FOLLOWING the controversial win of a UKIP candidate that branded women in Basingstoke “pug ugly”, The Gazette has learned that he is the son of UKIP Basingstoke leader, Alan Stone.

As reported today by The Gazette, UKIP candidate Matthew Ellery has won a seat on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for one of the two seats in the Brighton Hill South ward. He came second to Labour’s Pamela Lonie, winning 349 votes.

The 20-year-old candidate came under fire and was suspended by the party after he made offensive comments on Facebook, calling women in Basingstoke “pug ugly” and posting a comment on April 14 saying: “Genuinely feel like stabbing someone today!!!”

But following comments made by Labour leader Laura James at last night’s borough council election count, the borough’s UKIP leader has today confirmed that Mr Ellery is in fact his son.

When The Gazette quizzed Mr Stone, he said that he thought it was public knowledge that the 20-year-old was his son, and when political reporter Jessica Bave asked the leader if he deliberately hid this, he said: “No, not at all, I am very proud of him.”

The Gazette has so far been denied access to Mr Ellery despite attempts to contact him at his home and through Mr Stone.

Mr Stone contacted us to say he was too busy to talk and that we won’t be able to speak to him until early next week.

He added: “I know he is not around today. He has a job like a lot of other people and I know he is happy to be interviewed by you."

He asked our reporter, who posted a note through Mr Ellery’s door and left a phone message at his workplace, to stop trying to contact his son. 

Mr Ellery has been using social media again this morning- tweeting about his victory and implying that it will be he who makes the decision about whether or not he will be a UKIP councillor.

In response to a query about whether he was “in or out” from the Basingstoke Labour twitter feed, he replied “just to clarify phil heath is completely wrong I have not been "suspended" from ukip. Like steve west said, he has no say!!”

He continued- “but whether I am to be a councillor or not is to be decided today”.

When asked who would make this decision, he replied “by me obviously!”

He also joked about the fact that he had not done any canvassing to win his seat, tweeting to “you lot really need to stop being bitter over the fact someone that did no canvassing won.”

He has also previously used his twitter feed to laugh about press coverage of his offensive comments about women, saying: “haha it got blown wayy out of control lol had press outside my house and everything haha” and thanking those who appeared to agree with his assessment of Basingstoke’s women.

Mr Stone has pledged to have a fair and balanced disciplinary meeting with Mr Ellery on Monday, and the UKIP national chairman, Steve Crowther will decide who will chair the meeting.

Mr Stone said: “I am not involved with it. He is my son and although I have discussed it, we have got another person to chair the meeting. I am not involved in that decision and neither are more active people in the party including party agent Phil Heath.”