What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A Tory candidate retweeted a post claiming Tommy Robinson had been imprisoned for 'reporting on Muslim paedophiles'.

Karl McCartney apparently endorsed the comment which said the Government had 'made it illegal' to expose Asian grooming gangs after Robinson was jailed for contempt of court.

The revelations come five years after Mr McCartney claimed his account had been hacked after it was revealed his favourite pics included bondage images.

Mr McCartney, who is standing in Lincoln having been the city’s MP between 2010 and 2017, also shared a letter from Tommy Robinson with his followers in which the extreme right-winger claimed his murder by Islamic prison gangs would spark a revolution.

It read: “I’ve always said I’d sacrifice my life tomorrow if it would end the Islamic takeover of our beautiful land.”

(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

He also shared messages from Katie Hopkins in which she supported Robinson and said he had been unfairly imprisoned for exposing Asian rape gangs.

His social media activity was uncovered by campaign group Hope Not Hate whose chief executive Nick Lowles said Mr McCartney should be sacked.

“There’s no excuse for promoting far-right propaganda. Karl McCartney is utterly unfit to be an MP,” he said.

Liberal Democrat MP Antoinette Sandbach said: "Perhaps the Conservatives should spend less time dividing the country and more time scrutinising their candidates."

(Image: R&A via Getty Images)

Mr McCartney said: “I apologise unreservedly. In no way do I endorse the tweets or the accounts behind them. I accept retweeting them was ill-judged and could cause offence.

"This divisive figure has no place in our politics or public life.”

He is hoping to unseat Labour ’s Karen Lee, who beat him in 2017 by 1,538 votes.