Who does this English political party leader remind you of?

Well, it’s actually Nigel Farage. Who? The head of the UK Independence Party, a populist right-wing, “democratic, libertarian” organization, who want out of the European Union, and to cut back on immigration. (Think English Tea Baggers who believe everything bad starts at Calais, and you’ll get the idea.)

In Britain, it’s the “Conference Season” when all the big (and not so big) political parties hold conferences to outline their manifestos to the faithful, and the party leaders give rousing speeches about what they’ll do if and when they ever get into power. Today, it was UKIP’s turn, and leader Nigel planned to give his troops (and the country) his vision for the future. Unfortunately, Nige was upstaged by two incidents.

First, the above picture which appeared on a screen at the BBC HQ in Manchester, as the Independent explains:

A pixelation error on the BBC’s big screen at Media City in Salford meant Nigel Farage appeared to have grown Hitler-style moustache when speaking to BBC Breakfast on Friday morning.

In an unfortunate incident similar to a Father Ted episode where a perfectly square piece of dirt gave the Irish priest a moustache, the Ukip leader was left talking about an immigration crackdown with a large black pixel over his upper lip.

He had been talking to the broadcaster about Enoch Powell following revelations that teachers saw him as a “racist” and a “fascist” at school.

The Ukip leader was forced to deny that he sang Hitler youth songs at school, after a teacher alleged that, at a Combined Cadet Force camp organised by Dulwich college, Mr Farage and others had marched through a Sussex village “shouting Hitler-youth songs”.

Well, if the ‘stache fits…eh, Nigel? Who knows if it was an accident or the work of a wily control room switcher, it’s still a thing of great beauty either way!

Second, and probably far more damaging for UKIP‘s political future was this staggeringly stupid outburst from one of Nigel’s shock troops, Godfrey Bloom.

Bloom is a UKIP Member of the European Parliament (MEP), who only a few weeks ago made a racist reference to somewhere called “Bongo-Bongo land” when describing foreign countries that received government aid.

Today, at a “champagne-fuelled lunchtime reception,” in the exclusive Cinnamon Club restaurant close to Westminster, Godfrey shouted out:

“This place is full of sluts.”

The Daily Mirror reports that when asked outside by a Sky News reporter, if his remarks were offensive:

“Was there a single woman in there who didn’t laugh, you sad little man?” he snarled.

Michael Crick then infuriated him by asking why all of the hundreds of people on the front of the conference were white.

Mr Bloom took the brochure and hit the reporter over the head while shouting: “What a racist comment! How dare you! That’s an appalling thing to say!

“You’re picking people out for the colour of their skin! You disgust me! Get out of my way!” he said, before hailing a cab.

All of the above leads me to think that Nigel and his party faithful have succeeded in getting the essence of their message across to the British public.
 

 
Via the ‘Independent’ and the ‘Daily Mirror’