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.

"which must mean equality before the law for everybody,"

That is everyone who is male and white, of course.

Nigel:

To quote the policy section of the ukip website:

UKIP opposes multiculturalism and political correctness and promotes uniculturalism, a single British culture embracing all races, religions and colours.

What exactly is this singular British culture? And who decides?

@fathercandle

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?

Item 2, from the IPCC principles in 1998 is key to answering this question.

Exactly, ten years on, and the Euro is still strong! That's hardly an argument against it.

Nigel, is the OLAF investigation into corruption and fraud of the Ind/Dem group (including UKIP members) still ongoing?

What comments would you make on the frequency with which members of your party are accused and charged of corruption, fraud and money-laundering?

(I'm thinking of the Ashford Call Centre diversion of funds to your party, the £80,000 illegal donations. UKIP breaking electoral law and being investigated by ELCOM. And the fibs you as a party have told to cover this)

Also:
Of the 12 UKIP MEPs elected in 2004, one was sent to prison, one has been charged with false accounting and money laundering, two have had to pay back misclaimed money and three have faced investigations by the EU fraud-buster OLAF. In addition only one UKIP MEP has been prepared to publish all his expenses details.'

These are just a couple of examples I've plucked at random but it's quite a pattern, isn't it?

Do you still think UKIP is a political party that is fit for office?

Rinseoff: nigel's here now. He can speak for himself.

Rinse- what is a 'foot face' please? Sorry- you aren't doing Mr Farage any favours btw. Calling people footstampers doesn't put you in a higher moral position or make you clever.

I think Nigel heard this old joke and thought it was sound enough to base his policies on:

"Heaven: the policeman is British, the lover is Italian, the cook is French, the engineer is German and it is all organized by the Swiss.

Hell: the policeman is German, the lover is Swiss, the cook is British, the engineer is French and it is all organized by the Italians."

Could you also please let us know how many of your party have accepted EU farm subsidies please?

Nigel
You are leaving out the little detail that the Swiss cannot afford to live in Switzerland. Where I live, near Geneva, most Swiss have to move over the border into (EU) France as they cannot afford the house prices in CH.

Do you know many people who would be able to pay £3500 a month for the rent of a three bedroom house?

X-posts Damsel

Right, fifth and final time. And bearing in mind that this is based on one of your policies, fairly high up in your manifesto.

How you propose to go about promoting 'one culture for all' and who decides what that culture will be?

@TanteRose

LadyBlaBlah yes, re: Alan B'stard - here by Camilla Long in the Times last March (third paragraph down

In that article, Camilla Long made a joke of the fact that I've had testicular cancer. Can you imagine anyone writing about a woman in the same way? Let's have equality for all.
It's the only article I've ever read about myself that's shocked me.

Yes, rinseoffmycustard, what a fine reasoned argument you put before us. Of course it is fine to joke about rape. Totally fine. What was I thinking? I must have come over all unnecessary.

You are a fine example of a UKIP follower though, so hang out and give us a laugh

Rinseoffmycustard.

For the record. I don' hate Nigel Farage. I think he's a nice bloke. His politics however stink

Dear Nigel,

I believe that we do need to find out who works in this county illegally, but how would your party go about tackling the reasons as to WHY there are at least half a million illegal immigrants working in this county?
This figure suggest that if they were all to leave home now then the economy would collapse as many of them do dangerous and/or low paid but essential work just to survive.
Clearly many of the major supermarket chains for instance would be crippled without a ready pool of cheap disposable labour, not to mention the care and service industries.

SO how would you approach these industries such that it is no longer cost effective to employ underpaid and 'cash in hand' labour?

On the maternity leave issue, loving this one from UKIP MEP in 2004.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3912205.stm

^Godfrey Bloom was given a seat on the European Parliament's women's rights committee on Tuesday.

But he told the media: "No self-respecting small businessman with a brain in the right place would ever employ a lady of child-bearing age."^

Another MNer who wants Nigel to answer:

Is there any chance at all you'll get to my question posted on Wed 23-Feb-11 14:21:01 please?

@DamselInDisguise

Nigel:

To quote the policy section of the ukip website:

UKIP opposes multiculturalism and political correctness and promotes uniculturalism, a single British culture embracing all races, religions and colours.

What exactly is this singular British culture? And who decides?

On the subject of a single British culture, this is something that was quoted in a UKIP manifesto/policy document last year, and which I think was pretty unhelpful.

Hands up, we got it wrong.

please answer cakewakey's questions, we all want to know

"Can you imagine anyone writing about a woman in the same way?"

Are you actually serious with that comment???

"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."

How can you say this when you are an elected Member of the European Parliament, just like our elected MPs in the UK parliament?!

You dont make sense!

So Italian politics is "Sexier"? Is it all that fascism and alleged sex with teenage prostitutes, Nigel?

I'm not Susiewho, I'm her friend who once, for some unknown reason contemplated voting UKIP. After reading this webchat, I certainly won't be doing that!

If the policy is, as you seem to admit, indefensible, why is it still there in the 'main policies' section of your website?