Candidate sorry for Facebook 'sluts' slur
A Kent Conservative election candidate who resigned from the party after referring to local women as "sluts" has said his comments were "immature".
Payam Tamiz, 21, was due to stand for election to Thanet District Council's Salmestone ward in Margate on 5 May.
The Conservative Party described his comments, which were made in a discussion on his Facebook page, as "outrageous and unacceptable".
Mr Tamiz, from Margate, said he wanted to apologise to anyone he offended.
He said: "When I posted that comment it was at a time when I was having some relationship troubles - a long time before I joined the party, and a long time before I was even thinking I would be running for political office.
"It was a spur of the moment thing. It was a really, really immature comment to make."
During a Facebook discussion last July, in which he said he wanted to "settle down with someone decent", the University of Westminster law graduate claimed it was "impossible to find someone with morals and a bit of self-respect".
He continued: "It's the ones that look respectable and decent but underneath it all are complete sluts that you got to watch out for."
He also said women in the area were "completely shameless".
His comments were condemned by Labour, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP.
Speaking to South East Today on Thursday, Mr Tamiz said he believed there were "social issues in Thanet".
"I think it's important that as a district council we address those problems," he said.
"But I do want to state very, very specifically, and I've been portrayed very, very incorrectly via these articles, that I do not believe that all females in Thanet are sluts.
"It's absolutely incorrect."
Mr Tamiz said the language he used was "completely unacceptable".
"I want to apologise to anyone I offended.
"It was a spur of the moment thing...I never knew anyone would look at it again."
Mr Tamiz will now stand as an Independent candidate in next week's local elections.