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.

Nigel,

Thanks for anwering my question.I UKIP are totally different to the BNP but some people take some convincing.

@DollyTwat

why did you ask to come on MN?

Because I thought that if I could survive this, I could survive everything! And also because of the biscuits.

Follow up from scottishmummy's question:

You're talking about estimated percentages of german laws there. Germany is not the uk. On what uk evidence do you base your claim?

I'd stay away from the ice cream if I were you.

What is your favourite biscuit?

@LeninGrad

What do you think of the decision to extradite Assange?

I'm very worried that the European arrest warrant is being used for political purposes and I'm unsatisfied that any proper prima facie evidence has been given in the space.

The last person that I was involved with on an EAW was called Andrew Symeou who has now been sitting in a Greek prison since last July and is yet to face change. And he's 21 years old.

@TondelayoSchwarzkopf

Also - do you realise how expensive our food would be without the CAP? Milk especially is heavily subsidised.

All foodstuffs would be considerably cheaper outside the EU which would be a huge benefit to consumers, a potential benefit to the Third World, they may leave some British farmers with a headache.

If he changed, would they let him out?

What would you do in terms of defence and the treatment of our armed forces if we elected you?

@SpeedyGonzalez

Nigel Farage, why does your name sound French? Are you actually a continental European in disguise?

How dare you!

The original spelling of the name was Faridge but changed at a wedding in 1840 to its current spelling. Don't ask me why, suspect the family was always fairly uneducated.

@HannahHack

Do you agree with EU regulations on medicines and patient safety?

Hannahack, hello. No I don?t agree with additional EU regulation. We have enough national regulation and we don?t need more EU regulation.

thanks for answering, not sure you've survived yet though!

Are you embarrassed by the behaviour of members of your party on this thread?

Why do you think your party attracts mainly men, certainly from what I have seen in Fife at hustings meetings etc the majority of UKIP members seems to be rude men, who lack any sort of insight into local issues and just go along to heckle other candidates.

How would you attract women to your party??

@Rinseoffmycustard

What would you do in terms of defence and the treatment of our armed forces if we elected you?

I'm appalled at the extent of the government's defense cuts. What we need right now is an aircraft carrier with helicopters and combat air support off Libya.
Our government's own strategic defense review says: (page 8)
"In the short term, there are few circumstances we can envisage where the ability to deploy air power from the sea will be essential."

This shows how out of touch they are.

Thanks Nigel but that was a rhetorical remark I made to another poster (FYI I have my disagreements with CAP and the conduct of trade with developing countries is part of it) - my actual question is about Maternity Leave. I hope you can answer it.

@huddspur

How would you repair the diplomatic damage with our closest neighbours and trading partners that would be caused by our withdrawal from the EU?

We want to trade with Europe, cooperate with Europe, sit round the table and agree common minimum standards but not be governed by Mr Van Rompuy and his undemocratic institutions.

We would also be free to reengage fully with the rest of the world.

@Hectess

How would you reassure people that your party embraces diversity?

10% of our candidates in the European elections were Black or Asian. So far we only two nominations in to stand for UKIP as London Mayor, and again, both are from ethnic minorities.

@TondelayoSchwarzkopf

Re-posting mine as well:

Can you explain your parental leave policy in your manifesto? It is not clear to me.

"The impact on small businesses [of EU maternity pay legislation] is disproportionately damaging...many SMEs are understandably nervous about employing young women, or try not to promote them to key positions.

UKIP proposes to vastly simplify this legislation. It would be up to each employer to decide whether to offer parental leave and this would be one of the items included in the standard employment contract (see above). An SME which refuses to offer parental leave will either have to offer young women higher salaries than other businesses which offer a long leave period or they will simply have to recruit from a smaller pool of potential employees.

Here.

I interpret this as meaning that UKIP will exempt small and medium businesses (which according to you are responsible for 55% of employees in the UK) from statutory maternity leave and pay. Is this the correct interpretation?

See y'all at one.

TonydelayoSchwarzkopf, hello again. All I am saying is there should be less legislations impacting on SMEs. They should be left alone to create more jobs. I fully support women rights and women rights and parental leave existed in the UK even before EU legislation. They should just stop creating more legislative burden.

@FannyFifer

Are you embarrassed by the behaviour of members of your party on this thread?

Why do you think your party attracts mainly men, certainly from what I have seen in Fife at hustings meetings etc the majority of UKIP members seems to be rude men, who lack any sort of insight into local issues and just go along to heckle other candidates.

How would you attract women to your party??

Yes, I am embarrassed by it. If they weren't members of Mumsnet before, they should have left well alone.

In response to your other question, I think politics tend to attract more men than women as candidates - also, as a voluntary party, I think men are more selfish, and quite happy to spend their money on election deposits and leaflets .

But of course I want more women to get elected for us, but I don't believe in positive discrimination or Cameron-style A-listing. I find all of that frankly, very demeaning.

What are your views on climate change and recycling? Do we really need so many bins?

In your opinion at what point do you become English/British - is it automatic if you are born of British parents even if you are born in Paris or Sydney? Or what if your parents are foreign citizens but you are born in the UK? What if you are foregin born but have lived in the UK for 10 years, 20 years, 50 years? When do you stop becoming an immigrant who should "go home and stop taking our jobs" and become a member of the "home team"?

Good question from Fannyfifer - you don't seem to attract many women to your party - it is very male dominated - ideology wise as well as physically.

Do you see some inherently aggressive divisive policies might be the reason for this?

Hello Nigel
My question is about the European court of Human rights. I am very relieved that the UK government voted against giving prisoners a vote. But shouldn't this institution be putting the rights of law-abiding citizens first before those of criminals ? what would the UKIP do ?