Ukip was yesterday forced to issue a clarification on comments made by Mark Reckless, the man very likely to become its second MP, which implied that EU immigrants could be deported if Britain left the Union.
“I think in the near term we’d have to have a transitional period, and I think we should probably allow people who are currently here to have a work permit at least for a fixed period,” said Reckless. Ukip almost immediately issued a clarification that deporting legal immigrants was not party policy, after some interpreted Reckless's comments as meaning this was a possibility.
This is not the first time Ukip has had to backtrack on a policy, or defend a statement from one of its members. Here are five times when Ukip have made headlines for the wrong reasons.
The truth is not out there (Robert Kilroy-Silk, January 2005) When former television host Robert Kilroy-Silk joined Ukip in 2004, it was considered a coup, Silk raised the profile of the party and even featured in a party political broadcast. His departure however raised their profile in a different way. Accusing his fellow MEPs of inactivity in Europe, Silk labelled the party a “joke”, while Ukip leader Roger Knapman said the departure was reason enough to "break open the champagne.” Silk went on to found his own party called "Veritas," before resigning as leader in the same year. Farage lamented “Robert was good for us in the short term. Sadly he went completely crackers.”
Healthy Conviction, (Nigel Farage, September 2012) While Ukip policy outright rules out privatising the NHS, footage from 2012 has emerged of the Ukip leader expressing a desire to do just that, suggesting replacing the NHS with “an insurance-based system of healthcare.” While Farage was quick to dismiss this footage as Labour leader Ed Miliband “mudslinging,” and said party policy against privatisation had been established since, his party also blamed the comments on a lack of knowledge, a spokesman explaining “we have people in the party who know significantly more about the NHS than we did at that time.”
Not so good Godfrey, (Godfrey Bloom, July 2013) A politician perhaps more skilled than even Gordon Brown when it comes to the gift of the gaffe, Bloom consistently ensured Ukip were at the top of the news agenda. His skewed perception of what is acceptable reached its zenith when he lamented the giving of aid to places such as “bongo bongo land.” Bloom defended his comments as those of the "ordinary people in the rugby and cricket club,” and dismissed the accusations of racism based on his having “two Kashmiri staff and a Polish wife.” Party leader Nigel Farage, unsurprisingly, asked him to not use the phrase again.
Put on your dancing shoes, (Patrick O'Flynn, September 2014) At the Ukip party conference the notion of a “luxury goods tax” was announced by Ukip's economy spokesman, Patrick O'Flynn, seemingly as way of targeting the wealthy. Explained as response to the rise of the rich, Farage described it as “a slightly different direction” and a “recognition and a realisation that for millions of people life is a lot worse now that it was 10 years ago.” These millions of people were soon to be forgotten however, as within 48 hours Farage had hung O'Flynn out to dry and moved himself away from the policy. Appearing on the Andrew Marr Show, Farage declared “while I am leader that will not be in our manifesto”.
Ukip Collapso, (Mike Read, October 2014) With the release of a “Ukip Calypso” the party had sought to garner support through a medium that has rarely been kind to politicians, the medium of song. The jaunty, Ukip themed tune featured lines such as “the leaders committed a cardinal sin/open the borders and let them all in,” all sung by former Radio 1 DJ Mike Read in a mock-Caribbean accent. It was met with widespread accusations of racism. While initially defended as “an old fashioned political satire” by Read, and even compared to Elvis by Ukip Commonwealth spokesman Winston McKenzie, the song was quickly disowned by the DJ. Read issued a formal apology, as well as withdrawing the song from sale.
“I think in the near term we’d have to have a transitional period, and I think we should probably allow people who are currently here to have a work permit at least for a fixed period,” said Reckless. Ukip almost immediately issued a clarification that deporting legal immigrants was not party policy, after some interpreted Reckless's comments as meaning this was a possibility.
This is not the first time Ukip has had to backtrack on a policy, or defend a statement from one of its members. Here are five times when Ukip have made headlines for the wrong reasons.
The truth is not out there (Robert Kilroy-Silk, January 2005) When former television host Robert Kilroy-Silk joined Ukip in 2004, it was considered a coup, Silk raised the profile of the party and even featured in a party political broadcast. His departure however raised their profile in a different way. Accusing his fellow MEPs of inactivity in Europe, Silk labelled the party a “joke”, while Ukip leader Roger Knapman said the departure was reason enough to "break open the champagne.” Silk went on to found his own party called "Veritas," before resigning as leader in the same year. Farage lamented “Robert was good for us in the short term. Sadly he went completely crackers.”
Healthy Conviction, (Nigel Farage, September 2012) While Ukip policy outright rules out privatising the NHS, footage from 2012 has emerged of the Ukip leader expressing a desire to do just that, suggesting replacing the NHS with “an insurance-based system of healthcare.” While Farage was quick to dismiss this footage as Labour leader Ed Miliband “mudslinging,” and said party policy against privatisation had been established since, his party also blamed the comments on a lack of knowledge, a spokesman explaining “we have people in the party who know significantly more about the NHS than we did at that time.”
Not so good Godfrey, (Godfrey Bloom, July 2013) A politician perhaps more skilled than even Gordon Brown when it comes to the gift of the gaffe, Bloom consistently ensured Ukip were at the top of the news agenda. His skewed perception of what is acceptable reached its zenith when he lamented the giving of aid to places such as “bongo bongo land.” Bloom defended his comments as those of the "ordinary people in the rugby and cricket club,” and dismissed the accusations of racism based on his having “two Kashmiri staff and a Polish wife.” Party leader Nigel Farage, unsurprisingly, asked him to not use the phrase again.
Put on your dancing shoes, (Patrick O'Flynn, September 2014) At the Ukip party conference the notion of a “luxury goods tax” was announced by Ukip's economy spokesman, Patrick O'Flynn, seemingly as way of targeting the wealthy. Explained as response to the rise of the rich, Farage described it as “a slightly different direction” and a “recognition and a realisation that for millions of people life is a lot worse now that it was 10 years ago.” These millions of people were soon to be forgotten however, as within 48 hours Farage had hung O'Flynn out to dry and moved himself away from the policy. Appearing on the Andrew Marr Show, Farage declared “while I am leader that will not be in our manifesto”.
Ukip Collapso, (Mike Read, October 2014) With the release of a “Ukip Calypso” the party had sought to garner support through a medium that has rarely been kind to politicians, the medium of song. The jaunty, Ukip themed tune featured lines such as “the leaders committed a cardinal sin/open the borders and let them all in,” all sung by former Radio 1 DJ Mike Read in a mock-Caribbean accent. It was met with widespread accusations of racism. While initially defended as “an old fashioned political satire” by Read, and even compared to Elvis by Ukip Commonwealth spokesman Winston McKenzie, the song was quickly disowned by the DJ. Read issued a formal apology, as well as withdrawing the song from sale.
