Want the best Coventry and Warwickshire news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Sign up here! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

UKIP’s plan to parachute ‘pop preacher’ George Hargreaves into Coventry to stand as one of its General Election candidates has been scrapped after widespread criticism.

National party bosses had removed locally elected Coventry South candidate Mark Taylor and party members were briefed that this was to make way for the Rev Hargreaves, writer of Sinitta’s 1980s gay anthem ‘So Macho’.

But, after widespread public criticism and at least one UKIP candidate for the local council elections standing down as a result of the move, Mr Taylor has now been reinstated by UKIP.

Mr Hargreaves has had a colourful political career which included using profits from ‘So Macho’ to fund an anti-gay manifesto during elections in Scotland, and campaigning to have the dragon removed from the Welsh flag after describing it as ‘‘Satanic’’.

UKIP deputy chairman Suzanne Evans added to the pantomime around the Coventry South seat when she took to Twitter last week to describe Mr Hargreaves as “bonkers”, seemingly not realising he was lined up by her party to replace Mr Taylor.

Mr Taylor said he was delighted to have been asked to stand again, but described the past few weeks as an “unnecessary distraction”.

He said: “I was originally disappointed at being asked to stand aside. But in the last few days I received a phone call and was asked to restand and I said yes.

“I’m pleased because I was initially frustrated at being asked to stand aside by the national party HQ’s candidate team. The support, particularly from the local branch, was heartwarming.

“It’s an unnecessary distraction and I’m a little bit frustrated, we could have done without this. But I’m pleased that I am now back in and I can continue with this campaign.”

Colin Stubbs, chairman of Coventry UKIP, also welcomed the decision to reinstate Mr Taylor.

He said: “This has not been handled in the best way. The decision to reinstate Mark is right and proper and shows that head office does listen eventually.

“I don’t know how this happened, but we are a growing political party and perhaps we have people in place who are overworked.

“I don’t know how George Hargreaves got involved with the party or how he was chosen. But we will put this behind us and the pressure now is on the elections.”

West Midlands MEP, James Carver, said: “I’m delighted to confirm that Mark Taylor is, and indeed was, our PPC for this constituency.

“However during private negotiations about this seat in recent weeks, the fact that he stood aside at the request of the party, shows the measure of the man.

“Mark has been a hardworking and loyal servant to both Coventry and UKIP for many years and will be an excellent representative for the city.”