A FAR-RIGHT activist has declared she will be running in the Southend West by-election following the tragic killing of Sir David Amess.
Jayda Fransen, formerly involved with the English Defence League and Britain First, declared her intention to run to her followers on Russian social media site, VK.com.
The announcement came shortly after the Labour Party, LibDems and Green Party confirmed they would not contest the seat as a mark of respect.
In 2016, Fransen was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman for wearing a hijab and in 2018 sentenced to 36-week’s imprisonment for the distribution of leaflets and posting online videos during a gang-rape trial.
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Earlier this year, Fransen approached First Minister Nicola Sturgeon outside a polling station in Glasgow Southside - where she was also running as a candidate.
As Fransen branded Sturgeon an "absolute disgrace", the SNP leader told her: "You are a fascist. You are a racist, and the southside of Glasgow will reject you.”
In the end, Fransen won just 46 votes in the constituency.
In a livestream this week, Fransen told followers: “I know that Labour and the LibDems have said, ‘oh we won’t stand an MP, because they all play these little games. They did the same thing after Jo Cox was murdered.
“Actually, this is the time that myself, on behalf of the British Freedom Party, need to stand the most."
She added: “It was a Tory that was stabbed to death on Friday. And it will be a Tory that will stand and sweep up the vote for the seats in Southend West where everybody has tapped out and said we won’t stand. I’m going to stand.
“I’m going to stand and I’m going to hold the Tories to account, and the Labour Party, whoever else wants to throw their hat in the ring. If it’s only the Tories, it will be me and the Tories and I have absolutely no problem doing it.”
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The 35-year-old’s first attempt to become in an MP saw her win just 54 votes when she stood for Britain First Rochester and Strood in 2014.
In 2016 Fransen again tried to force her way into mainstream politics, but received just 1.5% of the vote as a Britain First Candidate for the London Assembly.
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