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#StrongerIn: Vote Leave turns on Marine Le Pen - 'Bar her from UK'

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Marine-Le-Pen-reconduite-a-la-tete-du-FNA senior figure in the campaign for UK exit from the EU has urged the Home Office to bar French far-right leader Marine Le Pen from visiting Britain.

Vote Leave Co-Chairman Gisela Stuart said Le Pen held "divisive and inflammatory" views and her visit would not be "conducive to the public good".

The president of the French National Front, who backs Brexit, is expected to travel to the UK in the next few weeks.

Le Pen has said she intends to speak in favour of Britain leaving the EU and wants France, like the UK, to hold a referendum on leaving.

In a letter to Home Secretary Theresa May sent on Friday (22 April), Stuart said the National Front leader "has previously made many divisive and inflammatory comments, including comparing Muslims praying in the street to the Nazi occupation of France".

"Accordingly, I urge you to exercise your powers under immigration legislation to refuse her admission into the country if and when she attempts to visit the UK."

Le Pen has spoken in favour of French withdrawal from the EU and eurozone, which she says would allow France to restrict immigration, impose customs duties on imports, nationalise some big businesses and re-instate the franc.

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She denies accusations that her party is racist and anti-Semitic.

French elections

Correspondents say the National Front has been following the EU debate in the UK closely and hopes a vote for Brexit would lift its political fortunes in France, which holds presidential elections next year.

Party spokesman Alain Vizier said: "Marine Le Pen is bound to go [to the UK]. The date has not been set, it would be at the end of May or early June.

"She would go for a day or half a day," he said, adding only that "she will campaign for Brexit".

Earlier in the week, Le Pen said in a French radio interview: "Every nation in Europe has the right to be asked that question - do you want to stay in this structure... or not.

"The first step was organized by David Cameron."

The UK's in/out referendum on the EU will be held on 23 June.

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