#stop ukip

Since UKIP have been in the news again today for their election candidate Peter Bucklitsch’s tweets in regards to the death of Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi I thought I’d share a little list of reasons I’d compiled over a few months as to why UKIP are the nastiest group of people in British politics. Sorry for the long-windedness of this post to anyone who bothers to read it but I think it really brings the point home.

1. UKIP candidate for Wansbeck, Melanie Hurst says they have no policies for women and that she is “offended by feminists” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/general-election-2015-nigel-farage-offers-no-policies-for-women-admits-female-ukip-candidate-who-is-offended-by-feminists-10228690.html

2. Candidate Patricia Culligan attacks HIV-positive Lib Dem councillor over his “costly” NHS treatment http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ukip-parliamentary-candidate-patricia-culligan-attacks-hivpositive-lib-dem-over-his-costly-nhs-treatment-10167568.html

3. Senior members Christopher Gillibrand (parliamentary candidate for Dwyfor Meirionnydd) and David Soutter (head of candidates) both have links to far right group TGB; a group who claimed the mother of Stephen Lawrence should “return to her homeland” http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/ukip/ukip-official-still-involved-with-far-right-group-4432

4. UKIP candidate for Great Grimsby Victoria Ayling claims “all immigrants should go home” and is accused of falsely claiming her son was injured in Afghanistan http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3045289/Send-home-Ukip-candidate-s-false-claim-son-blown-Afghanistan.html#ixzz3ZTznFTt9%20

5. West Bromwich East candidate Steve Latham has described Islam as an “evil cult” that has “infiltrated the Labour Party” http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015/04/16/ukip-black-country-candidate-condemns-evil-cult-of-islam/

6. Two UKIP candidates (Magnus Nielsen and Anne-Marie Waters) filmed making anti-Islamic hate speech in far-right rally. On the issue Waters said: “For a start the immigration will have to stop, the immigration from Islamic countries has to stop entirely, that is just the way it is.” “A lot of people need to be deported. Many mosques need to be closed down. It really has to get tough”. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/watch-ukip-candidates-spouting-vile-5526503

7. Series of crude and offensive Facebook posts from Bolton South East candidate Jeff Armstrong objectifying women including a comparison of a “fat, ugly woman” to a farm animal http://m.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/12932606.UKIP_candidate_s__crude_and_offensive__jokes_are__just_banter_/

8. UKIP candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon Alan Harris posted a series of racist/homophobic Facebook statuses between 2011 and 2013, examples being “why cant i say in my own bloody country black is still a colour and gay are still queers.” and “a bacon sandwich - a piece of English heritage the fucking Muslims don’t want” (it’s actually Danish Alan) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/ukip-candidate-alan-harris-blames-facebook-hack-on-alleged-homophobic-and-antimuslim-comments-10150740.html

9. West Yorkshire UKIP PPC Jack Sen posted an anti-Semitic slur towards Labour MP Luciana Berger on Twitter, saying: “You’re about authentic Labour as Ed Miliband. Protect child benefits? If you had it your way you’d send the £ to Poland/ Israel.” Sen also wrote ’“Britain’s youngest Jewish MP, Luciana Berger, is facing criticism over her record of….” loyalties.’ http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/ukip/ukip-candidate-s-anti-semitic-slur-4436

10. Parliamentary candidate for Banbury Kendrick “Dickie” Bird has made several homophobic posts on Facebook, referring to “some gay prick” sat opposite him on a bus as well as calling Fernando Torres “a gay boy just like the rest” as part of an offensive football chant quoted on his Facebook page http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/ukip-candidate-accused-of-homophobia-following-alleged-facebook-comments-10157911.html

11. UKIP parliamentary candidate in Sedgefield, County Durham John Leathley quoted saying well known writer Yasmin Alibhai-Brown “would love a big black thing up her arse” in response to a friend commenting “I’d stick a cannon up her arse and fire her into Israel, see how long she lasts :D”. An apology was issued to Ms Alibhai-Brown in which they misspelled her name http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ukip-candidate-says-woman-writer-5640776

12. UKIP’s Wallasey candidate Geoffrey Caton who posted in relation to Liverpool Pride that “being an arse bandit [is] nothing to be proud of” and stated that working in a Pakistani club would be his “worst nightmare”. Not only is he still in the party, UKIP defended him http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/ukip-defends-mersey-election-candidate-9131106

13. Julie Brownlee, member of far-right pressure group the English Volunteer Force (EVF) had been working with UKIP Waveney candidate Simon Tobin on his election campaign for this year’s general election http://edlnews.co.uk/2015/05/04/leading-light-in-far-right-english-volunter-force-recruited-for-ukip-campaign-in-waveney/

14. South-East Cornwall candidate Bradley Monk is allegedly active in the EDL according to two independent sources. He has previously ran into trouble for wearing a Jimmy Saville mask at a Halloween party in 2013 http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-c242-Ukip-candidate-outed-as-former-EDL-member#.VUvTLlKkqnM

15. UKIP election candidate Peter Bucklitsch tweets blaming the death of a Syrian child seeking refuge from Daesh insurgents on “greedy parents”, using the fact that he was well dressed and well fed as ‘evidence’ for this statement http://www.itv.com/news/london/2015-09-03/ukip-candidate-blames-greedy-parents-for-death-of-syrian-boy/

The recent scare with UKIP looking set to take multiple seats in the UK (thank goodness unfounded) has led me to ponder on the role that those from other nations play in a country's make up. Before becoming an expat myself I have always enjoyed the influences those who have chosen to make Britain their home have had. More interesting food, colourful people and alternate points of view to name but a few. Now I am on the other side.

I have mentioned before that it tends to be easier to make friends with other expats than with locals. They are likely to have a smaller network, so be looking to meet new people. Beyond that, you automatically have something in common. Every expat, for their own reasons, has chosen to leave their home country and try life somewhere new. In KL, this is somewhere very far away both geographically and culturally for most of us. Making that transition gives you common ground and tends to allow for easier conversation, regardless of differing ages, taste in music or profession. I think this is why many of us find ourselves sharing a beer with someone twenty years our senior and from a completely different socio-economic background.