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.

Thank you for answering, re the IPCC.
Principle 2 states:
2. The role of the IPCC is to assess on a comprehensive, objective, open and transparent basis the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.

I fail to see a pro-climate change conspiracy in this Principle. However, now that you've highlighted it, maybe others can shed light on which words the conspiracy is hiding between.

Even someof the Swiss cannt afford tolive in Switzerland - my ant and Uncle (Uncle is Swiss) lived and worked in Switzerland all their working lives - come retirement there was nothing for them an they....er....retired o the UK (my aunt being ritish and all). My aun has now died and my Uncle remains here seeing his friends and relatives - oh and using the NHS.

He could do none of that in Switzerland

If the single British Culture policy is pretty unhelpful why is it still on your website Mr Farage? I agree with you your party did get it wrong. Surely you and your members can see that it's statements like that which cause people to shun your party. When will you be revoking it?

That Camilla Long article is pretty disgusting, am pretty shocked re her comments about your health issue Nigel, I hope you made a complaint, not a joking matter.

So if that is no longer your plicy, what is?

"Can you imagine anyone writing about a woman in the same way?" Um...like rape jokes for example?

xposts Damsel

are there any other main policies that you'd like to retract?

@HHLimbo

"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!

Alex Salmond sat in the Westminster parliament for 20 years wishing Scotland to leave the United Kingdom. My position in Brussels is exactly the same as that, and I make you this one promise that given the opportunity, I would be the turkey that votes for Christmas.

They do make nice cheese in Switzerland though. Maybe that swayed Nige

Why was susiewho's post deleted. It simply stated her opinion that NF is jeremy kyle. (new rhyming slang for.............come on not difficult to figure out). He WAS saying italian politics is sexy with fascist alessandra mussolini in it and the PM's passion for underage prostitutes. Quite a vile comment really.

@VenetiaLanyon

Another one; would you describe yourself as a feminist?

Well, this question has got me stumped! I don't think I qualify, but I'm all for equality, but I suspect if I declared myself a member of the ranks of the feminists, there'd be considerable anger!

Actually Nigel - I may not agree with you on various issues but the article making a joke about your cancer is indeed not nice.

Could you also please explain why John West had was forced to report UKIP to Essex Police in his own words:

'after Nigel Farage - 'via a third party - refused my request for an internal investigation into the allegations that Jeffery Titford had misused his parliamentary allowances.'

He says that 'previous requests for an independent audit into the finances of UKIP?s MEPs were also refused. Also, it is interesting to note just how violent are the attacks on anyone who questions the validity of UKIP accounts.'

What's your take on this, Nigel?

LOL @ equality being different to feminism

YOU were elected, therefore the EU is democratic. Or am I the one who doesnt understand the meaning of democracy?

@GeekLove

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?

It is an absolute, fundamental issue for a nation that it should control its borders, and it should decide who comes to live, work and settle in the country. We abolished embarkation controls back in 1994. We've had a total open door to the whole of Eastern Europe since 2004 - I think this helps to explain the mess that we're in. However, I am all for a properly regulated work permit system for foreign labour.

Could you answer CaptainNancy's question please.

A serious question then Mr Farage:

How do you expect your party to appeal to women ('us' mums tend to be women btw) when the former UKIP member and MEP Nikki Sinclaire won a sexual discrimination case against her former colleagues in the party in December 2010?

You expelled her from UKIP for her refusal to sit with the EDF group in the EU Parliament that UKIP has allied itself with, that has amongst its members MEPs representing extremist views. When Mike Nattrass MEP also left the EDF grouping, he did not have the UKIP whip removed - despite him branding you 'a spiv' and 'a control freak'. Why was this because he's male?
How do you defend the indefensible this standpoint?

Only 8% of UKIP MEPS are female- not exactly representative. None are from BME backgrounds either. And presumably (now) none are LBGT. As a Dulwich College alumnus, you are yet another public schoolboy trying to tell us how to think vote.

Oh, and if there's time... please tell us how you defend Godfrey Bloom MEP heckling the German MEP Martin Schulz with the words "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer" last November, pretty please?"

If you belive in equality, why wouldn't you consider yourself a feminist? There is a certain 'us' and 'them' air to your answer which does jpnot suggest equality.

Thanks, Glasnost. HE mentioned Allessandra Mussolini (interestingly using "Il Duce" - very respectful, NF!). It's extremely offensive to judge Italian politics to be "Sexier" - why on earth would 'sexy' politics be a good thing anyway?? It's a very weird and creepy thing to say. Not well thought through at all.

Yes, please do answer Captain Nancy's question.

@FannyFifer

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."^

Godfrey Bloom was 100% right, the view then seemed outrageous. It is now publicly supported by Lord Alan Sugar, and many businesswomen too. The point is that very small companies need breaks, need reliefs, from this kind of legislation and that young women are now being denied jobs with many of these firms.

The trouble with Godfrey is that it's not what he says, it's sometimes the way in which he says it.

Another vote for an answer to captain nancy's question.

"I am all for a properly regulated work permit system for foreign labour."

Would that not just mean more bureaucracy, assuming we were to allow the same amount of workers do these jobs. Good luck finding Brits to do the work.

One UKIPer (Greg Lance-Watkins, fact fans... no friend of yours, clearly) also states:

You have NEVER published your accounts 'just some obfuscating outlines.'

Farage has NEVER accounted for the £2M he boasted of making.

Farage has NEVER published what happened to over 85% of the income of Ashford which he claimed was THE MOST profitable thing EUkip have ever done.

There is every reason to believe that Farage has been as dishonest about money as he was with 3 stories so far about Liga! £1/4M in Isle of Man deposited in ONE cheque +? Farage took no meaningful action against Tom Wise.

In the words of one of your fellow travellers:
'As for his Racist, anti Jewish links just look at the facts!'

Blimey, if a UKIPer says you're racist...

(Just posted this to make sure you know it's not just us 'lefties and LibDems' who think you shouldn't be touched with a bargepole)