Live webchat with UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Thurs 24 Feb, 1-2pm

[KatieMumsnet]

Our live webchat guest this week is Nigel Farage. He is the leader of UKIP and has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 1999.

Known for his straight-talking, Nigel has made the headlines with forthright speeches, once telling the EU President he had the charisma of a 'damp rag'.

He is a regular on programmes including BBC Question Time.

If you have a question you'd like to put to Nigel, please join the webchat this Thursday lunchtime, 1pm - 2pm. If you won't be around then, please post your question here.

Right. I think I might have come up with a question.

Given UKIP's policy commitment to British style, do you agree with the description of this pen as 'stylish'?

itstheBNPthathadtherowwithMarmitexx

@scramvonwhatever You really are wasted on here someone of your wit should be on the stage...
Tell me one thing that I listed about the EU that is untrue - no not the figures of speech "faceless" or "gravy train" - you funny old thing you lol, no really laugh out loud!
Oh don't bother a serious response would be a "teensy weensy" bit beyond you wouldn't it...

TondelayoSchwarzkopf I know that, but it was invented by a furriner which always made me laugh when I saw the BNP thing

LovesAGoodDoseOfIronyTiggaxx

Tondelayo, I have to say I haven't. I daren't risk them inflaming my passions further and turning me all kinder, kuche, kirche.

(And they say they have nothing in common with national socialists. Only their views on women, clearly. )

oh hang on, I found this

'UKIP would require the UK theme medley to be restored to BBC Radio 4'

there, there's a policy that's worth explaining

But I love marmite!

(bnp-hijacked associations aside)

PS Dawntigga, I love your signoffs. Now, my addiction to italics, that is furren and bad.

No- dolly- I would have to support that one myself

I see my "seriously unhinged" comment was certainly correct.

Now you ask, eice, I was going to start posting a list of benefits that I feel the EU has given us (by us, I mean voting British citizens, MormonKris...) but didn't want to turn this thread into a parody of the 'What have the Romans Ever Done for Us' scene from the Life of Brian. I am very happy to do so though, if you feel you would benefit from such a primer.

(PS Please don't be boring and draw a comparison between the Roman Empire and the EU. That would be too unimaginative even for your lot, surely)

I also didn't want to risk pushing this thread over the 1,000 post mark and giving your friend Nige no room to say his piece. Though you UKIPers are so very obliging and I find it so very hard not to be polite and respond.

(And what's wrong with being witty on here? Surely the fact that it is a widely-publicised forum is why the UKIP lot have asked to have their say. Reading Scram's words makes my day a bit better and a little bit happier. Which is more than I can say for anything UKIP do.

I know. I have a home that needs making. Do excuse me..

Nope it wouldn;t eice, be beyond my inclination with this thread though. You see, I don't do 'single issue' party politics of any kind. Europe is ONE electoral field; what about all the very many others? What about ATOS and the impact on the autistic people I support for a living? What about the impact of selection on beight - but- challenging children like my son who has Asperger's? (oh no, did I actually read the policy doc? wow). What about parents who CHOOSE inclusion, and where did this stuff about allowing parents to choose special schools- we already can, I have, but there aren't enough places; how do you isue vouchers for univeristy education based ona cademic ability to adults who return later in life with experience instead of exams as I did (good degree, doing a Master's now), or as my DH is doing (heading for a first in a tech subject)? How will UKIP force locals to accept social housing when here they wil protest about one 50/50 ownership being built (the locals will win without big changes to planning law generally, even though there is a huge need)? How can you replace housing benefit with workfare when 80% of claimants are not unemployed- most are either disabled, elderly, carers, or in low paid employment; Why is the website so out of date it talks about DLA when that is being pahsed out as a benefit and cut by 20%?

Noew of it adds up; it's all under informed.

Oh yes and on the website when you search disability it brings up a really horrid joke about rudolph claiming disability discrimination. The page has been removed but the joke still comes up in search. Yuck. Why would I ever, as mum to 4 children with needs varying between SEN and severe SN, ever vote for a party that thinks disability discrimination is a joke?

ScramVonChubby, btw: my son's hamster's name.

I do find it slightly hilarious that UKIP is against the EU, so they want to withdraw and set up some Commonwealth-based equivalent instead. The major difference between them seems to be that they imagine that Britain (which is largely elided with England, which again doesn't seem to represent the whole of England anyway) will be in charge of this new form of British imperialism. I don't think they've really considered that many countries probably won't want to join up to this project and that any that did might have their own ideas about how things should be.

Of course, they'll say that this is an entirely different type of project, but it seems to me that UKIP yearn for the glory days of the British empire when the rest of the world knew its place. They go as far as stating that the dodgy stuff like colonialism and slavery are all some kind of "Marxist-Leftist conspiracy" to paint Britain as the villain.

Hate to break with the norm here but I do actually have a question for Nigel.

Are you planning on issuing a new policy document/manifesto soon? those on your website are dated April 2010 and correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Lord Pearson the leader then?
Would be interested to see what, if any polices have changed since you were re-elected.

Also hope you are recovered from your accident now.

thast all really.

^ I don't think you understand how the EU works, it's similar to the soviet union, it's not just for trade, the people who make the rules are unelected and we cannot sack them (the EC). And it's not a single issue - there is probably not any aspect of your life now that isn't affected by our membership - it's pro statism - and they (UKIP) have a full manifesto - www.ukip.org/content/ukip-policies
And they are not opting for a rerun of the British empire, find out yourself before you start making big scary claims that you have actually just parroted from the media :)

- statism in action.

They do have a full manifesto, and as I said in my post plenty either makes little real life sense (SEN)or is based upon actual facts as they stand (housing benefit).

Why do people who vote for certain parties think we do not understand, when in fact we simply disagree?

Why do UKIP-ers keep going on about how we are "parroting the media", when most of the questions and statements here are based on direct quotation from their candidates and manifesto?

Isn't the internet and printed manifesto a form of media, Tondelayo?

and we retain the right to be facetious.

By the media Scram they mean the guardian and the BBC. They don't mean the Express or the Mail or anything they agree with / publish.

Question for Mr. Farage: What do you think of the Northern League party in Italy? They are un unreservedly racist secessionist party who use overtly racist language on TV (calling black people "bingo bongos" and advising the use of immigrants as target practice for hunters) because over there they can get away with it being allies of Berlusconi who decides what goes on Tv and what doesn't. And what do you think of the Jobit party in Hungary who advocate the sterilisation of gypsies among other things?

This is a serious question so please put it forward for me.

to HIM I meant. no freudian slip intended!

Sorry I meant JOBBIK party in Hungary.

' the people who make the rules are unelected and we cannot sack them (the EC)'

Our judges in the UK aren't elected either, Rinse...