A FORMER Reform Party candidate has claimed most women who say they have been sexually assaulted are being dishonest.

Stephen McNamara, who is now standing as an independent candidate in the upcoming Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse by-election, posted on Twitter/X: “98.05 per cent of women who claim to have been raped were lying".

The post is still online at time of print.

McNamara was pulled as a candidate for Reform during the General Election for saying that transgender people have a “severe mental illness” and that their “days are numbered”.

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He claimed that Reform had asked him to stand for the party for the upcoming by-election.

Responding to the controversy, McNamara told the Sunday Mail that his comments were “facetious” and intended to “stir the pot”.

When asked whether his constituents might find his comments offensive, McNamara said: “That’s entirely up to them. I don’t care.”

The self-described "libertarian" goes on to encourage tax evasion, proudly branding himself a “tax avoider”.

“I do encourage as many people as possible to stop funding the government and all their ridiculous laws and avoid paying tax. There are several ways to fund things. Tax is a glorified version of insurance that should be optional."