UKIP info re corrupt practices and anti people activities

Ukip info http://ukipwatch.org/What%20became%20of%20the%20UKIP%20twelve.pdf


. All information provided is referenced and sourced
WHAT BECAME OF
THE UKIP TWELVE?
The ukipwatch.org website was set up in 2004 to monitor
the activities of the 12 UKIP MEPs. The UKIP MEPs
elected in 2004 have distinguished themselves since 2004
with a catalogue of incompetence, laziness and scandal.
Of the original 'dirty dozen' only eight remain, with three
MEPs (Ashley Mote, Robert Kilroy-Silk, Tom Wise) being
lost to prison, another political party and fraud allegations
respectively, and Graham Booth resigning for family
reasons. This short briefing paper sets out a selection of
the most outrageous scandals and juiciest stories. For
more, please visit www.ukipwatch.org, which contains a
comprehensive record of UKIP MEPs’ five wasted years.
Enjoy!
INTRODUCTION
UKIP MEPs
TOM WISE
Tom Wise's expenses scandal
Tom Wise (East of England) spent most of his parliamentary
term fighting off investigations for alleged fraud over
staff salary irregularities and, in April 2009 was finally
charged with money laundering and false accounting.
Bank documents obtained by the Sunday Times1 showed
that Wise had apparently channeled nearly £40,000 of
public money into his personal bank account after claiming
that it was for an assistant's salary.
From November 2004 until October 2005, Wise allegedly
directed £39,100 of taxpayers' money into his own bank
account, of which he paid his researcher Lindsay Jenkins
just £13,555. Wise was suspended, then reinstated and
then, apparently, finally expelled from the party in 2007,
although he still appears to be chair of his local UKIP
branch.2
News of the World exposé
A News of the World3 exposé saw Wise boasting about
taking full advantage of the European Parliament’s ex-
1 Sunday Times 25th Feb 07 "UKIP in embezzlement scandal" - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1434608.ece
2 http://www.ukipswbeds.co.uk/contact.php?TB=home7
3 News of the World 11th May 08, "I can make shedloads as an MEP, it's cushy" - http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/article4815.ece
4 http://www.prestoncitizen.co.uk/search/1753630.Stroke_victim_in_claim_for_constructive_dismissal_against_MEP/
penses system while at the same time admitting he hadn’t
got a clue what he was supposed to be doing.
Having nonchalantly admitted that "Yes, I am milking the
system, in as much as I'm overpaid for the amount of
expenses I've had" he went on to admit "I don't know
what an MEP's job is. No one's ever given me a job description.
I've no idea what an MEP should or shouldn't
do. So you make it up as you go along."
Wise claimed to be making a profit of nearly £2000 a
week from expenses scams - that's £1/2 million over his
five year term.
JOHN WHITTAKER
John Whittaker's cavalier approach to staffmanagement
North-West MEP John Whittaker did little of note as an
MEP, but found himself taken to court after sacking a
worker because she had a stroke.4
Hilary Harris, who ran Whittaker’s constituency office
from 2004 to early 2007, brought a case of constructive
dismissal after being pressurised to return to work and
having her job advertised despite suffering a stroke in
December 2006. An employment tribunal duly found that
she had been unlawfully dismissed and Whittaker was
required to pay a substantial pay-out.
Whittaker claimed that the employer/employee relationship
was good – “I always thought we got on well” – but
it will be a surprise if he wins any awards for being a good
employer.
NIGEL FARAGE
Nigel Farage - ‘Terrorism is a price worth paying’
Nigel Farage (South East) likes to style himself as the acceptable
face of UKIP and, like all right-wing politicians,
talks very tough on crime and terrorism…..except when a
letter bomb was sent to a Labour MEP.
For background purposes only. All information provided is referenced and sourced
WHAT BECAME OF THE UKIP TWELVE?
In 2005, the day after a letter bomb was sent to Gary
Titley, the leader of the Labour MEPs, Farage stated that
this was the "price of forcing a political ideal on people"
adding that "We can only hope that the EU comes to its
senses and listens to the people” and that failure to do so
could mean more attacks as extremists resorted to violence.
5
Creating his own European 'union'
UKIP party boy Farage may dislike Europeans, but it didn’t
stop him hopping into bed with one in 2005, according
to the News of the World. Farage formed his own
European union with a half-German, half-Swedish
blonde, Liga Howells, —who was born in Latvia and
speaks seven languages—hours after meeting her in a
pub.
Farage’s evening with the enemy involved humiliation
and a sex-act involving ice cubes.
But Liga from Riga said she was left speechless when father-
of-four Farage, revealed his kinky fantasy. "It was so
weird," she explained. "He asked me to smack him. He
went, ‘Smack me, Miss'. I have never, ever heard anything
like this in my whole life.”6
"He did ask me to humiliate him. It is beyond belief some
of the things he asked me to do. And I wasn't prepared to
do what he asked me.”
She said: "I put the ice cubes in my mouth. He really enjoyed
what I was doing and was very noisy in letting me
know."
Very kinky!
5 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3372481.stm
6 http://www.democracyforum.co.uk/ukip-general-issues/28045-nigel-farage-sex-scandal.html
7 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jan/15/1
8 http://www.richardcorbett.org.uk/releases/20080829.htm
9 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1821592.ece
GODFREY BLOOM
Casual racism, sexism and plain offensive – Godfrey
Bloom’s your man
Yorkshire MEP Godfrey Bloom used his time as a parliamentarian
to carve a reputation for himself as a selfstyled
'Colonel Blimp'. During his five year parliamentary
term he has, amongst others, managed to insult women,
flood victims, prostitutes and the Archbishop of York.
Impressive going.
Describing Archbishop of York as “black as Newgate’s
knocker’
In 2007, Godfrey decided to make an enemy of Dr John
Sentamu, the Archbishop of York. Questioning the
Archbishop's claims that there are racist elements within
the Church of England Bloom concluded - "I would have
thought that the fact he was made archbishop with a face
as black as Newgate's knocker would belie that". How’s
that for casual racism?7
Criticising people ‘stupid enough to build house on a
flood plain’
In 2007, flooding destroyed thousands of homes in Yorkshire
and Humberside. Five out of six of the region’s
MEPs campaigned to secure financial aid from the EU.
Apart from Godfrey, who has instead decided to campaign
for the hapless homeowners to be prevented from
getting home insurance in the future. According to UKIP’s
voice of reason: “I don’t have a home on a flood plain and
don’t see why I should subsidise some idiot who does”.8
Well said Godfrey! They were just asking for trouble
weren’t they?!
'None of the members of the Women’s committee are
in danger of being raped'
Talking about his colleagues on the European Parliament's
Committee on Women and Gender Equality, Godfrey
stated, "It did not take long before the conversation
got round to rape and prostitution… it always does."
“Interesting that none of them are in danger of the first
or indeed could earn their living at the second, though it
would be ungallant to say so."9 Yep, Godders, it would be
deeply ungallant, but that didn't stop you!
Brothel using Bloom - Prostitutes: “do it because they
want to”
On 8 March, International Women’s Day 2006, the Euro-
2
For background purposes only. All information provided is referenced and sourced
pean Parliament launched its “Red Card to Forced Prostitution”
campaign in time for the World Cup in Germany.
Around 700,000 women and children are trafficked
through international borders each year and it was estimated
that around 40,000 would be forced to work as
prostitutes during the World Cup.
Bloom, although unable to attend the seminar was, unsurprisingly,
not short of a word or two on the subject.
Bloom announced that he used to visit brothels in Hong
Kong when he was a businessman before claiming that
“most girls do it because they want to. If they
(prostitutes) wanted a job as a Tesco check-out girl,
they'd go do that instead."10
WHAT BECAME OF THE UKIP TWELVE?
10 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Brothelvisit-Euro-MP-under-fire.1381786.jp
11 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6951841.stm
12 http://www.amren.com/ar/1997/09/
13 http://www.mediamouse.org/news/2008/02/protests-planne.php
GERARD BATTEN
Gerard Batten - Let's bring back hanging
Gerard Batten's dismal campaign to become London
Mayor including a commitment to bring back the death
penalty, ignoring the fact that the death penalty is a barbaric
practice that has no place in a civilised society and is
no better than state-administered murder. U-kippers
would do well not to base their policies on the book of
Deuteronomy.
Unsurprisingly, Batten finished 6th with less than 2% of
the vote.
ASHLEY MOTE
Ashley Mote - convicted benefit fraudster
After the media got wind that he was facing prosecution
for multiple counts of benefit fraud, Ashley Mote was
expelled from UKIP in July 2004, just weeks after his election.
Although he had already been facing charges before
being selected as a candidate, UKIP placed him No 2 on
their list of candidates for the South East region alongside
Nigel Farage.
In September 2007, after attempting (and failing) to get
parliamentary immunity, Mote was finally convicted on
multiple counts of benefit fraud worth £73,000 and sentenced
to 9 months in jail.11
Ironically, Mote spent most of his time as an MEP complaining
about the EU accounts as (get this) a member of
the Budgetary Control committee! He was found guilty of
false accounting, eight charges of obtaining a money
transfer by deception, four charges of evading liability
and one charge of failing to notify of a change of circumstances.
Fearing Mote might go on the run, Judge Price explained:
"I have observed him over the past three weeks of this
trial and he has showed deceit after deceit."
The judge continued: "During the course of this trial I
have watched almost with incredulity your deceit about
money. Even now I cannot say with any certainty that I
know what your real financial position is or what assets
you have or have not got."
Friend of white supremacists
Not content with fighting with the law, Ashley Mote also
spent his time as an elected representative cultivating
some interesting political friendships. The most shocking
was his appearance at a conference organised by the
American Renaissance, a white supremacist organisation.
American Renaissance claims, amongst other things, that
non-whites pose a demographic threat to western nations
and are less intelligent than white people. Indeed,
in August 1997, a poll of readers on who had done most
for the "white race" gave the most votes to Adolf Hitler.12
So, over the weekend, Ashley spoke at the American Renaissance
conference as one of "a remarkable group of
speakers and guest - undeceived, outspoken and committed
to the defense of Western Civilization" alongside racial
activists including Sam Dickson, Eugene Valberg and
the editor of American Renaissance, Jared Taylor. Former
luminaries at AmRen conferences include Ku Klux Klan
member David Duke, Don Black, the organiser of the
white supremacist website Stormfront and BNP leader
Nick Griffin.13
Joining forces with Mussolini and Le Pen
Mote was also a founding member of the short-lived
Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty group in the European
Parliament. The group was composed of the French Front
National (including Le Pen), Alessandra Mussolini
3
For background purposes only. All information provided is referenced and sourced
(definitely her Grandfather’s Granddaughter), the Belgian
Vlaams Belang, and the Greater Romania Party. At the
time, a minimum of 20 members was required to form a
Group. Forming this far-right group in the Parliament
would not have been possible without Mote and without
UKIP's breakthrough in the last European elections.
WHAT BECAME OF THE UKIP TWELVE?
ROGER KNAPMAN
Roger Knapman - Immigrants can't come to Britain…
unless they fix my house
In May 2006, Roger Knapman (South West), then still the
leader of UKIP, was revealed to be using Polish builders
to renovate his grand house in Devon. UKIP were the only
British group in the European Parliament to vote against
allowing central and eastern European states, such as
Poland, into the EU. Knapman's party was also deeply
opposed to the right of any new entrant citizens to work
in the UK, claiming there was no demand for imported
labour. Apart from at Knapman’s country pad.
A UKIP spokesman commented that Knapman had used
the builders “for their skills” and not because they were
cheap. Still, a bit rich coming from the party that spoke of
"floods of migrants" coming into Britain.14
14 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/antiimmigrant-ukip-leader-hires-polish-builders-477314.html
15 27th November 08, 'Kilroy was 'ere'' - http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/11/27/kilroy-was-ere-115875-20928683/
16 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7731688.stm
17 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3642104.stm
ROBERT KILROY-SILK
Robert Kilroy Silk - "I’m an MEP get me out of here"
Kilroy's brief sojourn in the Australian jungle on ITV show
"I'm a celebrity…Get me out of here" came to an ignominious
end15 - he was the first to be voted off by the
public.
Although Kilroy-Silk (East Midlands) did emerge victorious
in one of the show's "bush tucker trials", it's unlikely that
this cut much ice with his constituents who, in the words
of Labour East Midlands MEP Glenis Willmott, "expect
their politicians to do a job of work, and you can't do that
if you are in the jungle, covered in cockroaches, eating
kangeroo's testicles".16
The leadership struggle
Having engineered the media frenzy that got most of his
UKIP colleagues elected, Kilroy expected to be rewarded
by being made leader in place of Roger Knapman. Paul
Sykes, the millionaire backer of UKIP in 2004 (whose donations
enabled this motley crew to outspend the three
main parties added together on advertising), openly
called on the party to make Kilroy its leader. Kilroy toured
constituencies looking for support to challenge for the
leadership.
He also claimed that he had funding to fight for a Westminster
seat in the East Midlands and made the assertion
that the party had the funds to fight 44 key marginals at
the next general election. He said: "I have personally
been promised all the money I need to fight every marginal
seat in the country. We have the money to set up
offices, agents, campaigns when I decide to press the
button".17
Under UKIP's constitution, an emergency general meeting
could be called if it is demanded by one-fifth of the
party's 223 constituency chairmen. An aide to Kilroy-Silk
told the Western Morning News that he had the support
of more than 50 local party chairmen. However, despite
getting the backing of over 50 constituency chairmen,
UKIP refused to allow a contest and Kilroy resigned.
Veritas debacle
In January 2005, immediately after quitting UKIP, Kilroy
formed a new party called 'Veritas' (Latin for truth), taking
a number of UKIP activists and several politicians with
him.
UKIP took the defections badly, suing two London Assembly
members who defected to Kilroy-Silk's new party -
Damian Hockney, now Veritas deputy leader, and Peter
Hulme-Cross were elected in 2004 on the list system.
However, Veritas could only retain one deposit at the
2005 general election, and Kilroy soon abandoned them
as well.
But finally seeing the light?
Kilroy finally admitted in a BBC documentary in 2005 that
he did not know what he was getting involved in when he
4
For background purposes only. All information provided is referenced and sourced
joined UKIP the previous year. He said: "The trouble is,
some are serious and some are nutters. And you get the
lot. Is this one serious? Or is this another nutter? I didn't
know what I joined. What's been irritating is that I've
been defending some of these bloody right-wing fascist
nutters."
WHAT BECAME OF THE UKIP TWELVE?
UKIPs failure to submit their accounts for 2006 to the
Electoral Commission18 brought them to the brink of
bankruptcy. They faced having to pay back £400,000. This
case has still not been completely resolved.19
UKIP and the missing £118,000
However, the Electoral Commission story was just the tip
of the iceberg. In March 2007, the Times reported that
the party was being investigated over donations worth
£118,000 that party treasurer Bruce Lawson was unaware
of and never appeared in UKIP’s bank accounts.
Lawson threatened to resign, writing in a letter to Nigel
Farage and deputy leader David Campbell Bannerman
that:
“I joined UKIP because I though we were different to the
other parties but even on the grounds of expediency I will
not be associated with this sort of behaviour.”
With his customary understatement, Farage merely contended
that “the party’s internal bookkeeping was not
what it might have been.”20
If you're disabled you can't be a UKIP candidate
Those who thought that UKIP couldn’t sink any lower
were proved wrong when 65 year old Jack Biggs was told
in March 2007 that he could not be a serious UKIP candidate
because he was disabled.21
Mr Biggs, a holder of the British Empire Medal, who has
had both knees replaced, was told by his local UKIP association
that he could only be a "paper candidate" for the
party in the 2007 local elections because of his disability.
Rather than offer a grovelling apology, UKIP gracelessly
accused Biggs of blackmail with Nigel Farage offering this
nugget of wisdom - "I could run down the street but I
couldn't make an Olympic athlete," he said. "This man
couldn't do the job just as other people can't do it because
they are busy."
GENERAL UKIP
EMBARRASSMENT
18 http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/news-and-media/news-releases/electoral-commission-media-centre/news-releases-donations/electoralcommission-
to-appeal-judgment-on-impermissible-donations-to-ukip
19 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1543498/Ukip-faces-legal-action-over-donations.html
20 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1400682.ece
21 28th February 07, "The UKIP emails" - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/feb/28/eu.politics
5
For background purposes only. All information provided is referenced and sourced
WHAT BECAME OF THE UKIP TWELVE?
Collapsing membership
For a party that claims to be the fourth largest in the UK,
UKIPs membership is tiny and falling. Party membership
has collapsed from 25,000 in 2004 to just under 15,000 in
2009, with numerous branches closing.
Some branches folded to align with other parties. A number
of branches defected with Kilroy to Veritas, while
Tom Wise’s 100-strong Fenlands branch affiliated to a
rival anti-EU party, the United Kingdom First party.
Even their politicians aren’t party members
In March 2008, UKIP jubilantly announced that right-wing
Tory MP Bob Spink had defected, giving them their first
Westminster seat. However, this March, Spink, told his
local paper that he had never been a member of UKIP. In
his words, “I never joined UKIP and do not intend to do
so”.22
This came as news to UKIP spinner Tim Worstall who
claimed that Spink was a party member, but conceded
that “He has been issued a membership card, but he’s
never actually paid for membership.” Doubtlessly, the
news also came as a nasty shock to Nigel Farage, who
had welcomed Spink with open arms adding that he was
“delighted to welcome the hard working and deeply principled
Bob Spink as our first Member of Parliament”. Oh
dear.
Spink, recognising that taking money and activist support
from UKIP would kybosh any remaining chance of him
even losing with dignity, stated that he would not accept
any activists’ help or financial support from UKIP.
At the time of writing, useless UKIP still hadn't got the
message. Spink is still down on their website as UKIPs
leader in the Commons!
22 http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/4179128.Tory__UKIP__Now_I_m_just_an_inde_says_MP_Bob/
23 http://www.ukip.org/page/ukip-officials
24 http://registers.electoralcommission.org.uk/regulatory-issues/regpoliticalparties.cfm?frmPartyID=60&frmType=audetail
25 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1466713.ece
Who's left?
From starting with 12 MEPs in 2004, only 8 of the original
12 are left, while former leader Roger Knapman no longer
sits with UKIP in the IND-DEM group in the European Parliament.
Ashley Mote was kicked out of UKIP just months
after being elected - when the party claimed, somewhat
amazingly, that it had no idea that he was facing prosecution
by the Department for Work and Pensions for fraud.
Kilroy walked out on UKIP when they had the temerity
not to make him leader. Tom Wise was suspended, then
reinstated and then suspended again following the police
investigation into him. The party now claims that Wise is
no longer a UKIP MEP, but Wise continues to be a party
member and is, ironically, still acting as Treasurer of his
local UKIP branch.24
Graham Booth resigned in September 2008 for family
reasons, to be replaced by Trevor Colman. Colman, a former
policeman, was the man who UKIP had entrusted to
conduct their internal investigation into the Tom Wise
affair, which led to his suspension and then initial reinstatement.
25
Roger Knapman has spent the last three years seething at
his ousting by Farage. He resigned from the anti-
European IND-DEM group on the grounds that they were
not eurosceptic enough and no longer sits with UKIP.
Electoral failure since 2004
Having described themselves as the fourth largest political
party in Britain following their 2004 successes, UKIP
have been relegated to the fringes of political debate. In
successive local council elections they have performed
dismally, and have fewer councillors than other minor
parties such as the Greens, BNP, and even the continuity
"Liberal party".
In 2008, they lost both of their 2 GLA members and were
beaten into 6th place by the BNP in the London Mayoral
elections.
In 2005, having confidently predicted that they would win
IN THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT
6
For background purposes only. All information provided is referenced and sourced
at least one seat, UKIP failed to get more than 15% in a
single constituency. Having spent £250,000 on the campaign
in 495 seats they could only retain 45 deposits.
In Westminster by-elections they have also fared abysmally.
They did finish third (ahead of the Tories) in Hartlepool
back in September 2004, which marked the high
point of their by-election success. They spent £75,000 on
the by-election, a considerable sum for the return of
votes they actually received.
In Bexley and Sidcup, Nigel Farage could only poll 7% as
leader in 2006. Each of the 2,347 votes Farage picked up
cost the princely sum of £31.96. Not exactly a bargain!
Indeed, for all of their bluster about how undemocratic
the EU is, none of UKIPs parliamentary representation
outside Brussels has been elected on their ticket. Alongside
Bob Spink (who UKIP still claim as their own), they
have two peers in the unelected House of Lords.
How they voted
UKIPs 2004 delegation entered the Parliament with
dreams of destroying it from within. In reality, their only
tactic of disruption was to vote against virtually everything.
This, and a failure to read what they were voting
on, led to a number of embarrassments.
Facing all ways on Working Time
The revision of the Working Time Directive was one of
the most high profile votes in the European Parliament.
Despite their loathing of all things Brussels, UKIPs MEPs
managed to vote the wrong way on a number of amendments
to the Working Time Directive, specifically on the
status of the UK opt-out, voting to oppose the opt-out
and arguing that a 65 hour working week was too long.
On one of the most important pieces of legislation, with a
direct effect on Britain’s entire workforce, UKIP couldn’t
even be bothered to read their own voting list.26
Confused about teaching children about the EU institutions
UKIP MEPs got very hot under the collar in 2007, claiming
that the EU was "brainwashing children" after learning
that children at Key Stages 3 and 4 were being taught
about the role of EU institutions as part of citizenship
classes. Godfrey Bloom even described the learning pack
as "bias and propaganda masquerading as fact" complaining
that "taxpayers are being forced to pay for our
children to learn EU systems".27
What Godfrey forgot to mention is that all ten UKIP
MEPs, including himself, actually voted in favour of a
resolution in the European Parliament calling for
"European citizenship standard elements in school curricula
throughout the EU" in January 2005! So, an abrupt Uturn
in party policy or (more likely) their MEPs were too
lazy to bother reading what they were voting for!
Animal-loving UKIP?
In 2007, seven UKIP MEPs joined another 10 MEPs to
vote against an EU measure to further curb fishing with
driftnets.
Fishing with driftnets is already banned in the EU due to
the number of dolphins and whales they catch (and kill)
but the new measure, adopted by a massive majority
(633 in favour) further tightened the rules.28
UKIP MEPs no friend of British fishermen
In 2005, ten of UKIP's MEPs voted against defending the
Shetland Box for a further three years.
The measure to ensure that protected waters around
Shetland and Orkney remained protected, thus ensuring
the survival of Scotland's northern communities, had
been supported by the European Parliament's Fisheries
Committee. However, a last minute bid by Spanish and
French MEPs to water the proposal down was backed by
UKIP, thus risking defeating the coalition of Labour, Conservative,
Lib Dem and SNP MEPs who were all rightly
defending the interests of British fishermen.
Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson, the Conservative
European Parliament spokesperson on fisheries, lambasted
UKIP, rightly asserting that "Fishermen across Britain
will rightly be disappointed UKIP was not defending
their interests today. UKIP MEPs owe our fishermen an
explanation".29
WHAT BECAME OF THE UKIP TWELVE?
26 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+PV+20081217+RES-RCV+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN
27 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/EU-39trying-to-brainwash-children.1953121.jp
28 http://ukipwatch.org/2007/02/animal-loving-ukip.html
29 http://www.northeastsomersetconservatives.co.uk/index.php?sectionid=3&pagenumber=342
7
For background purposes only. All information provided is referenced and sourced
WHAT BECAME OF THE UKIP TWELVE?
UKIP vote against tackling female genital mutilation
On International Women's Day, UKIP's Vice Chairman
(sic) Rachel Oxley made a statement denouncing the
practice of female genital mutilation and calling for more
effective action on the issue.
Yet, in February 2006 the European Parliament adopted a
resolution based on a report by Maria Carlshamre MEP
calling on all member states to work together take a zerotolerance
approach on all forms of violence against
women and to exchange information on how best to do
this. It also instructed all EU countries to recognise rape
within marriage as a criminal offence and not to accept
cultural practices as an excuse for honour crimes or female
genital mutilation. Indeed, Parliament called on all
member states to ban female genital mutilation and to
prosecute all perpetrators of it.
This report was resoundingly supported by almost all
groups across the Parliament - the resolution was passed
by 545 votes to 13. Except one. Not one single UKIP MEP
supported the resolution and the seven UKIP MEPs who
voted, voted against - Gerard Batten, Godfrey Bloom,
Graham Clark, Nigel Farage, Roger Knapman, Mike Nattrass
and Jeffery Titford.30
Against free breast cancer screening
UKIP also voted to reject a European Parliament resolution
seeking to save the lives of 31, 000 breast cancer
victims each year.
Messieurs Batten, Booth, Clark, Farage, Knapman, Nattras,
Titford, Whittaker and Wise attempted to deny free
biannual screening for women aged between 50 and 69
years of age, through which it is hoped early detection
would lead to a 90% cure rate.31
UKIPs shameful stance on gun control
A notable victory in establishing common EU rules to
tackle gun crime was sealed in 2007 when the European
Parliament agreed a deal with the Council of Ministers on
the control of the acquisition and possession of weapons.
The legislation, which was supported by the Association
of Chief Police Officers, ensures that all weapons are
marked and recorded to help police trace weapons to
those who legally bought them; include convertible
weapons in European countries' gun control laws; and
ensure that people with violent crime convictions are not
able to buy guns.
The inclusion of convertible weapons was particularly
good news for the UK. While the UK has the strictest
standards on gun control in the EU, it was possible to buy
guns which fire blanks or gas, and then smuggle them
into the UK where they are modified to fire live bullets.
Nearly half the weapons seized by police in Manchester
are conversions.
So there you have it, a measure that will cut crime in the
UK, raise standards across the EU towards those in the
UK, bring the EU member states into line with the UN
Protocol on Firearms and was endorsed by every political
party and group in the European Parliament and the police
- but not UKIP.32
And unlikely allies of Robert Mugabe
In 2007 Andrew Reed, a UKIP candidate at both the 2001
general election and the 2004 European elections and
advisor to Nigel Farage, accused Western governments
and the BBC of demonising the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe.
For good measure, he described Zimbabwe as
"essentially democratic".
Moreover, he absolved the Mugabe regime of responsibility
for the bloodshed and starvation inflicted on the
Zimbabwean people, arguing that Zimbabwe is "under
siege from the international community" and contending
that there is no "adequate justification" for humanitarian
intervention.33
So the UKIP attitude to the plight of Zimbabweans is to
blame the EU and stick their heads in the sand. Dangerous,
deluded and despicable.
30 http://ukipwatch.org/2007/05/ukip-vote-against-tackling-female.html
31 http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2006/11/ukip-comes-to-rescue-of-internet-tv.html
32 http://ukipwatch.org/2007/12/ukips-shameful-stance-on-gun-control.html
33 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/pandora/out-now-margarets-myopic-view-of-the-world-445042.html
8
For background purposes only. All information provided is referenced and sourced
WHAT BECAME OF THE UKIP TWELVE?
Far right unite - UKIP and the BNP?
A proposed BNP pact collapsed in October 2008 when
UKIP rejected the idea. However, the proposal was
brought to them by an active member of UKIP, former
tennis star Buster Mottram. 2 members of UKIPs NEC
were subsequently expelled/resigned.34
Links with the far-right
In an interview in 2006 with LBC, a London news station,
Conservative Leader David Cameron referred to UKIP
members as "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists".35
UKIP supporters were outraged and claimed Cameron
had gone too far? But are UKIP actually racists? Let’s
see………………..
Robert Kilroy Silk labelled Arabs "suicide bombers, limb
amputators and women repressors" on his BBC Talk
Show in 2004.36
Mike Nattrass once stood as a candidate in the Dudley
West by-election as a New Britain Party candidate, a
party calling for forced repatriation of immigrants and
somewhat racist. His UKIP colleague Jeffrey Titford was
also a member.
Ukipwatch couldn't possibly comment on the alleged
"closet racists" but the media and fellow UKIPwatchers
may wish to consult the following list:
Alastair McConnachie - former UKIP candidate -
Holocaust denier38
Martyn Heale – Former UKIP South Thanet Branch Chairman,
now Agent and Campaigns Manager - former National
Front branch organiser and candidate.39
Meanwhile, UKIP NEC member David Abbott donated
LINKS WITH THE FAR
RIGHT
34 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7706857.stm
35 4th April 2006 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4875502.stm
36 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3393095.stm
37 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Britain_Party
38 27th February 2007, "UKIP hit by new row over holocaust denier" - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/feb/28/eu.politics
39 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2004/oct/21/uk.otherparties
40 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1544527/Revealed-Ukip-official-gave-money-to-the-BNP.html
41 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4875026.stm
42 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ukip-is-party-of-fascist-nutters-says-kilroysilk-488832.html
£40,000 to the BNP.40
Nigel Farage said he was happy to be branded a fruitcake,
a loony and gadfly afterall... “I'm wearing the gadfly
tie today”, but denied the "racist" remarks claiming….
"We are a non-racist, non-sectarian party..."41
But, even elected UKIP MEP Robert Kilroy Silk admitted
in 2005 that UKIP were "bloody right wing fascist nutters".
42 Very confusing!
9
WHAT THEY’VE ACHIEVED