All 16 UKIP county councillors refused to back an anti-racism declaration put forward by veteran Labour councillor Rob Parker at a meeting on Friday.
Coun Parker wanted to ensure all county residents are treated equally with access to the same services, but UKIP’s group leader Chris Pain says all it did was “support multi-culturalism whilst not helping integration at all”.
The motion was passed by 60 councillors – Tories, Labour and Independents – but UKIP members abstained.
After the meeting, Coun Pain blamed multi-culturalism for “destroying the fabric of our British Society”.
He said UKIP’s stance is about “space, not race” and offered to have his London barristers prepare a motion for the county council that is “fit for purpose”.
Coun Pain said while discussing Lincolnshire’s diverse and multi-racial heritage, the motion declared: “We will work vigorously to combat all forms of racism to rid Lincolnshire of racial discrimination.”
He said: “The UKIP team were placed in an untenable position where they could not sign the declaration as presented and now the quiet accusation is that they are racist.”
Labour deputy group leader Rob Parker said UKIP’s response was “seriously disappointing”. He said: “The motion was passed in 2007 by all of the political parties and when we had a new council I thought it would be a good time to reaffirm our commitment to equalities. “It’s about sending a message to our staff and the people we serve that we treat people equally.” Coun Parker said equality was not solely about race – it’s about gender, the old and the young. He said: “We have got equal rights to services.”