By SUZANNAH HILLS
A UKIP candidate is facing calls to resign after claiming the solution to crime in Britain is sharia law and thieves should have their hands cut off.
Self-employed builder and UKIP activist Dean Perks, prospective candidate for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, shocked supporters at a rally when he suggested the brutal punishment as a legitimate way to tackle crime.
shariaMr Perks is a prospective parliamentary candidate for the party at the next general election but leader Nigel Farage is now facing a barrage of calls to get rid of him.
Speaking at a meeting with supporters in Coventry, West Midlands, earlier this year Mr Perks made the shocking claims.
He said: ‘In my opinion, sharia law works as a prevention – and prevention is better than cure.
‘If you think you are going to get your hand chopped off for pinching something, you won’t pinch it.
‘I recently had a conversation with someone who asked what I thought of Sharia law.
‘I said: “Well in all honesty, I do agree with part – but by no means all – of sharia law”. That’s my view – my opinion. I ain’t going to defend myself. I do agree with it.
‘Sharia law, in my opinion, works as a prevention.’
The potential candidate is no stranger to controversy, earlier this year he faced a backlash when he praised the Enoch Powell, claiming he was ‘well liked in the Asian community’ and labelling him ‘a visionary’.
He was also forced to admit calling someone ‘retarded’ via social network Twitter.
The controversies were a far cry from a statement he gave on launching his campaign, claiming he would never bad mouth other candidates.
In launching his campaign for the hotly contested Halesowen and Rowley Regis seat, Mr Perks said: ‘I hope to show people a new type of politician.
‘It is not my intention to bad mouth or attack any other candidates as I believe we should all be in the running for the same purpose.’
However on he was involved in the ugly Twitter spat which resulted him writing: ‘I just asked the question but he will not answer, I think he may be retarded.’
This followed on from an argument with Labour councillor Dave Branwood who asked Mr Perks whether he thought Enoch Powell, whose 1968 Rivers of Blood speech caused his own downfall, was racist.
Mr Perks replied: ‘No. It’s a fact he was very well liked amongst the Asian community. I’d say he was a visionary.’
This led to anti-facist, left wing politicians, including Dudley North Ian Austin MP and several other outraged Twitter users to round on Mr Perks calling him racist.
However, Mr Perks, denied he is racist.
He said: ‘I have never studied Enoch Powell. I’m not racist because I’m not afraid to have an opinion. I have a Muslim godson, a Sikh brother-in-law and three mixed race cousins.’
Now he is facing more calls to resign from MPs. John Spellar, Labour MP for Warley, said the comments were typical of the party.
He said: ‘Once again this shows the bizarre sort of candidate that UKIP is attracting.
‘People from all communities will be astonished and appalled that Mr Perks want to bring such barbarity into Britain.’
‘The real question is how did he ever get to be a candidate in the first place. I challenge Nigel Farage to throw him out immediately.’
Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said: ‘Sharia law can only be applied in Muslim states.
‘There is no way sharia law could be introduced in the UK and Muslims who live in countries where there isn’t a predominance of Muslims, like here, follow the law of the land.
‘Mr Perks seems to be very confused, you can’t pick and chose with sharia law, you either believe in all of it, or none of it’
Mr Perks did not make clear which parts of sharia law he agrees and disagrees with and could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
But on his Twitter page he insisted he is ‘against sharia law in the UK’.
Source: Mail Online
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