Lord Pearson plays on Islam fears to win Ukip party nomination

Lord Pearson, the former conservative and millionaire campaigner against immigration, has been elected to the position of Leader of the UK Independence Party (Ukip) on the back of his promotion of the ‘growing threat of Islamism’.

Announced to the post yesterday, Lord Pearson of Rannoch’s campaign has had at its heart the question of immigration and how best to stop it. The Tory defector from two years ago was the comfortable winner of the nomination, beating out the challenge of four rivals.

One of two Ukip peers, Lord Pearson has protested that the UK political class is unaware of the true threat of Islamism and also argued that many Briton’s are strangers in their own land in echoes of Nick Griffin and the BNP.

Lord Pearson made headlines earlier this year when he invited the controversial Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders to attend a screening of a radical Islam documentary. The former insurance broker, now 67, has called for an absolute zero net increase for immigration, citing the issue as the most pressing one facing voters. Lord Pearson has also welcomed potential pacts with fellow right wing political groups and Eurosceptics in the lead up to the 2010 election, saying that Britain should return power to the people through a series of local referendums.

Lord Pearson takes over the Ukip leadership from Nigel Farage, who will concentrate on trying to oust John Bercow from his position as Commons Speaker.