Ukip MEP candidate says that it is ok to joke about 'raping a woman' during press conference

A Ukip candidate who directed sexual assault comments at Labour MP, Jess Phillips, has refused to apologise, adding that he doesn't believe that 'women are any different to men in how they should be treated.'

Carl Benjamin, also known by his YouTube persona of the 'Sargon of Akkad,' told the MP for Birmingham Yardley that he "wouldn't even rape her" in a Twitter exchange dating back to 2016.

The 39-year-old from Swindon is now hoping to be elected to the European Parliament in next month's European Elections but the remarks have come back into the public conscience after the Ukip leader, Gerard Batten repeatedly refused to condemn the tweet, even going as far as to brand it 'satire.'

At Ukip's European election campaign launch in London on Thursday, Benjamin was directly asked about the comments by Sky News reporter, Kate McCann.

She asked Benjamin 'why he thought it was acceptable to say, on Twitter that he wouldn't even rape a female Labour MP?' In response he said:

Because I don't think that women are any different to men in the way that we should treat them.

Unlike the establishment, unlike our judges who literally say 'if you were a man I would send you to jail,' I think we should treat women the same as we treat men.

That means if a woman is being a giant b**** and laughing at male suicide I'm going to be a giant d*** back to her. 

Any questions?

Benjamin was then asked if he believed if it was 'acceptable to joke about raping a woman?' to which he replied:

Yes. 100 per cent. Deal with it.

Response to Benjamin's comments has been one of overwhelming condemnation and shock.

Phillips has since accused Benjamin of lying about her and threatened to get her lawyers involved.

More: UKIP leader Gerard Batten tried to mock LBC Radio but was let down by his own grammar