The leader of a far-right political party has been confirmed as a candidate in this May’s local elections in Kent.

Britain First leader and right-wing figurehead Paul Golding is standing for election to Dartford council under the banner 'Britain First - Housing for Locals'.

He will go up against candidates from Labour, Conservatives, and the Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents’ Association, who are all vying for the Swanscombe ward.

The long-time far-right activist has links to Kent and was previously a British National Party (BNP) town councillor for Swanley, near Sevenoaks between 2009 and 2011, and stood in the 2010 general election as a BNP parliamentary candidate for Sevenoaks.

The party’s policies include “no exception” deportations of illegal immigrants and foreign criminals, rejection of all asylum seekers, and a referendum on reinstating the death penalty for paedophiles, terrorists and murderers.

Mr Golding holds convictions for a terror offence and hate crimes.

A recent video on Britain First’s website shows Mr Golding with activists knocking on doors in Swanscombe and describing it as “quite a deprived area” and a “real Labour stronghold”, before claiming “the support here is huge.”

Swanscombe is currently represented by two councillors, Labour Party councillor Emma Ben Moussa, and Conservative Anita Barham.

“He’s got his facts wrong already, I’m the first Labour councillor to be elected in 20 years in Swanscombe,” Cllr Ben Moussa (Lab) said.

Cllr Ben Moussa told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that “there’s no place for him here quite honestly.

“This is a diverse community and we have really strong connections to each other," she said. "I’ve never lived anywhere that’s so community minded as Swanscombe.”

“We do not need him coming around and causing hate and division amongst us, he’s not welcome and I suggest he disappears to be honest.”

Cllr Ben Moussa says that residents have approached her concerned due to the presence of Mr Golding and Britain First activists in the area.

“I’ve had people contacting me worried already.

“He’s come and caused problems further down the road where he’s asking people if they have the right to live in the UK just because they’re a different colour.

“A couple of weeks ago he asked one of my neighbours whether they had the right to live in the UK – he was born in the UK but he’s mixed race.”

The party is also fielding another candidate - Nicholas Scanlon - who is standing for Darenth ward under the banner “Britain First - Close the Borders.”

According to civil rights group Hope not Hate, Mr Scanlon was also a former member of the BNP and Generation Identity - an extreme right European youth movement which has been banned in France.

Speaking previously, Dartford MP Gareth Johnson (Con) slammed the group's members for spreading "hatred and division".

It comes after right-wing activists were accused of whipping up tensions in Dartford after restaurant owners were targeted over the sale of halal foods.

Mr Johnson said: "While they have a democratic right to stand at the elections, this group do not represent the values of Dartfordians.

"They spread nothing but hatred and division and are not welcome in this town.

"We have good race and inter faith relations in Dartford and we will not allow this group to stop this."

Mr Golding's convictions include a 2020 offence under the Terrorism Act for refusing to allow counter-terror police access to his phone and laptop after he returned from a visit to the Russian parliament in October 2019.

In 2016 he was sentenced to eight weeks in prison for breaching a court order which banned him from entering mosques in England and Wales.

A year later Mr Golding was handed a 120-day suspended sentence and 200 hours of community service by Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court for a charge of assault by beating.

Mr Golding claims in the latest campaign video that after his failed run at London Mayor in 2016 “the government banned me from standing for election for five years, so this is the first time I’ve been able to stand for an election in seven years or so.”

However, Britain First was not registered with the Electoral Commission from 2017-2021 according to records, after failing to renew its registration in time.

And in 2019 it was fined £44,000 by the Electoral Commission for various offences, including a failure to declare donations.

The Electoral Commission told the Local Democracy Reporting Service only the police can ban individuals from standing for public office, and it is understood Mr Golding has not been personally banned.

Dartford Borough Council elections are taking place on Thursday, May 4.

Standing for election in Swanscombe borough ward are Anita Barham (Local Conservatives), Emma Ben Moussa (Labour) Lorna Cross (Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents’ Association), Paul Golding (Britain First - Housing for Locals), Santosh Patil (Local Conservatives), Claire Pearce (Labour)