Nigel Farage Was A "fascist" Teenager.... Apparently...

[Kromovaracun]

http://www.channel4.com/news/nigel-farage-ukip-letter-school-concerns-racism-fascism

So Channel 4 News (which is usually relatively sensible compared to the other networks) has pounced on this letter from 30-odd years ago written by someone who never even knew Farage and was dismissed by someone who did.

Is anyone else getting really sick of the pitifully low standards to which modern British journalism seems to hold itself? I loathe and mistrust UKIP, but why should unprovable allegations about Nigel Farage's activities as a teenager have anything to do with his political profile today?

If his arguments and policies are flawed, it should be easy to demonstrate. I see no reason for this kind of pathetic attempt at muck-raking.

[bazwillrun]

For the same reasons that Danny McBride has "revealed" he used to regularly "leak" stories to the press to try and smear others.

[jake-the-peg]

They do this all the time

They love to bring out 'radical past' of Labour politicians in student politics too.

People tend to be more radical in their politics when they're young - move on

[Kromovaracun]

For about a year and a half, I used to sing Nazi songs in school, express fascist/pro-Hitler views, and was once sent to the deputy head for making racist remarks in class. It's meaningless - everybody says, does or thinks stupid things when they're teenagers.

(oh, and I was also made a prefect).

[mikey4444]

Shock Horror...!
UKIP chief used to be a fascist !
I would never have believed it !

[mikey4444]

Trigger...just seen your post ...lots of laughs !

[ludwig]

// Is anyone else getting really sick of the pitifully low standards to which modern British journalism seems to hold itself? //

Yes. I don't suppose many of us would look too good if we were judged today by the things we said and did when we were teenagers.

The phone hacking gutter press are beneath contempt, but I find even serious journalists annoyingly arrogant. They seem to believe they're the most important set of people in the world.

[Gromit]

It is in the same vein as the Mandelson was a Communist stories, but not as funny.

It is not really fair to try to use this against him now. Shows desperation on the part of the main parties to be peddling this nonsense.