It was no surprise to see ex-UKIP MEP Ashley Mote jailed after being found guilty of benefit fraud, but his nine-month sentence means that, under UK law, he is able to continue as a Member of the European Parliament.

Mote then, has left us in the ridiculous situation in which he has been found guilty of fraudulently obtaining taxpayers’ money, yet will continue to receive his taxpayers’ funded salary while being incarcerated at the expense of the taxpayer.

I have therefore written to House of Commons authorities, as they are responsible for the payment of MPs and MEPs salaries, asking that Mote’s salary be witheld for the duration of his sentence.

Mote was the ultimate hypocrite, as he frequently made unsubstantiated claims about fraud in the EU, while he himself turned out to be a fraudster.

The Guardian’s diary writer Hugh Muir makes a pertinent point when noting that while Ashley Mote cannot attend his committee (Budgetary Control) one of his neo-fascist colleagues in the Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty Group can sit in on his behalf!

I’m sure the voters of the south east didn’t envisage that when they voted UKIP three years ago.

At the risk of sounding like Richard Littlejohn, you couldn’t make it up.