Labour's John Mann had tried to get Nick Griffin banned from holding a pass, but it was felt the only way this could be achieved was to withdraw passes from all MEPs. In an interview with talkSPORT's Sean Dilley, Farage declared...
“It’s absolutely monstrous! Over the last ten years I’ve used my Palace of Westminster pass a lot. I’m here all the time and to be denied access to this place because a bunch of yobbos [in reference to the BNP] get 6.2% of the vote, because of the Government’s failed policies on immigration, is absolutely ludicrous. For goodness sake, we’ve had convicted murderers, we’ve had Sinn Fein IRA who’ve had passes to this place. I’m absolutely furious about it. Those that campaign most vociferously against fascism are nearly always fascistic in their own tendencies and always seek, like Peter Hain, to ban free speech. They’re not living on the same planet as the rest of us.”
The UKIP Leader slated his colleagues in the European Parliament for their apathy and failing to lobby the Westminster Parliament into returning the security passes to MEP’s. “They haven’t got the courage to do it,” he said. “Oh no, if we did that we’d be seen to be supporting the BNP.”
I have to say I have never quite understood why MEPs had passes to the building in the first place, so I can't get as excited as Nigel Farage about this.
51 comments:
I am sure there are other ways for Farage to make it into the Palace of Westminster, isn't there a UKIP Peer he can arrange meetings with?
Storm, tea-cup, moving on, nothing to see here. (The CATCHA Code thingy for this post is "na matter", quite fitting)
I guess the answer to Farage is to suggest he beats Bercow and becomes an MP.
I think it makes sense for MEPs to have passes to the Commons - if we're ever going to seriously engage in Europe (alright, quit your sniggering at the back), which we WILL have to do now that Cameron has promised to discuss our position *with* Europe, it makes perfect sense that MPs and MEPs work more closely together.
I also think Farage is absolutely right. If we want to live in a Democracy, we can't start barring certain members of society from taking part in the process just because we don't much like what they say.
Wrong parliament Nigel - bugger off!
Since MEPs are much more important to the running of this EU satellite, we best take care not to annoy them. Do you think they will invade via Heathrow or City airport? much better than coming by boat.
to be denied access to this place because a bunch of yobbos [in reference to the BNP] get 6.2% of the vote, because of the Government’s failed policies on immigration, is absolutely ludicrous.
Farage is right.
"Never understood why MEPs have passes in the first place". You don't think it might be a good idea to make personal contact and understanding between our MEPs and our MPs easy then? Seems to me it might be in the national interest.
And he's right about Hain et al.
Hmmm. Farage totally correct. Especially in relation to IRA murderers.
Farage is absolutely right to get worked up: this sounds like a very nasty manipultaion of the rules.
We ought all to stick up for equality of treatment for all legally constituted political parties even if we don't like their views.
MEPs can trough elsewhere.
Farage slurped £2 million, unaccounted for over 10 years.
Let the poor MPs have their subsidised tea and crumpets, while MEPS enjoy their complimentary Belgian chocolates and blow jobs.
Farage the leader indeed of the federalist Freedom & Democracy Group in Brussels, is an enemy of British democracy.
Clear off, traitor. Your face is not needed.
Farage is right.
More kneejerk reaction from a dying institution.
Whats going to happen if the BNP win a seat in the GE?(stranger things have happened).
For this reason alone I hope they do now.
I can, Farage is an elected representative of the British People, like or not so is Griffin. Mandelson is not an elected representative he is a mere appointee of a failed Government, give passes to Elected Representatives, and take ones off those who have no mandate to be there.
Oh Sorry thats against the 'rules' , its just like some tawdry prep school.
'..so I can't get as excited as Nigel Farage about this'
Iain, thats because you see UKIP as a threat which needs to be neutered.
Farage is right.
Labour should never have been allowed to change the rules just to spite the democratically elected BNP types, and the fact that they had to ban all MEPs just to do it shows how desperate they were to lash out.
I trust that if and when the Tories win the next election they'll change the rules back, after all they are different to Labour aren't they?
Farage has his own parliament to play in. He should learn another language and make some new playmates. British voters don't want UKIP at Westminster.
I understand the Police checking the passes were concerned over the fast swiveling eyes of the MEPs.
and were unsure if there heads might explode!
How ungrateful of Labour. Farage is their best (and probably only) hope of clinging onto power in the next election.
A sound precedent for if the BNP get elected to Westminster! - ideal really for then there would be a ban on all 640 or so MPs from attending, thereby freeing us of troughing bystanders watching as whatever government takes us further into the abyss.
I've not got a lot of time for Farage but am with him on this.
Iain, you don't have sympathy for Farage on this issue because you are of course part of the cosy establishment.
Few of us can get as excited as Farage - but I do try.
The loudmouth Farage again!
I think NF is right, too often, too many suffer for the sins of a few.
Farage has more democratic right to be there than the unelected Mandelson.
Don't worry though; he'll be back when Bercow loses.
Errr, why do we need a parliament anyway? They have limited decisions to make as these have now scandalously been passed to Brussels. I would remove the passes from the traitors in the Palace of Westminster first.
Errr, why do we need a parliament anyway? They have limited decisions to make as these have now scandalously been passed to Brussels. I would remove the passes from the traitors in the Palace of Westminster first.
Nigel's 100% correct on this one in my view.
Just asking, but what happens if a member of the BNP gets elected to Parliament?
Will all MPs get their passes withdrawn?
Careful, that might just be the incentive a significant majority of voters would dream of.
I may think what you say is the bigest load of rubbish but I will defend your right to say it; to the death.
THAT is freedom of speech - Ian I am disgusted that the conservatives are letting these illegitimate wreckers currently usurping our government get away with this.
I would even defend Brown's right to spout his evil lies
Just typical of the Communist liebour (what passes for) Government........I look forward to more Farage broadsides..they really are a tonic
Farage is right of course. Iain, I am surprised that you are not a little more exercised by the insidious creep of the totalitarians. If bloggers were discriminated against wouldn't you be jumping up and down?
Can't get excited? I take it that that is either irony, or lighting the blue touch paper for your commenters, Iain?
Since Tuesday, Griffin is more relevant to governing Britain than any of the 646. Now that is ironic.
Farage is justified in spitting feathers.
"Joe Public said...
Just asking, but what happens if a member of the BNP gets elected to Parliament?!
There is a ban on having a dual mandate: MEPs are barred from being members of national parliaments.
Oh dear, the little pygmy Farage is upset, shucks, life can sometimes be hard at the bottom of the dung heap these days...
So given our new found place in Europe, precisely why do we still need MPs?
But Iain you were the one accepting Lisbon.
MEPs will gradually supplant MPs as MPs supplanted Peers. MEPs having access to the Parliament is only the first logical step to the MPs of our regional government relegating to the subsidary position that they have voted themselves into.
Liam, this arrangement has been in place for the best part of 2 decades.
Nigel Farage is wrong to rant about it, but he's right that the move by Harriet Harman to exclude Euro MEPs is grubby and dishonest.
It was Harman's response to an EDM placed within one week of the Euro Election results by, I think, John Mann.
It is alleged that the move is to save resources. In fact the reduction of Euro MPs from 78 to 72 has already saved resources.
This is to do with keeping the BNP out.
And if they are going to ban the BNP, then they should have the basic honesty to say that that is what they are doing.
As it is, Mr Griffin will have been given renewed confidence.
FAIL
Hi,
surely the simplest way around this is for parties with elected MPs then they can issue named passes to their elected MEPs.
Farage would be the first to complain if passes were given to non members for one of his other drinking clubs.
Regards,
Greg L-W.
Surely Mandelson is a former MP?
Ian, I look forward to the day you secure a parliamentary seat. Perhaps then you will return to your earlier independant and more reasonable views, rather than what I've increasingly detected lately - a creeping partisan "dare not rock the boat" paralysis.
if he is "always here" when is he doing the legislating job he is paid for in the parliament of which he is a member?
So, if the government can't beat the BNP fairly and squarely at the ballot box, by coming up with policies that provide solutions to the voters angst, then they will resort to underhand tactics to hinder them.
It's nice to see democracy and fair play in action.
I bet Gordon Brown wishes now that he himself had been banned from entering the EU Parliament when Dan Hannan gave him that personal tongue lashing!
Iain, it's a shame you can't get excited about another sledge hammer to liberty. I know you're okay because you're a Tory and they wouldn't do it to you, right? But don't you think that being a good person means looking out for everyone?
Got to agree with John East. Dale has been woeful since his selection defeat.
He needs to take some time out to re-focus.
Nigel Farage has thrown his toys out of his pram, and accused the House of Commons authorities of being "fascistic", after the Commons decided to withdraw Commons passes from serving MEPs.
It's appallingly small-minded and those who don't decry this I feel are being hypocritical - how would they like it?
All right, MEPs are not MPs but they are still members of the parties.
There's a bit too much of the vindictive goes on for mine.
If the only reason for withdrawing all passes is to get at UKIP, which Iain implies it is, then there is no question that this is purely political vindictiveness (& self damaging political vindictiveness at that since it harms all MEPs) against democtratically elected people (indeed much more democratically elected than the MPs since they actually, proportionately, represent the people that voted for them).
Ah, these pesky politically motivated changes in the rules ...
It was OK for MEPs to have Commons passes, until the BNP got two MEPs elected ...
And it was OK for MEPs from just one country to be able to form an official group in the EU Parliament, if there were enough of them, until there seemed to be a danger that the Tories might leave the EPP and form an anti-federalist group, even sitting on their own if necessary - so let's change the rules to say there have to be MEPs from five different countries, and then from seven different countries, and soon maybe from ten different countries ...
Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
The terrorists from Sinn Fein have passes - not so?
Nigel Farage has thrown his toys out of his pram
No, he hasn't.
But it does show shows what a damned pipsqueak John Mann is.
Post a Comment