The PR advisor to controversial right-wing MP Rita Verdonk, Kay van de Linde, has resigned, ANP news service reported at the weekend.

The departure of Van der Linde follows the leak of parts of a speech he gave at Amsterdam University in which he refered to Verdonk’s new political party Trots op Nederland (TON).
The spin doctor is reported to have said: ‘One person, no party, no content, no real standpoints, absolutely nothing. And the Netherlands says: I’m prepared to give my vote to this. Up to now it’s all been hot air.’
Van de Linde said the comment had been taken completely out of context but that he is stepping down to prevent harming Verdonk and TON.
TON has been plagued by in-fighting since being set up after Verdonk was expelled from the right-wing Liberal party VVD last year.
In September another advisor, Ed Sinke, left the movement after being accused of fiddling TON’s finances. He called Verdonk ‘unprincipled and narcissistic’.