UKIP are kicking back at the youth chairman Olly Neville ‘sacked for opposing gay marriage’ story:

“It has been reported that he has been removed because of his support for gay marriage. This is not the case. However, we did point out to him that stating policy views which are in contradiction to Party policy, or mis-stating Party policy, in public media was not only in breach of his responsibilities but also contrary to the YI’s objects. In relation to the Party’s policies on areas including gay marriage, the European elections, the legalisation of drugs and prostitution among others, Mr Neville has been publicly at odds with the Party over the past few weeks.”

A more sympathetic party official tells Guido:

“Olly has the certainties of a 21 year old. As a party we are happy for a private member to hold any views they want, but as an officer of the party he has responsibilities, not merely to his sense of what is right and wrong, but also to the party at large.”

Others have not been so patient. Guido understands that the World at One gay marriage interview was the straw that broke the camel’s back. UKIP sources say that a member holding different views from the party “is one thing, but having an office holder defending bestiality, incest and the BNP is quite another”. Alarms bells first started going off in UKIP HQ when Neville wrote an article headlined: “I agree with Nick… Griffin”. About the only worse that a UKIPer could say, after praising David Cameron, even if it was meant as  a joke.

His tweets on bestiality and necrophilia have also been circulated:

“Yes I am pro bestiality and necrophilia being legalised as you ask. Why should the state tell me I cant?… the animal was never human, the corpse is no longer human… if people want to do it and want it to be done to them whats wrong with it? …when your dead are you alive? no. so are you a living human being? no your a shell, your not a person anymore … hey dont have to, they arent a person anymore, theyre property, its like having sex with your pillow.”

Using the lefty media to go out with a bang has not exactly endeared Neville to his former colleagues, who were prepared to let this one go until the “wrong side of history” Indy piece popped up. While many were rightly defending him for being young and naive, it seems he should have thought twice about pouring fuel on the fire.