Ukip candidate who repeatedly joked about raping Labour MP has YouTube account stripped of ability to earn money

Police launch investigation after politician makes second rape 'joke' about Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips 

Toyin Owoseje
Saturday 11 May 2019 12:14 BST
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UKIP candidate Carl Benjamin says 'women shouldn't be treated any differently to men' when asked about rape comments

Ukip MEP candidate Carl Benjamin has had his YouTube account stripped of the ability to earn him money after he repeatedly joked about raping a Labour MP.

The political commentator’s Sargon Of Akkad video channel was demonetised following his comments about Jess Phillips.

In a tweet in 2016 Mr Benjamin said that he “wouldn’t even rape” her after she discussed rape and death threats sent to women on the internet.

In a YouTube video uploaded to his channel last month he compounded his previous comment saying, “with enough pressure I might cave”, before adding “But, let's be honest, nobody's got that much beer.“

Refusing to apologise for his remarks, he argued that “any subject can be the subject of a joke" and said his only crime was "against political correctness”.

YouTube removed the video from the Sargon of Akkad channel and a company spokesperson confirmed that the rightwing activist had been removed from the ”YouTube Partner Program“, which gives popular video creators access to a share of YouTube's advertising money, assistance when it comes to copyright, and direct contact with the company's IT support.

West Midlands police have launched an investigation after receiving a report of malicious communications relating to Mr Benjamin's sexual assault remarks.

A spokesperson said: “Officers have spoken to Ms Phillips and the comments are being investigated to establish if an offence has taken place.”

Ms Phillips revealed that she received hundreds of rape threats after Mr Benjamin's initial tweet and broke down in tears in Birmingham city centre after learning of his latest comments.

The politician told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire: “ I realised that I did what all women do in these situations – I had been putting a brave face on it and pretending that it was all fine and that I could cope.

“It sort of dawned on me that, for four years essentially, this man had made a career out of harassing me. And I felt harassed. I felt, ‘How can somebody say that they would rape me if forced, and be a legitimate candidate in an election?’

“It was one thing when he was just some idiot off the internet with a load of bros following him. It is a different thing when he is standing on the same platforms that I am standing on, that he will potentially go to a parliament himself as an elected representative when he has said these things.

“I just cannot believe our system is so weak at the moment that that’s allowed to happen.”

She added: “I cried in the street in Birmingham city centre, just because I felt the enormous weight of years and years and years of abuse.”

Mr Benjamin, who is standing for the right-wing party in in the South West region, has amassed a strong following of nearly one million subscribers after releasing divisive videos, including “Feminists Love Islamists“ and “Black Women Need to Take Responsibility”.

Earlier this year, the 39-year-old from Swindon had his Twitter account suspended days after it emerged that he had posted a video calling a disabled person a "retard" and an Asian person a "chink" in 2015.

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