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.

@Mormonkris

Don't get me wrong about feminism. I'm all for women exercising their right to be mothers and homemakers. My 22-year-old great-grandmother was absent from the 1911 census, which strongly suggests that she was a suffragette. She went on to become a wife, mother, grandmother etc who held her family together despite difficult circumstances.

The modern feminist movement has been taken over by angry socialists who hate men. They bare no resemblance to the feminists of old.

My church has some very good, family friendly policies.

lds.org/library/display/0,4945,161-1-11-1,FF.html

Perhaps you can ask Nigel what kind of common sense, family friendly policies UKIP has.

Hello, Mormonkris. I hope this was said in the jest. I am strong advocate of women rights, and don?t agree with these views.

@atrociouscook

Nigel

I thinm you're a lovely guy - so cheerful and full of energy with an engaging smile. Why don't you join the Lib Dems, change some of your opinions and get to the top? You are wasted in UKIP and I'm sure you can't really believe all that they stand for?

The Lib Dems had this wonderful image for years of being 'nice' but nobody ever knew what they really stood for! Now they're in government, they're prospects are not quite so rosy. My aim is for UKIP to overtake the Lib Dems. Perhaps some of them might come and join us?

Why do you think that the EU is a big enough problem that it should affect how we vote in the next general election?

@Janzen

Question:

I am a US citizen married to a UK citizen. We are expecting our first child who will be born in the UK. Since moving to the UK three years ago, I have worked full-time (and pay the highest income tax rate). Do you think I should have a right to become a UK citizen? What if I decide to quit my job and become a full-time mom? Do you think I should still be eligible for UK citizenship?

Our policy on extending citizenship is that we first need to sort out the current mess we're in. We don't know within a couple of million people how many people actually live here legally.

You will of course be welcome to stay, but we should not be issuing new citizenships until we first sort out the mess.

@crazymum53

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 ?

I too feel very strongly about the votes for prisoners issue. Parliament voted against giving prisoners the vote, not the UK government. In fact all that vote has done, is to demonstrate the impotence of our own parliament.

All the while, we've remained signed up to European treaties - there is nothing, repeat, nothing that we can do.

Farage wrote: ", 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."

It is only legislative burden if you are a cock and discriminate against people/women.

Why would any reasonable business owner be worried about the sort of legislation you describe....unless of course they are using the more vulnerable situation many women find themselves in for cheap and insecure labour?

@jeanvaljean

Nigel: UKIPs policy on Climate Change is to "Establish a Royal Commission to determine the truth about man-made global warming". Can you explain why the overwhelming opinion of the global scientific community is not enough for UKIP? You surely realise that any "Royal Commission" would be the target for lobbyists and would only increase the disinformation already foisted on the public by big business?

UKIPs stance on climate change is rather depressing.

Hi jeanvaljean. Most of the data currently used is produced by IPCC. However, it is little known that IPCC was established to prove climate change. No attempts were made to find objective answer. There are now many voices in the scientific community saying that CO2 emissions do not cause global warming. It is very costly for our industry, and to all of us consumers (hike in electricity and gas prices) to pay for one sided argument.

I don't think Nigel is going to answer my earlier question so I wonder if it's OK to ask this?

Is the experience of being the leader of UKIP like herding cats?

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.

Yes, lovely, but diversity means more than people of Black and Asian origin- what about people with disabilities, what about the gayz and the wimminz?

And really- what are your party's policies around diversity which I think Hectess was actually getting at?

Why do we need an aircraft carrier off the shores of Libya Mr Farage? Our military are already fighting wars and supporting peacekeeping missions across the world. We do not, and cannot, be involved in every crisis point across the world surely?

Just to make sure NigelFarage doesn't get away with it: the 75% figure is just gibberish, taken out of context (no "survey" involved). More facts in the link but a more honest figure would be between 10% and 20%.

fullfact.org/factchecks/express_europe_EU_legislation_proportion-2466

@claig

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

I think the jury is out on whether CO2 emissions are leading to global warming. In fact, since 1998 temperatures have reduced slightly.

However, I'm in favour of recycling, if it actually happens! Under the current rules, the mere fact that waste has been separated counts towards recycling targets. Even if then, the whole lot was sent to China and put in a landfill site.

Donknow if you saw my question further down igel but it's with regard to the immigration freeze and the need to fill low paid often unrewarding jobs in the UKsuch as care home workers. How would you deal with the inevitable shortage of staff an immigration freeze might eventually cvause? Am thinking nobody will come just for temporary wrk to do these jobs - it's not like seasonal work and many unemployed would choose not to do the work in care homes.

Subject is close to my heart as my grandmother is cared for in a nursing home by people of many nationalities - and cared for very ell I might add. Many of these people might want to remain in the UK and have taken work here in the hope of being able to do so -just cannot see them coming in for temporary work.

@elkiedee

My question(s): What do you think about the movement for democracy in so many countries in North Africa and the Middle East? Do you not think these people, of various faiths, are bravely setting an example of standing up for their rights? What attitude should the British government take towards them?

Hello, Elkiedee. British Government is in dreadful position here. New Labour was very friendly with Gaddafi regime. Cameron continued the tradition. Now, we are in position where we do not have aircraft carriers nor aircrafts for support to evacuate British citizens. Any movement for democracy is very encouraging. I just hope for peaceful transition.

@jonicomelately

I don't think Nigel is going to answer my earlier question so I wonder if it's OK to ask this?

Is the experience of being the leader of UKIP like herding cats?

Yes! By definition, people in UKIP are strong-minded, single-minded, individualistic and often totally impossible - thank goodness, they're human beings! Not cardboard cutouts.

UKIP is, always has been and always will be a non-racist, non-sectarian party

I know you deny ever saying to Alan Sked (UKIP?s founder leader, 1993-1997) that we will never win the nigger vote. The nig-nogs will never vote for us. Although Alan Sked says you did

Robert Kilroy-Silk a former member wrote in the Daily Express in 2004: They (Muslims) are backward and evil and if it is racist to say so? then racist I must be - and happy and proud to be so.

There?s also been a lot of cross-over in membership between UKIP and the BNP hasn?t there?

How many members exactly have you had to expel for BNP activity or former membership of the BNP? They still seem to be drawn to your party, don?t they? In November a judge had to overturn the decision of the Stockton branch to expel Alan Hardy for former membership of the BNP.

If you?re not a racist party, why:

1. does your party cosy up to overtly racist parties in the European Parliament, such as the Northern League?

1. Invite the racist Dutch politican Geert Wilders (who has called for the Koran to be banned to come to this country as a guest of your former leader, although he was banned by the Home Office on the grounds that he would incite hatred and endanger public security. (the ban was overturned and your party and those charmers the English Defence League feted him recently)

1. Did one of your ruling executive council, David Abbott, give money to the BNP and met Nick Griffin:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1544527/Revealed-Ukip-official-gave-money-to-the-BNP.html

(and you said at the time that you knew all about it.)

There are plenty more examples I can cite, aren?t there?

To have one or two brushes with out-and-out racists might be regarded as unfortunate but in your case there?s definitely a pattern isn?t there? If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck?

Can you really not understand why to some of us racism seems to run through UKIP like lettering through seaside rock?

@unpsychicsally

Did your life flash before you when you had the plane crash and would you ever (or have you ever) fly in a light aircraft after that?

I've learned one thing from the crash, that it isn't dying that's frightening - it's the method! I was resigned as the plane went down, but then, trapped in the wreckage, covered in fuel oil, thinking that we were going to burn to death, and I was absolutely terrified.

I will not be going near light aircraft ever again, and have refused to do a sponsored skydive...

You state:
However, it is little known that IPCC was established to prove climate change
Can you back up this assertion? Or provide any evidence to contradict their stated aims and objectives?

@jonicomelately

I would like to ask a very simple question.

Your main objection to the EU appears to be on the grounds that it is expensive. Whenever I see UKIP election literature it seems to focus mainly on how much the EU costs. Is this your primary objection to the EU?

Lots of things in life are expensive, my car and house for example, but I still find them pretty useful.

Isn't the price we pay worthwhile for a united and peaceful Europe?

Hello, jonicomelately. My answer is No. My primary objection is the loss of democracy and loss of the ability to determine our future through the ballot box. Cost is not the primary objection.

Why is it a legislative burden? The pregnant woman fills in a MAT B1 (and usually IME does the maternity cover recruiting themselves - CREATING a job) and your accountant includes the maternity leave provision in your annual tax returns that you have to do anyway - job done.

[quote fathercandle]

Just to make sure NigelFarage doesn't get away with it: the 75% figure is just gibberish, taken out of context (no "survey" involved). More facts in the link but a more honest figure would be between 10% and 20%.

fullfact.org/factchecks/express_europe_EU_legislation_proportion-2466[/quote]

Even the government admits that over half our laws are made in the EU, so your figure of 10-20% is baloney.

Just wanted to post my question again:

Mr Farage, how do you propose to go about promoting 'one culture for all' and who decides what that culture will be?

In fact, since 1998 temperatures have reduced slightly.
Again, this is simply not true. How can the leader of a political party expect to get away with stating total falsehoods?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperature_record

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

Good. Because I think it reflects very badly on Mr Staveley and Gawain Towler, UKIP's Press Officer that they should behave in this way.

I do hope you will have words with them.