This morning in the plenary chamber Martin Schulz announced that two MEPs have joined UKIP’s Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) political grouping.
The first of these is Mike Nattrass, though he is actually rejoining after quitting the group in June 2010. Mr Nattrass left the group because, as he said, he did not want to sit with MEPs “who do not wish to leave the EU and have very odd views on many issues which are incompatible with my own”. He also said that by remaining a member of the EFD he “would be condoning this progressive destruction of our cherished institutions” and would be ‘far more effective’ as a non-attached MEP.
Perhaps more intriguingly, the newest member of the EFD is Slavcho (aka Slavi) Binev from Bulgaria. Mr Binev was elected in 2009 as an MEP for Attack, a far-right nationalist party, that he has since left. The Attack party has been involved in a number of scandals, most notably in 2006 when then leader Dimitar Stoyanov made racist and misogynistic remarks about another Bulgarian MEP. What’s more Mr Binev was named in a 2005 US diplomatic cable on organised crime as heading the MIG entertainment group whose “criminal activities include prostitution, narcotics, and trafficking stolen automobiles”.
UKIP are a strange bunch with stranger friends and this acceptance of Slavi Binev is further proof. It’s worth remembering another person who felt the need to leave the EFD, Nikki Sinclaire who resigned from the EFD citing her displeasure at what she claims to be some of the racist, extremist parties that belong to the group. Sinclaire was subsequently expelled from UKIP for refusing to be part of the EFD group, but went on to win an Employment Tribunal claim for sex discrimination against them.
Farage may be feeling confident after UKIP’s showing in the recent by-elections, but he should show a bit more care about his public perception. I have already spoken about Godfrey Bloom’s sharing wine with fascist leader Marine le Pen and now Farage has decided to campaign against gay marriage in order to steal votes from the Tories. Farage, it appears, is well on the way to exposing the extreme-right and bigoted character of UKIP.
From the kind of people who read your blog (and the kind who would) I don’t think any further proof of UKIP’s far-right credentials is needed.
However, unfortunately there is a large percentage of the UK who do not know the true colour of UKIP’s views and policies. I really hope that the percentage of people in the UK who understand and agree with UKIP is very small.
Thanks for this Mary.
Ukip get a free ride in the British Press, particularly the popular press, yet the reality of Farage, Bloom and now Hamilton is something that should make any decent British person reach for the sick bag.
I was particularly taken by Farage describing Denis McShane as a “Scumbag” when Farage himself receives more than 3-4 times the amount of public money as McShane and lied about being transparent about his earnings and employing his wife on taxpayer money.
UKIP’s links in the EFD really do say much about them. While they refuse membership to ex-BNP members they are more than happy to team with the likes of Mario Borghezio and his corrupt party – the Lega Nord – that are certainly as bad if not worse than the BNP. Griffin certainly isn’t a convicted racist arsonist.
The Lega is of course thoroughly pro-EU, indeed sees its homeland “Padania” as a European province separate from the rest of Italy – as Roberto Maroni said just today, yet Farage is happy to be in bed with them.
Farage is a hypocrite and his ranting in the EU Parliament brings to mind the ranting of Ian Paisley about the antichrist, indeed, UKIP present themselves in Europe as the true heirs to the English football hooligans – a national embarrassment.
I can no longer find your article on a Belgian MEP in the Tory group attacking UKIP as hooligans, but if you want to woo the hooligan vote you do not necessarily want to denounce them as hooligans.. or maybe you do???
@leonjwilliams
“However, unfortunately there is a large percentage of the UK who do not know the true colour of UKIP’s views and policies.”
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Please allow me to disagree on that. I DO believe that a large percentage of UKIP voters know what this party stands for. Barbarity, racism, homophobia, did not extinguish from human society. They were always here and we closed our eyes to this phenomenon hoping that someday will blow away. For so many years we have done absolutely nothing to tackle such elements from our society and now we pay the price. We deserve it