to feel very proud of the Scots' reaction to Nigel Farage?

[HeadFairy]

Particularly the man who yelled at him "foreigners are welcome in Scotland, you're not!"

:o

The majority of people I know would back the student protesters against UKIP, and I'm actually in the constituency he was allegedly campaigning for.

Oh well if Aberdeen is against him, plainly we can discount all the thousands of people in insignificant parts of the country (like England) who did vote for him....
Like I said, parochial. And to someone who used to enjoy and appreciate the place, thoroughly depressing.

'The majority of people I know would back the student protesters against UKIP, and I'm actually in the constituency he was allegedly campaigning for.'

25% of the English voters who turned out to vote voted for UKIP at the local elections. I am talking about the entire United kingdom, not just one Scottish constituency.

This has received publicity across the entire United kingdom. Farage took the BBC on, he took the students on and he took what he calls anti English racists on. That is why he gained political capital out of this incident.

No, I think Farage has cocked this one up, and I'm very glad that he has. I fail to see how being told to "go back to England" doesn't have some pretty unpleasant overtones (although when spoken to Farage, the kettle meets the pot). However, he immediately lost the moral high ground by accusing them of facists. He should have presented himself as reason and humility personified, pretended that they had something worth saying, and challenged them to a civilised, courteous debate.

Of course he didn't, because that isn't the way he operates, and it isn't the way he has obtained minor celebrity status. I trust that people will see through it soon enough just as happened in different ways with Nick Clegg and Nick Griffin, just as Scots seem to be doing with Salmond's ridiculous arguments in favour of Scottish independence.

Aberdeen is relevant, because that's the by-election they were allegedly campaigning for.

Surely the whole point of campaigning for a by-election is to win voters in that constituency.

Or am I missing something here?

Seriously, Claig, "Farage against the BBC"? Because all the other media outlets were taking him so seriously??

If you don't like the man or what he stands for, provide an honest appraisal of what and who he is rather than repeating UKIP propaganda.

"25% of the English voters who turned out to vote voted for UKIP at the local elections. I am talking about the entire United kingdom, not just one Scottish constituency."

Umm - that will be the proportion of councils who had elections. Mostly in England, not the UK as a whole.

"Surely the whole point of campaigning for a by-election is to win voters in that constituency.

Or am I missing something here?"

I think you are missing the bigger picture. You yourself said that you would be surprised if UKIP gained more than 2% in that constituency.

Farage is building for the future. He has shown that he will not be cowed and he ended an interview with the BBC because he felt that he was being untreated unfairly and he has called out what he says is anti-English racism.

He is setting himself up as the opposition to the establishment media and establishment parties.

Farage went to public school and made millions in the City. So much for not being establishment

"Aberdeen is relevant, because that's the by-election they were allegedly campaigning for.

Surely the whole point of campaigning for a by-election is to win voters in that constituency.

Or am I missing something here?"
Yes you are. Clearly. Embarrassingly clearly. I will not shame you by pointing it out.

'If you don't like the man or what he stands for, provide an honest appraisal of what and who he is rather than repeating UKIP propaganda.'

I don't mind the man. I think he is a breath of fresh air and I agree with him on some points. I am usually a Tory voter, but have voted Labour in the past, but I voted UKIP at this local election along with 25% of English voters who turned out to vote. It doesn't mean i will vote for him at the general election or that I agree with everything he says.

'Farage went to public school and made millions in the City. So much for not being establishment'

Who cares where he went to school and good luck to him for making millions, if he did. He left school at 18 and went to work in the City. he didn't go to Oxbridge, he didn't get a PPE, he wasn't a policy wonk or an employee of a thinktank who has never ghad a real job. He worked like everyone else in the country and he was successful.

That's what this country is all about. The establishment media and parties are all anti him and some called his members "fruitcakes". He represents protest against an elite that does not listen to the public or represent them.

I was a bit annoyed about this demo and the news coverage actually. Obviously everyone has the right to protest, but frankly it would have been far better if Edinburgh had just ignored him.

As it is he's gained huge amounts of publicity, and there's no doubt he will have gone up in the estimation of his supporters, not to mention the English who would quite like to have a vote in the Scottish Independence Referendum (the SNP would definitely get a "yes" vote if that were the case).

All I hope is that he manages to split the Tory vote at the next election the way the Social Bloody Democrats used to split the Labour vote.

My dad was Scottish, my mum English. My dad despised the English (and what he would call "Papists"), so did my three half brothers.

It was ... interesting, growing up with him (until my mum finally left him).

But I try hard not to let that colour my judgement

Claig - he is establishment. That type of person can do what they want. He can do PPE and move into Westminster or work in the City and then move into politics. The path doesn't matter. His family's fortune and his connections shield him from the reality lived by most of us.

And the point is that he is EXACTLY the same as Labour and the Tories because most of them have exactly the same background, sadly.

"frankly it would have been far better if Edinburgh had just ignored him. "
Yes of course it would.
Let's not get into Scottish sectarianism. because that really is depressing.

"And the point is that he is EXACTLY the same as Labour and the Tories because most of them have exactly the same background, sadly."

What utter rubbish. So background is all, is it? So the wealthy public schoolboy who went to fight for the republicans in Sapin in the 30s was the same as the wealthy public schoolboy who hung out with Hitler in Munich? They believe in polar opposites, but hell, they both went to Eton, so clearly they're the same and in it all together (dons tin foil hat)

teejwood, he is more talented than any of the Tories and New Labourites and they all know that. That is why they are all desperate to stop him appearing in a future leadership debate. He would run rings around them, even though he left school at 18.

I don't care if his parents were fortunate enough to be rich and paid for him to go to a public school, in the same way that Diane Abbott did for her son. I care only about what he says and does for the people that he wants to represent.

I judge him by his actions, not by his accident of birth. I am not jealous that he made millions by his talent. I admire talent and I hope that he will give others the opportunity to prosper too.

Public school > city = establishment.

I don't see how missing out on three years of Bullingdon makes any difference. Why didn't he go to university? Weren't his grades good enough?

As far as I can tell this protest has gained him lots of support, in England. General feeling I have noticed in Scotland is that he is a bit of a numpty, and this incident has done nothing to dissuade us of that.

UKIP is simply irrelevant in Scotland, different country, different values. If UKIP manage to get enough votes in the by election to retain their deposit I will be impressed.

George Orwell went to Eton and he was a great socialist and a great man - one of the greatest the country has ever produced.

I don't care that he was born into a rich family, I care only what he did.

'Weren't his grades good enough?'

Probably not, I don't know. John Major left school at 16. I admire real success that was not handed to people such as policy wonks and think tank employees.

It was brilliant.

I live on Edinburgh (sadly down south for a few weeks) but god that was brilliant the chants of 'Nigel is a bawbag' gladdened my heart more than I can say. His petulant and childish interview on the radio proves how useless he is surrounded by sycophantic journos and supporters.

Farage is anti global warming and anto many green policies and that is the definition of being anti establishment.

John Major was a grammar school boy. Farage's family wealth bought him connections at a time when it was easy to make a killing in the City.

Look at the research - it's easier to take a risk with your career when family money is there to back you up.

I'm no Tory, I've never voted Tory, but Major stands head and shoulders above Farage in terms of achievement.

The fact people buy the "Farage as an underdog/man of the people" schtick really worries me.

Zac Goldsmith, Cameron and probably most of the Bullingdon Club members believe in global warming and carry their green credntials with pride. Some hug hoodies too. These are all things that the anti-establishment Farage would not do.