Thursday, May 21, 2009

UKIP Can't Spell Its Own Candidate's Name


Just got this through the door at home in Tunbridge Wells. Shame they can't spell Marta Andreasen's name. Jolly difficult, these foreign names, what! Still, it's not that important, is it? After all, it's only gone to about 5 million homes... I do hope that nice Mr Farage isn't in mobile phone throwing mood.

UPDATE: A reader points out that they can't spell Britain either. Look at Farage's biog.

55 comments:

nick said...

Look closely at Farage's profile and you'll see they can't spell Britain either.

alex said...

Actually Iain I think it's rather more worrying that they can't spell Britain (see Farage's piece)

Peter Thomas said...

Only a typo. So what. Proof readers are very poor these days - one has only to look at the newspapers and blogs. Being a bit trivial, aren't you, Iain?

It's not as bad as the Yorkshire Post story on Phil Willis yesterday which said he'd first become famous through the adverts he did for AOL.

Pam Nash said...

They obviously have no regard for accuracy or detail - perfect clan to form a Govt, then, based on the current crew.

The Con position just looks better and better..........

Administrator said...

Something for the Daily Dozen?

Cameron Direct is Fake

Victor, NW Kent said...

Marta Andreasen is Spanish although born in the Argentine.

She is not a UK resident nor a UK citizen. This marks a new departure - we are to be represented in Europe by a national of another country if UKIP has its way.

Fortunately, Marta, in an interview last year said that if elected she would quickly leave UKIP and join another party. She is probably a good egg, whatever that is in Spanish.

That would not be a new experience for UKIP as they suffered the same way when they got a Martian elected last time. Another defected to jail also very quickly.

scotweb said...

It doesn't matter whether or not they make spelling mistakes. We all make mistakes - see your Mea Culpa. The only thing that matters is that the UK withdraws from the evil socialist conspiracy that is the EU (from an ex-lifelong Conservative voter).

WobblyJim said...

I got one of these through the door, it looks like it was produced by the same printers as kebab and takeaway menus. Similar level of spelling and grammar too.

britom said...

Iain,
You must be worried and a little deperate if this is the best you can do to attack UKIP.

alex said...

UKIP = uneducated knaves and indifferent politicians. Ha Ha

Anonymous said...

or should that be illiterate politicians!

johnAKAmark said...

Much easier than having a dig at their actual policies! ;)

Anonymous said...

Iain, if the best argument against UKIP that you can up with is "lol they haz a typo! they am stoopud", you're not exactly filling me with confidence in the Conservative Party as a whole or yourself as a Tory candidate.

If I went through every Tory (or LibDem or Labour) leaflet, you're saying I'd find no typos - which is a baldfaced lie.

You're also saying that UKIP's arguments can be ignored because "Lol typo!". Well, I'm sorry but all you're doing is showing how weak you are and how incapable your party is of countering UKIP. You obviously lack a meaningful argument against UKIP. You remind me very much of the Labour politicians who have been equating the UKIP with the BNP and the NF.

Congratulations. I'm generally a Tory voter and I've been wavering about whether to vote Tory or UKIP in the Euro elections. You've convinced me that a vote for your party is a vote for the EU status quo, a vote for sneering politicians to continue to dump their condescending "We know best" attitude on the electorate and, most of all, a vote against reform.

I'll be voting for UKIP.

Anonymous said...

@Victor, NWKent

You seem ignorant of British electoral law and of the make-up of parliament.

I'm disappointed that people who so often to accusations of xenophobia and racism in dealing with UKIP should themselves be so reliant on xenophobic and racist attitudes.

A long-time Tory, the more I see of the Conservative grassroots on this blog and others like it, the more I think I've been backing the wrong horse.

Iain Dale said...

Good for you. That must rate as probably the most pathetic post of the day, and is no doubt actually written by a committed UKIP voter.

The fact that you seem to think this is an attack says it all. Look at the wording. If I wanted to attack I'd attack.

Paul Halsall said...

Marta Andreasen is making a right muck up on Question Time.

Cneifiwr said...

Attack, Iain, attack. It's about time someone turned the spotlight on this rather unpleasant bunch of nutcases. They've been able to get away with peddling their populist tripe unopposed only because of all of the other scandals. The only crumb of comfort is that the embarrassment of sending this bunch of crooks and loonytunes to Brussels is mitigated by the knowledge that several other European countries have their own fruitcake parties as well. And yes they are xenophobic, despite their denials, in the same way that Hitler repeatedly claimed he was a man of peace and Gordon Brown described himself as prudent. So gloves off, Iain.

no longer anonymous said...

The UKIP leaflet I got was almost solely about immigration, it was like a BNP leaflet but with UKIP's name on it.

Plato said...

On the subject of typos, anyone visiting their local Tesco should inspect their mobile phone leaflet at the check-out.

Or rather their moblie leaflet - I first pointed this out 2 months ago and it's still there...

wv porkend [!!!!]

mark said...

They cannot spell 'television' (televison) 'telecoms' (telcoms) or 'bureaucracy' (bureacracy) either..

So altogether that is 5 mistakes in one leaflet. Shocking!

It must be Brussels fault...still, that hideous pink and yellow leaflet is certainly eye catching..err..if you like Barbie that is.

Liz said...

I's all very well saying: 'Only a typo, so what,' but given that they can't competently produce a simple leaflet, I'd question their ability to negotiate the trickier areas of withdrawing the UK from European politics.

Gecko said...

Even better, go to their website, to the East Mids candidates and the Sri Lankan chap. Click on his pic and it takes you to his facebook profile...where he lists himself as a Lib Dem.
Not quite sure how they figure Marta is anti-EU either, she's well documented as supporting the evil empire, but wanting to reform it.

insert-coin-here said...

@Liz

At least they want to withdraw from Europe.

Whats the tory position this week?


Cameron is set to be outflanked even by Clegg on the matter.

Greg_L-W. said...

Marta And Reason are clearly an atic full of Poles apart - one only need read the Judgement of The Courts on the matter!

Court documents show she was NOT a Chief Accountant nor The Chief Accountant merely an accountant 'chef' in French has an entirely different meaning.

Read the judgement in full and you may have a better idea why learning to spell her name should not be seen as important for even a Britsih voter!

The full judgement can be seen at:
http://caterpillarsandbutterflies1.blogspot.com/2009/05/doc001-andreasen-vs-eu-commission.html

Now before voting in the South East it is important to note a vote for EUkip is a vote for Farage and when he finally stumbles your vote will fall to Marta Andreasen - a Danish origin, Argentinian, Spanish resident, Swedish married dream from the Schuman aim for the EU of no National self respect and an end to Patriotism!

Before voting would it not be wise to establish in which Country she may choose to live and her views on the governance and self determination of the peoples of The Falkland Islands or Gibraltar.

Interestingly Ms. Andreasen also lost her case against The OECD after some 15 months of suspension without pay.

When did she work and where?

Not so much Marta AndReason but Reason And Marta.

By the way how should EUkip spell 'bureacracy' (perhaps Steve still uses American spelling!) and what of young Harry who seems now to be in telecoms not IT, I think that will be a surprise for him!

Never mind it is one drawback of parachuting in foreigners to try to capitalise on populism - look at the debacle they had yesterday over the racist refusal to deliver election material that EUkip became embroilled in!

Hey ho.

I suggest NO ONE wastes a vote on politicians just look at the mess they make of the simplest task.

Write on your ballot paper - LEAVE THE EU.

Regards,
Greg L-W.

ukipwebmaster said...

What's more amazing than this?
The Tory leaflets and posters.
They're invisible!

Ricardo's Ghost said...

It's not UKIP's worst sin of course.

They're perspective on the expenses row is interesting. Godfrey Bloom was on the Daily Politics the other day saying that UKIP was up for publishing expenses claims, it's just they weren't actually going to publish them themselves. Godfrey himself was perfectly willing to let people see his expenses claims as long as you were able to come to his house and rifle through the paperwork yourself. What a joke.

Simon Gardner said...

I don’t care any more. I’ve voted.

howard thomas said...

Just a bit trivial Iain!!
More to the point is that UKIP want to have the Europe that we voted for ie, a common market and not a united states of europe.
This is exactly what the public want-----a great shame that UKIP don't come accross better

Anonymous said...

UKIP also have selective memory (re: Bob Spink, we don't even know a Bob Spink). I guess in light of this article, not knowing Bob Spink has saved them even more embarrassing spelling errors (how spunky do you like your MEP?).

Dr Feelgood said...

Once they got stuck into treaty/constitution re-drafting with d'Estaing, UKIP would be ripped to shreds.

They are just a bunch of amateurish demagogues, loved by the BBC and Labour because they split the conservative vote

Rog said...

If the Conservatives merely followed the wishes of the majority and took us out of the EU, or rather promised us a referendum, then there would be no demand or need for UKIP.

Represent? A novel idea.

Anonymous said...

Didn't realise a typo could produce such good coverage.Wonderful publicity for the £40m a day.More typo's please.

Jeffy said...

Tell you what, Iain, I'll vote for your lot when you kick out the bloke who claimed for the wreath. Until then it might be UKIP, even if they are a bunch of illiterate fraudsters.

Chrome diplomat said...

So we can add 'can't spell' to the seemingly unending list of reasons why UKIP are a total waste of space.

For all those who have said 'easier to attack spelling than their policies' your wrong- its just that kicking down the ridiculous arguments they peddle gets dull sooner or later.

1. MEP's don't get to say whether we are on or out of the EU- if they actually wanted to do that should be running for Westminster.

2. They vote against or abstain from every single vote in the Parliament- even if that vote is vital to the UK

3. They don't do any of the work done on the committees- and so do not even try to alter legislation for the better

4. They talk about ending the European gravy train, yet most of them only turn up to Strasbourg, not Brussels and yet claim full salary- do you think in the private sector you could get away with full pay for 1/4 of the work?

5. They attack people about expenses yet 1 in 6 of their MEPs has been involved with, or allegedly involved with some form of corruption.

6. Listen to most of them for 2 minutes and it becomes very clear that they don't actually understand the very basic make up of the EU- what the three institutions do and how that affects people.

7. Could also say that rather than giving £40 million a day to EU its actually £28 million- and this is not including the rebate we get back and that only 3% of EU law requires new UK legislation to have it implemented. But I don't have sources on these two thing they are just bits I've read somewhere.

Thats enough policy attacking- now...TYPO LOL

The Pub Consultancy Service said...

The Tories are indeed running scared. They do not even compare UKIP, the UK's third largest party in Europe, with their policies on their leaflets. I wonder why that is.

Iain you really are scaping the barrel with this particular feature. Perhaps Nigel should stop talking to you, then you wouldn't have anything to write about.

UKIP will wipe out Labour the Libdems and probably the Tories in the EU Elections, especially after last nights QT, when the arrogance of the 3 main parties showed through once again. With lies from someone like Haig over UKIP MEP's then we really have reached rock bottom.

The only way is UKIP.

ukipwebmaster said...

In reply to the comedian 'Ricardo's Ghost'. Never let a half baked smear get in the way of the truth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZP48yopInU

And if you want some real figures for Tory MEPs:

£500,000 Den Dover

£700,000 Giles Chichester

Anonymous said...

It is a bit rich of the Conservatives to be questioning UKIP's ability. We are told by endless MPs (most of them Tory) that they accidentally made false claims on their expenses. We have to take their word for it that these MPs are incompetant because the alternative conclusion would be that they are dishonest.

And anyway the Tories have no policy on Europe - we don't even know whether they would give us a vote on the Lisbon Treaty.

I am looking forward to the main parties getting a thrashing in the European election. They have taken the voters for granted for far too long.

Anonymous said...

Funny stuff chrome!

Robert said...

Just got the Tory leaflet for the West Midlands region in the EU elections.

They are of course for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty but no mention of a referendum if it is ratified before the next election.

I think I would rather have a few spelling mistakes rather than lies by omission.

I will follow Tebbit's recommendation and not vote for the three main parties.

Anonymous said...

Iain, I think it’s time for a reality check. Conservatives have lost the moral authority to look down on a party like UKIP. Likewise Labour and the Lib Dems. It’s difficult for any party to claim the high ground whilst wallowing in a trough of taxpayers’ money.

The equation is very simple. David Cameron must listen to the vast majority of the electorate (you know, like they would do in a democracy) and make a firm commitment to a referendum on the EU, otherwise UKIP will surely prosper.

And time is running out.

Anonymous said...

U Kip if you want to ... the lady's not for kipping!

Victor, NW Kent said...

Anonymous said "You seem ignorant of British electoral law and of the make-up of parliament".

Tell me this Anonymous - how many foreign nationals sit in our parliament under British electoral law?

Marta Andreasen is a candidate for the post of MEP. I say she should be on the ticket of a Spanish party - that is where she lives, works and has her nationality.

It is frankly absurd for you play the race card on this - I am talking commonsense, not xenophobia.

In what way will she be able to represent British interests if she is elected? She has never lived here.

Anonymous said...

Shouldn't that be "flipping"?

wonkotsane said...

UKIP probably knows the difference between Birmingham, England and Birmingham, Alabama though - unlike the Tory Birmingham City Council.

Typo's are easily done Iain, especially when UKIP is so busy answering enquiries and new membership applications that the phone lines are overflowing to regional offices. I'm sure you'll understand that it's a busy time for UKIP at the moment, little mistakes like this are bound to happen.

Anonymous said...

Somebody should ask Argentinian born Spaniard Ms Marta Andresen if the Falkland Islands should belong to Britian or Argentina.

neil craig said...

Back when Boris was still doing his witty & politically incorrect blog he told a story against himself about how he had sent out a leaflet to his constituency before somebody noticed that the "l" had unfortunately benn ommitted from a reference to "public affairs". Didn't stop him being elected.

James C said...

For all those who have said 'easier to attack spelling than their policies' your wrong- its just that kicking down the ridiculous arguments they peddle gets dull sooner or later.It always happens that those who attack people based on their spelling come out with howlers themselves.
It's "you're", as in "you're a plonker".

And Iain, since you are so concerned with spelling typos, can we expect you to knock yourself, writing, as you do, for the Guardian.

James C said...

Somebody should ask Argentinian born Spaniard Ms Marta Andresen if the Falkland Islands should belong to Britian or Argentina.Somebody should ask British-born Mr David Cameron if the UK should be run from Britain or Brussels.
You know, just a crazy idea that the public should know what the Tory policy on the EU is in the run-up to the EU election.

Twig said...

Chrome diplomat said...
"So we can add 'can't spell' to the seemingly unending list of reasons why UKIP are a total waste of space.
For all those who have said 'easier to attack spelling than their policies' your wrong..."
Looks like you could do with paying more attention to your own grammar Mr.Chrome - You know what they say about people who live in glasshouses.Perhaps you would like to lecture us about the CAP that has kept our food prices artificially high for 30 years and caused impoverishment to third world sugar producers by dumping subsidised EU over-production onto the world market ?

And when can we expect their accounts to be signed off (if ever) ?

Chris Paul said...

Fortunately there are never spolling mistakes on Tory material ... mre worrying is getting double helpings of the exact same leaflet from NW Greens .. far more serious for the planet than mispolling someone's name.

Anonymous said...

The thing that puzzled and amused me was this "real people" thing. Do the other parties have androids standing or something. Its just plain silly. Mind you even if you take what they are talking about at face value and then read their bios, they don't have real people either - city trader, academic journalist etc. Hardly butcher, candlestick maker stuff.

Greg_L-W. said...

Hi,

I gather EUkip MEPs will not enjoy disclosures of their expenses etc. on Sunday nor A Tory MEP on Monday.

Interesting that MPs would seem to have TRIED to make their income tax free, but they seem to have failed. Allowances or expenses if they do not equate to actual expenses with receipts would seem to be taxable but note
http://caterpillarsandbutterflies.blogspot.com/2009/05/486-off-trough-they-work-for-you.html
The number to report an MEP or MP for defrauding HM Revenue or even for conspiring with others to defraud HMRC, which is a criminal offence:
ie you can't just hand over the sack of swag when you are caught with it!
Stolen money stays stolen even WHEN it is paid back as EUkip's fraudsters Clive Page, Ashley Mote (undredged!), Lindsay Jenkins & Tom Wise will attrest - the last two named will be answering the criminal charges against them just after EY results are counted on June 8th. at Westminster Courts, where they face allocation.

I believe that it will be clear on Sunday that EUkip are far from the virginal honesty when it comes to expenses as a protest vote.

The amounts that have seemingly been trousereed in EUkip are eye watering per capita relative to the Tories.

Just to be on the safe side don't waste your vote on a self enriching moral dyslexic - Politicians have not represented the electorate for years, only themselves.

Don't waste your vote on a politician withdraw your mandate and deny them theirs:
Just write on your ballot paper
LEAVE THE EU
The clear wish of the majority in Britain without going against your 'tribal' vote.

75%+ of all the laws are imposed from The EU so just keep demanding representation with:
LEAVE THE EU
on every ballot until we can make our own laws for our own peoples, can control our own borders in our own interests, legislate for our own businesses, agriculture and financial institutions - ensure the well being of our own fish stocks in our own waters.

You KNOW the only ethical way to vote is to write on your ballot paper
LEAVE THE EU
In the best interests of your family, friends and the future AND in fact, as Churchill made clear for the benefit of the Continental Countries.

The Anglosphere has much to offer the world whilst Continental EU is looking for ways to regulate and take, building ever larger military forces of The Rapid Repression Force (YOU can call it Mary Anne!)and armed police of EUroPol increasingly able to abuse and kill citizens across borders using EU arrest warrants!

You KNOW it makes sense write:
LEAVE THE EU
If you do this you will help destroy The BNP and strengthen YOUR Country as a Patriot.

Regards,
Greg L-W.

Chrome diplomat said...

Fair cop on the 'your' 'you're' argument...doh

2 quick points:

The CAP needs reform certainly- I don't know of any UK party which thinks the EU is totally positive- then again Westminster passes a hell of a lot of dumb laws too you may have noticed.

CAP is important though- with UK farmers being squeezed by supermarkets its important that there are clear ways we help sustain them and ensure that they get a fair price for their product. But we need to work within the EU to move the CAP away from subsidizing large corporate super-farms to doing looking after the small family ones who cannot survive just on what the supermarkets will pay for their product.

2. On the account- yes need more transparency- against hat means being in the EU fighting for reform not sniping from the sidelines/ doing bugger all like UKIP. It should also be pointed out that one of the reasons the accounts have not been signed off is because the UK GOvernment has failed to properly account for a lot of the money given to us by the EU. If we get our own house in order then maybe we can get an auditors tick.

I don't get UKIP- if you want out of the EU you need to work nationally, if your going into the European Parliament then you should work to make the institution the best it can be. UKIP do neither they are a waste of tax payers money and a smear on the UKs reputation.

wonkotsane said...

Just so you can put Greg Lance Watkins (Greg L-W) comments into context, he is an anti-UKIP, anti-Farage obsessive with close links to the UK First Party and Ashley Mote, the MEP thrown out of UKIP after admitting committing benefit fraud (which he did time for) and who, in 2007, joined the Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty group in the EU Parliament along with the French National Front and Bulgarian and Italian fascists.

Allyness92 said...

Iam Voting UKIP!