even rape" Labour politician Jess Phillips and Meechan, known online as "Count Dankula", released videos in which a dog appeared to repeat genocidal nazi slogans. The presence of the three led to criticism from antiracist groups. In November 2018, Batten appointed anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson as his adviser on matters including 'rape gangs' and prisons. The appointment was strongly criticised by Nigel Farage, who indicated an intention to seek a vote of no confidence in Batten. In response to the appointment, Farage along with many other UKIP MEPs resigned from the party in the following weeks, forcing Batten to withdraw UKIP support for the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy alliance with their MEP representation being reduced to 9 from a peak of 24 MEPs in 2014. Farage left saying: "Many UKIP members – including UKIP's NEC – urged that Robinson should not become an advisor to Batten. Sadly, these pleas fell on deaf ears." Farage likened UKIP under Batten to the British National Party. Another MEP, former leader Paul Nuttall left calling the appointment of Robinson "catastrophic". In January 2019, Farage founded the Brexit Party, and in February, established it in the European Parliament, with nine MEPs who had left UKIP joining the party: himself, Tim Aker, Jonathan Bullock, David Coburn, Bill Etheridge, Nathan Gill, Diane James, Paul Nuttall and Julia Reid. Carl Benjamin comments, electoral wipeout and end of leadership term In April 2019, Batten defended UKIP candidate Carl Benjamin's social media reply in 2016, "I wouldn't even rape you", to the MP Jess Phillips. Philips had written "People talking about raping me isn't fun, but has become somewhat par for the course." Batten stated on BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show that Benjamin's reply was "satire against the people he was saying it about." Three more MEPs left UKIP the following day, defecting to the Brexit Party. One of these, Jane Collins, said "to hear Gerard Batten on national TV yesterday defending this man's use of rape as 'satire' made me sick to my stomach." A second, Jill Seymour, said: "No one person should ever be bigger than a political party but sadly I believe that Mr Batten will be instrumental in its demise." During an interview on Sky News with Sophy Ridge in May 2019, Batten stated his position as party leader would become "untenable" if he were to lose his seat in the European Parliament.