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A mum-of-three has spoken of her disappointment after Nigel Farage stopped her from standing for his Brexit Party.
Evie Martin had to abandon plans to stand as MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey in next month's General Election after the leader pulled the plug on candidates in constituencies with Brexit-supporting Conservative MPs.
Mrs Martin said: "It is a terrible shame. I really thought the Brexit Party had a good chance of winning. I understand the decision and have to abide by it. But I think it was wrong.
"We had a very strong following but I am not going to stop the momentum. We have formed a Brexit Party Activist Group in the area to ensure MPs are held to account."
She said the news was broken to her last Monday morning but did not come as a shock.
She said: "It went right to the wire but it didn't come as a surprise to me.
"All candidates had been warned from the outset it might not be possible to stand for every seat. We were told we must always put the country before the party.
"But I am disappointed. This is a blow to democracy. Not everyone of the 17.4m people who voted Leave is a Conservative. They deserve a choice. I honestly don't know who they will vote for now."
The former Highsted Grammar schoolgirl lives in Swale and is married with three daughters.
She owns an independent builders' merchant specialising in historic and period properties and runs training courses at East Kent College teaching period property renovation.
When she first put her name forward she warned: "There will be no Brexit if you continue to vote for the current Conservative MP Gordon Henderson as, despite his Eurosceptic record, in the end he defends the Conservative Party not the country. I believe that only The Brexit Party can deliver a true Brexit.
"Brexit is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the people of the UK to take back control of our laws and our waters."
Islander Malcolm McLeod will not be standing for the Brexit Party in Rochester and Strood either.
For more Kent 2019 General Election coverage click here.
