I'm in the process of writing two European related articles at the moment, one on the President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering for TOTAL POLITICS, and the second one on the leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage for GQ.On Monday week I'm off to spend a couple of days in Strasburg to interview them both.
The Nigel Farage profile will be quite lengthy and personal. It will also look at UKIP's likely performance at the Euro elections in June and how important Nigel Farage is to the party, and what might happen to him afterwards. I should emphasise that I am writing this in very much the same way as I wrote the profile of the Milibands for GQ in November. My own political leanings go out the window - as far as is possible, anyway.
If anyone has any anecdotes or insights into Nigel's career, life and motivations, or indeed Nigel's reputation and popularity within UKIP, please do get in touch by email. iain AT iaindale DOT com.
And if you have any questions you'd like me to ask Hans-Gert Poettering, please do suggest them in the comments.
27 comments:
Why does he keep popping up and down lifting his heels off the floor when he speaks? Noticed him doing this on the Politics show. Very irritating.
Question for Mr Poettering: with the fascists having failed to conquer Europe in 39-45, is he proud of how the EU is now imposing equally fascist controls in Europe without a shot being fired?
I have information suggesting he might allegedly be a closet racist. I'm afraid it colours my opinion of him somewhat.
Will S, how courageous of you to publish that allegation anonymously. I challenge you to send me the info you have.
Nigel? Wonderful man. Saviour of the nation.
Umm, is this where I mention that I work for him?
Farage: not particularly clever, capable, or trustworthy, but a decent enough sort who exists because the Tories are too pussy to ditch the corrupt European project.
I'd have a pint and a smoke with him, which I wouldn't do with 90% of politicians.
I like Nigel Farage. He is WYSIWYG and a wonderful thorn in the side of the Gravy Trainers.
It's not racist to want to give Britain back to the British, so Will S, my suggestion to you is that you put up, or shut up, and that's as far as I can go without swearing at you.
My question to NF is:
How do you manage the tendency for infighting and fragmentation among Eurosceptics?
DC promised that the tories would leave the EPP group, because they believe in federalism. Why did he make that commitment? Because of the threat of UKIP. But why hasn't he taken the tories out, and given a cast-iron guaranatee that we'll all have a vote on Lisbon?
Easy---UKIP isn't enough of a threat.
Nigel Farage is like an old time politician. One can picture him on the back of a horse drawn cart addressing crowds in market squares.
He needs no amplification, his voice is loud enough to reach even the deafest person!
He also has extremely clear in articulation. Although he delivers in a somewhat staccato manner.
He could speak for hours without notes.
However, in my opinion, he is like the old snake oil salesmen of the old wild west! He sounds very convincing, can be extremely warm but also politically sharp.But if anyone has 'something of the night' about him it is this man.
There was no way he was going to allow Robert Kilroy Silk to take the leadership of UKIP - which I have no doubt he would have done had a leadership election been called and the incompetent Knapman shown the door!
Kilroy Silk was extremely popular with the people.
Just to illustrate. The Hartlepool By Election. Farage and Knapman went there but not many people came out to see/listen to them.
When Kilroy Silk attended the traffic came to a halt because of the hundreds + of people who wanted to see him/ hear him and shake his hand. It was quite interesting, to say the least.
The local newspaper will confirm this fact!
Had Kilroy Silk been the leader of ukip at the last general election and, as he would say, not forced to form Veritas, I believe ukip would have achieved their first Member of Parliament and possibly more.
Farage likes to run ukip as his own creation (which largely it is) and objects to anyone grandstanding him.
If I may suggest that you arrange to speak to Kilroy Silk when you go to see Farage and ask him for his views and why, when he had committed himself to ukip, he felt forced to start Veritas.
It will add something to the article, as without this you will be given the four star treatment by Farage.
I believe Farage would be a great danger to democracy if he was ever, by some miracle, in a position of power in this country!
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And I mean every word of it
Whenever Nigel comes to a town hall meeting we fill the hall and not just with UKIP members. I suggest that this is something not many Conservatives can do. He is a passionate politician which is more than can be said for about 95% of those at Westminster who are only there for the money and couldn't care a damn about the country.
Made a tit of himself in that tank. Appeared on Question Time once and went on about the EU in answer to a question that wasn't remotely about it.
Means well I'm sure but I get the impression he only appeals to an older demographic.
The most useful thing the UKIP do is split the Tory vote so more Labour MP's get in.
I think he's a great bloke and I'd urge lots of Tories to vote for him. A real traditionalist.
By the way I think all of these "I know a bloke down the pub who says he's a racist" are cowardly and dishonest. If there is real evidence, post a link or send it to the newspapers. I've no respect for spreaders of malicious gossip against anyone. Grow some Cojones and fight him on his issues and policies.
Will S - Farage or Pottering?
Hi Iain,
I trust you are well and enjoying your weekend.
I would like you to ask why Pottering cancelled Farage's arranged TICAP conference and free speech at the same time?
http://takingliberties.squarespace.com/taking-liberties/2009/1/23/free-speech-stubbed-out.html
Nigel who?
As we never really hear much from UKIP until they want a vote from us & even though I follow politics as best I can, I have no idea what, if any thing, they have achieved, I don’t really have an opinion about him except to say, I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, but that’s only going by his look!
As for his party, I just can’t see the point off it any more.
Clinically insane?
No current elected politician better articulates the views of the majority better than Farage.He speaks from the heart and soul,not from an overriding desire to win at any cost like Cameron,nor does he dissemble like Brown.He is a libertarian conservative in the noble tradition.That he is happy to be seen smoking and with a drink is to his credit and like Ken Clarke the public respond positively to this ordinary behaviour.That he is a known practising heterosexual is not a problem in these liberal enlightened times.
The trouble is the longer Nigel has been an MEP the more native to Brussels he has becomes.I hope he is still 100% for the UK leaving the EU while keeping a trading agreement but recent utterances appear to suggest he is trying to reposition himself to a policy, similiar to Ganley, of reforming the EU from within.
His strengts are his media skills but even these leave UKIP looking like a one man band.He is not a good party leader which he became for no other reason than to ensure he and his fellow UKIP MEPs could continue unchecked on the EU gravy train.
He is running the party for his own ends, removing democracy and expelling all those who challenge him. He is doing this in a desperate attempt to try and win 5 more years in Brussels on an MEPs salary, expenses and eventual pension.
Although I criticise him he is I'm sure a likeable chap who would be fun to have a drink and smoke with - two vices he readily admits to!
Q for Pottering: "I did not vote for you, you are not a British Citizen nor are you eligible to vote or stand in Britain, so what on earth makes you think you have the right to have ANY involvement in my life WHATSOEVER?"
That is a polite question instead of what I want to say to Pottering, which is just two words, one of them "off".
UPDATE: Can you please also ask Poettering why he caved in to the "Smoke Free Partnership" and bounced through a withdrawal of permission to hold the "Smoking bans and lies" event at the European Parliament, therefore permitting lobbyists to silence freedom of speech.
He is an odious creature, Iain. Check your watch when you finish talking with him and dip your hands in Jeyes Fluid as a precaution.
The EU is trying to destroy our parliament at Westminster, and replace it with a federal government based in Brussels.
Nigel Farage is the only politician that is defending our sovereignty.
He is a hero.
Fight the EU Monster support UKIP
Nigel Farage has worked hard as the leader of UKIP.
But remember all the three main parties all support a federal EU government for Britain.
So UKIP will have a lot of enemies from amoung the three main parties.
There are many people that claim to be speaking on behalf of UKIP who are in fact working for the Lib/Lab/Con.
These people are trying to so unrest amoung the UKIP membership just as the campaigning for the EU Elections 2009 is getting started.
United We Stand. Divided we Fall.
UKIP must be united and fight a strong election campaign against the Lib/Lab/Con.
Nigel Farage is the ONLY politician I admire or respect, because he’s the ONLY one with an ounce of integrity or guts for standing up to the corrupt tyrants of the EU parliament.
I’m sick and tired of so-called Britons who accuse UKIP’s stance of being “racist / xenophobic / nationalist” - Britain is now ruled by self-elected beaurocrats in Brussels (i.e dictatorship), personally I believe in a thing called DEMOCRACY where WE the PEOPLE elect our leaders and our nations sovereignty, traditions and customs remain intact and not desecrated to the point of no return.
Those of you argue that Nigel Farage is self-interested and / or racist need your brains checked. If you are so ashamed of your British culture and heritage then why don’t you go and live in communist china? How can you possibly feel “unconfortable” by people who are trying to assert their democratic rights. I suppose you would prefer to live under Fabian Marxist Gordon Brown and his Communitarian New World Order? Hmmm…
I will be voting UKIP next election.
I really respect Farage for standing up to the unelected 'low grade bank clerk'. We need more politicians who tell it like it is. Hope he wins the Buckingham seat.
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