Asked on LBC about UKIP candidate Kerry Smith’s use of the word “chink” while under the influence of sedatives, Nigel Farage gave a robust defence:

“Kerry Smith is a rough diamond. He’s a council house boy from the East End of London, left school early, and talks and speaks in a way a lot of people from that background do. We can pretend if you like… If you and your mates are going out for a Chinese, what do you say you’re going for?”

UKIP sources stress Farage was defending freedom of speech for a word “a lot of people” would use. In North London they say Hakkasan…

24 hours before a tape of UKIP candidate Kerry Smith’s drug-induced race row rant was mysteriously leaked to the Mail on Sunday, the wife of the man he replaced in the Basildon selection tweeted:

watching people dig their own graves is rather fun…..

— Christine Hamilton (@brit_battleaxe) December 12, 2014

He who laughs last laughs longest…

— Christine Hamilton (@brit_battleaxe) December 12, 2014

Beware the spy in the camp….

— Christine Hamilton (@brit_battleaxe) December 12, 2014

Curiouser and curiouser…