More context for the UKIP debate…….
The most damaging (They hope) attacks on Nigel Farage were as a result of him being asked if he would like to have a house load of Romanian men move in next door to him…he said he wouldn’t appreciate that based on the evidence….this was leapt upon as proof of his racism when James O’Brien in his LBC interview with Farage raised this previous interview but added in his own little twist asking what would be the difference between a house load of Romanian men and one of German children? Farge said ‘You know the difference’.
Indeed O’Brien did….but claimed he didn’t stating ‘I honestly don’t know.’
It was clearly a nonsense comparison chosen because Farage’s wife is German and because Farage is unlikely to complain of children living next door…the difference between adult Romanian men and German children is stark and obvious.
What if Farage had said ‘students’? Would that have been more acceptable….given their well known anti-social behaviour? Surely you can object to certain groups living nearby based on evidence?
O’Brien claims that Farage’s concerns are racist for picking on one nationality, however what about O’Brien’s own wife?
Has he questioned and pilloried her for her prejudices against men?
His wife is a feminist Guardian writer who wrote this:
Sometimes it seems hard to be a parent in the UK. Hard to get your kid into a decent state school; hard to be a working mum; hard to be a stay-at-home mum; and hard to protect your children against the paedophile who – according to newspaper headlines – is probably living next door but one. Sometimes it makes me start to panic.
Widely publicised cases involving British children such as the Soham murders or the death of James Bulger have helped us lose trust in one another. Although these incidences are as rare as they are shocking, they have surely influenced child-rearing in our country to a disproportionate degree.
So let’s be clear….Lucy, O’Brien’s wife, has an innate prejudice against male neighbours believing they could be paedophiles, the thought of which makes her panic. She has lost trust in men because of crimes committed by men on children and reported in the Media.
What is the difference between her position and Farage’s who bases his concerns on information supplied by the Metropolitan Police and Interpol as well as reports from places such a Sheffield where community tensions are high due to ‘neighbours from Hell’?
The latest from the Guardian:
Farage attacks backfire on Labour and Tories
Attacks have confirmed Ukip leader as anti-establishment candidate, according to telephone polling and focus groups
Labour and Conservative polling is showing that attacks claiming Nigel Farage is a racist have backfired since voters do not regard him as such and see the assaults as a sign members of the political establishment are ganging up to undermine him.
The apparent backlash is coming to both parties from telephone polling and focus groups, which say that the attacks have raised Farage’s profile and confirmed him as the anti-establishment candidate. It does not tally with published opinion polls that show the Ukip lead in the European elections narrowing slightly.
One source said: “Calling people names does not work. It confirms the old politics.”
Hi Sue
I see you’re onto the Peter Hitchens – BBC case. That will be an interesting one to watch. Hitchens doesn’t strike me as the forgiving type.
Anyhow! I wanted to add my thoughts re: the LBC “car crash”
Anyone unfamiliar with the inner workings of local political party administration (quite a few people. I’d imagine!) would have been misled by O’Brien’s line of questioning re: the “councillor” who had made improper remarks. Of course, the man in question was not a councillor but a candidate – a world of difference.
No party leader would have been able to answer the questions subsequently put to Farage because no party leader has any involvement at local level. Everything from the approval process to disciplinary action is handled by the local branch/constituency. Party leaders can’t be expected to know the names of hundreds or thousands of candidates/councillors, or be up to speed with regard to their actions. – as is being ably demonstrated now by Ed Miliband’s inability to know the name of the leader of the council in the area he was visiting – which is far worse than Farage not knowing much about a mere candidate!
I was dismayed (a polite expression!) by the way in which O’Brien twisted this non-story. The impression it created was entirely false.
Sorry – that should clearly have been “Hi Alan” – but a “hi” to Sue anyway!
If James O’Brien, aka William Hickey, has difficulty over the difference between men and little boys, or even women and little girls, he needs watching very, very carefully. However, I am fairly certain that he knows full well about the difference and to use innocent children in order to attack a politician is beneath contempt and the man should be ashamed of himself as should those who are willing to make use of his behaviour to follow up his attack.
I would certainly prefer Farage, and his children, to having somebody as low as O’Brien living within ten miles of me.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2634014/Mass-brawl-erupts-rival-groups-youths-area-former-Home-Secretary-David-Blunkett-warned-rioting-influx-Roma-immigrants.html….looks like these pakistanis dont want romanian neighbours living next door to them,nigel farage predicted this would happen and was called a racist,shame on the left
Probably the Pakis fear violent competiton from the Roma in the crime rings there.
Farage predicted it and, if I remember correctly, Enoch Powell predicted it too – look what happened to him. If you want to see a metropolitan parasite start foaming at the mouth, mention his name.
I’m afraid the neo-libs don’t like having their pet policies criticised, however. After all, the trouble they cause only affects peasants on council estates, so why should they care?
If it’s not day it must be night. If it not light it must be dark. If you’re not a quisling you must be a racist.
“Vote hope”, “Vote Labour”…
Well done Nick…”Vote Hope”…..http://order-order.com/2014/05/21/ukip-candidate-stabbed-by-labour-supporters/
This is becoming truly disgusting…
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/05/21/EXCLUSIVE-UK-government-funds-anti-UKIP-group#.U3ycW2t34KM.twitter
It’s past ‘becoming’..
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/funding_of_hope_not_hate
Earlier someone reminded us that David Cameron was a founder signatory to this outfit.
When they started going well off the rails I asked my (Tory) MP what the hell was going on and how did he feel about his leader being neck deep in this.
His reply was deeply unimpressive but by what he didn’t say I gathered he was not at ease.
And we’re supposed to feel some moral obligation to pay our f***ing taxes?
Has Al JaBeeBa put the Bobby Anwar ‘Muslim Labour supporter’ attack on (Black) UKIP candidate story up yet?
i think james obrien,david lammy,yvette cooper,diane abbott and the rest the ukip hating media owe nigel farage one big apology now for describing him as racist over him comments about mass immigration and romanians,this rioting and racial violence yesterday betreen the pakistani muslim community in sheffield who dont want romanians as there neighbours was excatly the point that nigel farage was trying to make last week on lbc and it seems he was proved was proved right judging by this racial violence in sheffield last night,but it gets worst,that slimey odious creep keith vaz has today reported nigel farage to the so called equality and human rights commision formely the cre and has accused him of making racially aggravated and offensive words about romanians,maybe keith vaz should keep his big grassing mouth shut and pop down to sheffield to see what is going on betreen the pakistanis and romanians and and also apologise to nigel farage for calling him racist even though the leader of the labour party ed milliband said on monday that he thought nigel farage is not a racist,.ps.. no coverage of the rioting betreen in the pakistanis and the romanians in sheffield last night on the bbc and radio 5 live,i wonder why that is,
It was perfectly OK for David Blunkett to warn about possible riots, but as soon as Farage says so, he’s a waycist.
I believe there have been other MP’s who also expressed concerns. Obviously, their names haven’t been mentioned during this abysmal campaign.
Vote U.K.I.P.
They don’t like it up ’em and a good result for Farage will shove it up just about as far as it can go.
Alan, you become more and more ludicrous with each post.
You must be the only one left defending Farage’s comments. Even the man himself isn’t anymore. You must be really, really tired in that case!
And O’Brien can’t ask a legitimate question because his wife once wrote that society is scared for children’s safety from paedophiles!?!? And paedophiles are the same as Romanians?! It’s enough to make a cat laugh Alan.
Oh, and O’Brien’s Mrs’ comments don’t seem to mention men. Paedophiles can be women can’t they?
Alan’s argument: Its perfectly reasonable not to want to live next door to an American, because some Americans are serial killers. And its hypocritical for me to question that because my wife thinks people are afraid to go into hospital in case they get a hospital infection. So doctors and Americans are the same.
Don’t take this as an ‘Ad hominem’ but ever consider running this past someone else before you publish?
In a a country where it is becoming necessary to speak in code most of us know what Farage was really talking about. If you don’t then you have led a sheltered life. The Twitter/liberal mass can shout all they want but millions know exactly what Farage meant. And his remark could only be construed as racist if it did not apply to ethnic Romanians. Whether it was I leave to you to work out.
In the liberal world truth is no defence.
Its not necessary to speak in code. Just say what you mean, and you’ll be judged on that.
DO YOU MEAN GYPPOS ?
Hendy
I see this interview from a different perspective, and it’s one that doesn’t include Farage.
What I saw in the interview made me want to weep. I’ve been in the political arena myself and what I saw in the LBC interview – and what I’ve seen in the MSM – wasn’t politics: it was Punch & Judy for not-quite-grown-ups. It is both depressing and worrying that politics in the UK is rather less “Intelligence Squared” and more “Big Brother House”.
I wouldn’t worry about Farage if I were you -I would worry about the dumbed-down, soap opera style politics of the UK. I would worry about a media that has apparently forgotten its core prinicple of “telling truth to power” and has instead sided with Westminster and attempted to intimidate the people by shame tactics in order to achieve its desired outcome. I would worry that Facebook groups exist to trawl social media, reporting what is essentially thought crime.
You don’t have to be a UKIP supporter to view this particular campaign as deeply troubling.
Hendy, in my opinion, it would appear you haven’t taken your tablets today.
“Outrage as Abu Hamza’s family is allowed to STAY in £1.25m home and claim £33,800 benefits”
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/477268/Abu-Hamza-s-family-allowed-to-stay-in-1-25-million-London-home-and-claim-33-800-benefits
I get very worried about men who try to insist they can’t tell the difference between adults and children. Personally, if I found I had one of them living next door top me I would be worried, very worried indeed and would certainly warn all the local parents to keep their children well away from them.
I stopped listening to O’Brien ages ago he’s never been terribly bright. Otherwise I’d say LBC is okay. Hartley-Brewer is great for example.