English Democrats candidate pulls out of London Mayor race 'over lack of party support' » Local Government » 24dash.com

Matt O’Connor, the founder of Fathers 4 Justice, today announced he was stepping down as the English Democrats' candidate for the London Mayoral Race but will launch a new campaign for England this year.

O’Connor claims the party did not have sufficient financial clout to run a credible campaign.

It is too late for him to withdraw from the race however and his name will still appear on the ballot paper on May 1.

"I don't think they got any publicity at all and I was effectively sidelined. I think they thought I was going to take over the party or something," he said.

"It's an awful situation to be in, but probably with the benefit of hindsight I probably should not have stood for them. I should have checked them out a bit more."

O'Connor also claims that on one occasion he was called racist and anti-Semitic by a senior party member – a claim he described as ‘absurd’.

He says he is 'profoundly disappointed' that the English Democrates are now deliberately trying to smear him.

English Democrats chairman Robin Tilbrook said he was disappointed at the decision but insisted Mr O'Connor had been warned of the difficulties facing a small party.

"Within the bounds of our limited manpower and financial resources, Matt has been given 100% support by the English Democrats and our members who have campaigned for him, and England's cause, day in day out for many weeks and who have paid for everything that has been done," he said.

He suggested it could also have an impact on the party's candidates for the London Assembly.

"Their campaign is running well and we have great hopes of getting a candidate elected, particularly on the party list, to campaign against the establishment's discrimination against London and England," he said.

"The campaign for fair spending for London, an end to the Tartan Taxes, and real democracy and freedom of speech, will go on."