THE GOVERNMENT and its mainstream opponents are lying to the British public about the UK's future role in Europe, says ex-chatshow host Robert Kilroy-Silk.

The latest recruit to the UK Independence Party said the public were being misled over Europe by the metropolitan political elite of politicians, who would lead Britain into a federal Europe. He hailed himself as the voice of the people.

Mr Kilroy-Silk, of White Lion Road, Little Chalfont, launched the attack at one of his first public appearances for UKIP at Amersham Community Centre, last Thursday.

"If the British public want politicians that will tell the truth, that talk to them, and represent the heart of Britain and not the heart of Europe, this is that party. It will get them out of Europe and build the kind of party that they want."

Before a supportive audience of more then 250, Mr Kilroy-Silk added: "It is a matter of principle. I want decisions on our interest rates, economy, on mortgages, to be determined in Westminster not somewhere else. The politicians lied to us in 1975, they have lied to us ever since and they are still lying to us today."

The BBC dropped Mr Kilroy-Silk's daytime chat show, "Kilroy", after he made anti Arab comments in the Sunday Express.

But UKIP hopes the addition of the former Labour MP, who voted against joining the common market in 1975, will kill off claims that the party is made up of right-wingers and extremists. They say his high profile is worth a million votes.

Nigel Farage, Euro MEP for the South East, and one of three UKIP MEPs, welcomed Mr Kilroy-Silk to the fold. He said: "He has made a massive difference. I am delighted he is on board, as he comes from the left-wing of the Labour party. Traditional politics is irrelevant. This is about who governs Britain."

Mr Farage said the party would make a strong push at the elections on June 10. Party's membership had increased five-fold and UKIP was spending four times the amount it spent in the 1999 Euro elections.

Mr Farage bolstered his new colleague's argument with an attack on Eurosceptics in the Conservative and Labour parties who criticised the EU.

In a fiery speech, Mr Farage said the real question was what the Eurosceptics proposed to do.

"They say we should go to Brussels and negotiate. That is not what this party is about. Let me make it clear, we are not Eurosceptics. We are outright opponents of Britain's membership of European Union."

Mr Kilroy-Silk was chosen to head the UKIP list of ten candidates in the East Midlands after official voting for candidates by party members had taken place and the list was complete. But he told the Free Press he had not upset the party by zooming straight to the top .

He had been asked to stand by the Earl of Bradford, who was top of the list.

He said: "They approached me. I said I would not do it if one single person in the East Midlands party opposed it and they said there was not."