The Staggers

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Ukip celebrates the Barnsley effect

Nigel Farage says: “I love Europe. I’ve drunk more Rioja than anyone alive!”

By Jonathan Derbyshire Published 06 March 2011 13:42

One of the beneficiaries of the Liberal Democrats' disastrous performance in the Barnsley by-election was the UK Independence Party, whose candidate Jane Collins came second only to Labour. This weekend, Ukip has been celebrating that result at its spring conference in Scarborough.

Its leader, Nigel Farage, addressed the conference yesterday. You can watch his speech here:

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Tags: UKIP Nigel Farage

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19 comments

Mon, 2011-03-07 02:30 — JRathbone (not verified)

To me his claim to have drunk more Rioja than anyone alive seems entirely reasonable (unlike everything else he says), but then I've met him while he's drunk. The sight of a 46 year old politician trying to get a 20 year old student drunk will remain with me for a long time.

Sun, 2011-03-06 14:21 — Kenny (not verified)

UKIP did not benefit from the limp dims vote collapse. Do you think that liberal voters are going to turn to a party classed as being on the right. UKIP picked up votes from the CONservatives.

When you look at the poor turnout and how many votes ukip got, it was not that great a result. They are never going to win first past the post with results like that.

One thing about the Barnsley By-election is that we still have a large amount of the electorate that still have their heads in the sand and voted another LIEbour idiot back in. How stupid are some people after all that they have done to this country.

Mon, 2011-03-07 09:16 — gerry (not verified)

Good on UKIP for beating the Tories into third in Barnsley!

I am not a UKIP voter of course but their policies and leader are an alternative to the failed Cleggeron/Miliband clones, and I wish them all the best...

Mon, 2011-03-07 09:56 — snark (not verified)

I guess Farage's Rioja point is the absurd but oft-cited idea that to be against the Eu is to be pro-parochialism and against cosmopolitanism, only like plain food, hate pavement cafes etc. One might as well argue that Ryanair has done more for fostering pan-European taste than the EU ever has, and hardly justifies keeping a succession of wasters like Neil Kinnock in clover.

Sun, 2011-03-06 14:28 — Olly (not verified)

UKIP actually took a very large number of Lib dem votes in barnsley, but mostly it was dissatisfied LABOUR voters who switched to UKIP

Tue, 2011-03-08 12:57 — Stuart Eels (not verified)

Well argued mhaywoth but I don't read the daily papers that Daniele dislikes so much, I read a daily regional with two pages of lively letters.

I find myself frequently writing to that regional dauily to correct members of UKIP, who in the extreme are telling complete lies or little ones to discredit the EU.

As long as that sort of behavior goes on you will have people like me writing counter agruments which then alienate UKIP from mainstream opinion. No one likes liars.

Mon, 2011-03-07 11:01 — Phil (not verified)

if we can get out of the EU then we may have enough cash to fund the NHS Stop millions of immigrants coming to the uk with nothing more than a rucksack
we all agree i think the financal commitment we have to pay the EU is a massive burden to uk tax payers
and the constant interferance from brussels on health and safety our traffic laws and legal system burden the tax payers with more costs UKIP are an unknown politcal party who do at least reflect a lot of our concerns, the liberals were once considered in the same light

Mon, 2011-03-07 11:12 — Daniele1

Phil:
I hope you realise your little plan to get out of the EU means not only the end of subsidies you didn't even know you were getting (because in Britain it is kept secret), the end of lots of trading with EU countries, but also that all the Brits living and working in other EU countries will also be kicked out and come back here demanding a job.
As to the billions of immigrants you are talking about, Britain wouldn't function without them because they do:
-jobs that the Brits don't want to do
-jobs that Brits can't do because they can't be arsed to get educated to do them.
Good luck with that!
But problems like that do not enter the narrow minds of Little Englanders like you.

Mon, 2011-03-07 11:26 — Phil (not verified)

dont be daft britan function very well without them and would continue with out them 3 million unimployed and still daily 100's of people turn up on the door step expecting to be housed and funded the black economy is flourishing because of immigration and those prepared to exploit them
you will find that uk residents that choose to live and work abroad normally have the funds to support them unlike the constant flow of people coming to the uk with nothing more than a rucksack

Sun, 2011-03-06 15:51 — DOUG LIVINGSTONE (not verified)

Wow, Kenny I must commend your astuteness. I've never seen anyone ever accentuate the CON in Conservatives, nor form a nonexistent LIE in Labour. You should really be a satirist. Seriously. And your political commentary is sharp and biting. 'Limp Dems': who would've thought of that, hey? A genius? Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Who's a good Kenny.

Now get back in your fucking cage.

Mon, 2011-03-07 12:02 — Phil (not verified)

is the EU Really a benifit to the uk
i know this is from the media but?
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailyexpress.co.uk%2Fpo...

Mon, 2011-03-07 14:15 — Daniele1

It is "Britain", Phil!
I rest my case.

Sun, 2011-03-06 19:14 — Daniele1

I see, Farage's idea of appreciation of European culture is to drink a lot of Rioja!! Now I am reassured that Farage is a serious politician and that he really doesn't hate foreigners since he drinks their wine!!
Maybe he has drank too much Rioja as he is talking complete bollocks most of the time.
How can any one vote for this small minded pathetic clown is a mystery to me. But then I don't understand how ANY ONE can believe the disgusting xenophobic stuff in the "Daily poison" either.

Mon, 2011-03-07 22:07 — Daniele1

mhayworth:
Whatever..!
No much point arguing with somebody who actually believes the anti EU propaganda and downright lies in the "Daily Poison" which is the British daily press,and who is prepared to vote for such charlatans.

Mon, 2011-03-07 00:06 — Robert Taggart

Barnsley? BARNSLEY !
Liebore can keep it - it be so grim !
UKIP can celebrate - a little.
Liebore cannot - only a tiny turnout - in one of their safest seats - a dead donkey could win it for them !

Mon, 2011-03-07 22:42 — mhayworth

"Whatever..!"

That's your argument? I think it is past your bedtime Daniele.

Mon, 2011-03-07 14:29 — mhayworth

Danielle, You can't seriously believe what this political monopoly (Lib/Lab/Con) is telling you. Of course they will try to paint UKIP in a negative light. Everything UKIP has been saying about the EU for years, is starting to hit the news on a daily basis now - and these people are worried. As for trade - hundreds of non-EU countries trade regularly with the EU. The difference is that they can also trade freely with other countries without the ludicrous anti-business bureacracy that EU membership brings with it. As for our citizens - remember also that many people worked and retired in Europe before the EU existed but if you think membership has given them more rights, try speaking to those in Spain, France, Greece, etc. who have lost homes, land, etc. through local legal loopholes and been treated like 3rd class citizens. As for 'jobs Brits won't do' - we used to do them with pride until our government realised they could keep wages down by exploiting foreign workers. As for the jobs we can't do - you can point directly to the 'dumbed-down' education system that we've had in place for the past 20 years - courtesy of our government. The fact is that the only way this monopoly can survive is by bringing in as many immigrants as possible - because they will vote for continued membership of this EU Dictatorship and our MPs will keep their wretched FPTP and continue to live off the subsidies and bloated EU pensions. Maybe you haven't noticed but the only people who've benefitted from globalisation are the banks, multi-national corporations, and the governments who continue to support them. Check out where our 'foreign aid' money goes and the salaries of those running charities. Check out the salaries of those running our councils. Check out the tax dodging activities of the hypocritical Guardian Media Group. Then go visit a UK senior's care home and you'll see exactly where our tax money isn't going.

Me - I'll vote UKIP anyday.