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UKIP’S first elected MP Douglas Carswell today warned racist language was “intolerable” as the party appeared to be embroiled in infighting over axing candidates who make offensive remarks.

Clacton MP Mr Carswell insisted that the party was now prepared to take swift action after Kerry Smith quit last night as Ukip’s candidate in the target seat of South Basildon and East Thurrock.

In recordings of telephone calls obtained by the Mail on Sunday, the would-be MP was said to have mocked gay party members as “poofters”, joked about shooting people from Chigwell in a “peasant hunt” and referred to someone as a “Chinky bird”.

“No ifs, not buts, no lacklustre excuses, this sort of language and behaviour is not tolerable,” Mr Carswell told the Evening Standard.

He added: “First and second-generation Britons are as much as part of this country than anyone else. Any Ukip candidate seeking parliamentary office needs to speak with respect for their fellow countrymen and women.”

Mr Carswell insisted that the last 10 days had shown that Ukip, which suspended its general secretary Roger Bird over sexual harassment claims — which he strongly denies — had shown it now had mechanisms to deal with such cases. But the party seemed to be split on Mr Smith’s case, with Ukip MEP Patrick O’Flynn standing by him yesterday while condemning his language as unacceptable. Mr Smith’s comments were revealed just days after he was reinstated as the party’s general election candidate in South Basildon and East Thurrock.

He initially apologised and explained that he had been under great stress at the time of the comments and taking strong pain killers.