claims made by Ms Bolter. “We take what she said extremely seriously,” the spokesman said.

Mr Bird, a former Conservative councillor who joined Ukip in 2009, denies the claims.

Ms Bolter told the Times that Mr Bird had propositioned her after inviting her for dinner at his London club on the day he interviewed her as a prospective candidate.

“He asked if we could continue the interview at the Oxford and Cambridge Club that evening,” she told the Times.

“I thought it was because I was nervous. (But) when I went I could see that he wasn’t really interested in what I had to offer as a politician.

“He took me down to the snooker room and said ‘I find you very attractive’. He said, ‘Would you like to come home with me?'”

Ms Bolter claimed that Mr Bird continued to try to sleep with her after she told him that she was not interested.

She said Mr Bird “leant over and tried to kiss me” after a heavy meal at the Oxford and Cambridge club.

“It was obvious that he wanted to sleep with me,” said Ms Bolter. “He said, I can help you, I’m supporting you.

“I was quite adamant that I’m not going to sleep with him or anyone [in Ukip]. It’s hard enough for women. We shouldn’t have to sleep with people to get to the right place.”

Mr Bird told the BBC that they had a sexual relationship. He said: “We were in a relationship briefly, but that relationship developed well after she had been admitted to the approved candidates list, so her selection was not connected to that.”

In a statement, Ukip said Mr Bird had been suspended on 7 December pending a full investigation into the allegations relating to candidate selection.

“Shortly after a claim came to light about the conduct of Mr Bird with regard to candidate selection, the UK Independence Party took action swiftly and decisively, including steps involving external human resources consultants, as well as following due process and the party’s constitution to the letter,” the statement said.

A Ukip spokesperson commented: “Unfortunately, Ukip has had to suspend Mr Bird pending a full investigation into allegations made against him. The party has acted swiftly and decisively and will not tolerate impropriety of any kind amongst its staff.”