To timidly suggest that Nigel Farage is not a racist

[Millyonthefloss]

Can I just start by saying that I am not a racist. Thanks.

This is my AIBU.

Lots of people on mumsnet say Farage is a racist.

But this is what I think.

He is a geezer. He is a city boy. He smokes. He wears dodgy coats. He looks weird. He says non PC things, like my FIL does. He doesn't like overcrowding and change.

But I am beginning to think that he is not a racist.

What he is in fact is a man with an absolute obsession with British parliamentary democracy and an absolute hatred of EU waste, extravagance and unaccountability. He is totally obsessed with getting the UK out of the EU and independent again.

He is enraged and infuriated by the wasteful things the EU does like moving the EU Parliament from Strasbourg to Brussels all the time and wasting millions and millions of British taxpayers money that could be spent in his beloved UK.

I don't even think he is that interested in immigration.

But he is so obsessed with his aim of UK independence that he will work with anyone. So when free movement of labour became the big issue - years after he started his campaigns - he was willing to embrace it. And there have therefore been racists in UKIP. He is not choosy.

But I don't think Farage himself is a racist.

He seems to be genuinely delighted now that he can stand on a platform with Kwasi Kwateng or Frank Field.

He does his weird grin when he is with people like them.

All he wants is UK independence.

What do you think? AIBU?

I know what racism is because I have lived with it .

Sorry.

I have noticed that when the media is interviewing someone on the street to represent the Brexit viewpoint, they frequently choose someone who is black or Aisan or an immigrant. Is this to dissociate the Brexit viewpoint from a racist one I wonder? It is really quite noticeable. DH tends to heckle the TV with "It's alright, I'm in now, close the door behind me".

He does hang about with a fair few racists though. He's in charge of a party where racism creeps out on a frequent basis. His financial backers have some disgraceful views about rape, women and disabled people. He dances to that tune.

He is nonetheless a deeply unpleasant 'geezer' as you put it

Can I remove the word geezer from the OP?

It's driving me mad.

Wow Black, yet many leaders have spoken out in a positive way for Britain being a liberal inclusive country, where people can live side by side.

The last major race issue we saw here was Page Hall, David Blunketts cry out about the Roma community and the Asian communit.y.

David Blunkett, has said far more about the Roma than I have heard Nf say.

I'm off now to do some work.
Thanks very much for all the comments.
I don't know if the thread will be deleted.
Please don't make any offensively racist comments.
I am signing off.

I think I have learnt to be more careful with my language going forward and I will try to be. I will never ever use the word geezer again.

Even if you disagree that Nigel farage is racist, it is undeniable that he enables racists.

In my opinion that is just as bad as being racist yourself.

TL;DR but I've always wondered ...

Can I just start by saying that I am not a racist. Thanks.

Is there anyone in the history of ever who has actually introduced themselves by saying:

"I'm a racist"

and gone on from there ?

YANBU. I don't think he's racist either.
Would never say this in RL because of the reaction I know I'd get from my fellow Tory voters but I like Nigel Farage.

Is complaining about people speaking in foreign languages between themselves racist? Or is it xenophobia?

He also told interviewer James O'Brien "you know the difference" between Romanian and German immigrants.

news.sky.com/story/1263755/ed-miliband-nigel-farage-is-not-a-racist

Everyone this is what david blunkett said about the Roma is Page Hall when he feared a riot.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24909979

He called on the Roma community in Page Hall to change aspects of their "behaviour", such as congregating on the streets on summer evenings and dumping litter, which he said was "aggravating" local people.

"We've got to be tough and robust in saying to people you are not in a downtrodden village or woodland, because many of them don't even live in areas where there are toilets or refuse collection facilities. You are not there any more, you are here - and you've got to adhere to our standards, and to our way of behaving, and if you do then you'll get a welcome and people will support you."

Plenty of people claim to be non-racist yet still hold racist beliefs or prejudices or believe racial stereotypes.

Plenty of people would be horrified to be thought racist but still act in ways that are racist.

Farage is unquestionably pandering to racists and encouraging racism as a way of furthering his own political career.

littleprincesssara examples to back up your first two statements please

I think he's fine with people who pass the Norman Tebbitt nationality test.

littleprincesssara.........well said, and quite a few people on this thread are Racists- what I don't get is why they don't own up to it?!

I agree with littleprincesssara

Well here's a couple of questions for all of you who seem to know how to define a racist:

Question 1: I think anyone who allows girls to be mutilated (FGM) should be locked up for a long time. But that is the "culture" of many of those who are currently living here and as no-one is ever prosecuted for it it's clear the doctors, nurses, teachers, police and Government are all turning a blind eye. FGM isn't part of British culture but some of you are clearly stating that all cultures should be equal in Britain. So, all of you PC people, should people be allowed to mutilate little girls in the name of their "culture"?

Question 2: Is it right that little girls, often as young as two or three years old should be covered from head to toe? It was very hot yesterday but little Muslim girls were wandering around completely covered while their brothers were running around in shorts and T shirts. How is that right? Their "culture" makes it clear that girls are second-class citizens. How is that right? DD saw a programme on some TV programme a couple of weeks ago where a Muslim girl of around her age (12) had been told that she had to start wearing a hijab. She didn't want to and was distressed about it. She is England now and our girls are equal, so why should she be forced to wear it?

The Koran says women should be modest. The Muslim women I know are modest. They don't have plunging necklines or wear skirts up to their knickers. They wouldn't dream of covering their heads and the Queen of Jordan wouldn't dream of it either.

So, I don't think FGM should be allowed and I don't think little girls should be covered from head to foot.

Does that make me a racist? Or a feminist?

He isn't racist. Nor do I think that many people who want out of the EU are racist either.

Neither. Both fgm and wearing the hijab are cultural not racial.

BUT, to so called 'liberals' or the regressive left cultural (and particularly religious) practices and objections to them do normally get classified as acts of racism. So (for example), people who object to halal food being unlabelled are 'racist', people who object to the burka are 'racist', people who point out that culturally some people have pretty horrific attitudes towards women are 'racist', people who object to some of the Roma's typical street behaviour are racist.

So where does the line get drawn? I can't see why when something beyond the pale like FGM gets brought up suddenly it's not racist to object to something cultural. But when someone from Eastern Europe is throwing their rubbish out of a window into your garden instead of putting it in a bin that's racist.

"BUT, to so called 'liberals' or the regressive left cultural (and particularly religious) practices and objections to them do normally get classified as acts of racism." Well, when reported by the Right wing press they do. Not in real life.........,,,

But when someone from Eastern Europe is throwing their rubbish out of a window into your garden instead of putting it in a bin that's racist.

I'm fairly sure that this type of behaviour was happening in the UK long before free movement of people was extended to Eastern Europe.

I am fairly sure British streets have been notoriously dirty for decades.

I'm fairly sure that Brits don't exactly clean the streets in Spain whilst on holiday.

But yes. Eastern Europeans are dirty and anti-social by nature and we are superior in our behaviour.