How Farage damages our BREXIT cause

The Times today, 11 Feb, goes with a front page headline,

UKIP Backs criminals who stand for election and continues,

“UKIP knowingly allowed dozens of racists, homophobes and violent criminals to stand as prospective MPs and councillors at the last election, the Times can reveal.

Te Eurosceptic party was aware at least 14 of its candidates last May had violent pasts including three who were guilty of GBH. It allowed them to run away.

UKIP internal records show that at laest a further 23 expressed or supported homophobic, Islamophobic or sexist views. One was a supporter of the far right EDL and stated the Prophet was a ‘criminal psycopath’.

In most cases candidates were originally blocked from standing but successfully appealed often with the support of senior UKIP officials“.

My italics. So these people were weeded out by the local party members but were then reinstated by UKIP NEC which is of course totally controlled by Farage.

The Times reports as bullet points:

The party handed over its membership database to a donor who had been running the Leave.EU campaign.

Party members who applied for selection included drug dealers, a sex offender and a convicted murderer.

On pages 8 and 9 the Times runs a full page headline,

Wife-beater, racist and porn star allowed to stand for UKIP

Furthermore the Times reports UKIP is in financial disarray and is struggling to pay its bills. Half the staff at the Newton Abbott head office have been made redundant and it has been forced to vacate its Mayfair head office so loved by Farage.

Tomorrows Times promises details of the chaos, infighting and cronyism that blighted UKIP’s election campaign.

What drives me mad was that all this was so predictable. I and others pointed out to Farage that if UKIP became a real threat to the political  establishment the media would dig up every bit of dirt on UKIP they could find. My suggestion was to ensure everyone in UKIP was squeeky clean  and UKIP finances were impeccable.

Farage responded by filling the party at the top with his cronies and financial profligacy. Anyone who dared criticise Farage was exiled from UKIP positions and many were.

We cannot hope to win the EU referendum if  Farage is anywhere the campaign. This is only the start. The media have much more on Farage and won’t hesitate to use it.