Ukip - Trying To Defend The Indefensible

[puternut]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27176803

[emmie]

likely. they aren't doing themselves any favours.

[emmie]

one thing i would say is this, shouldn't a person get to whatever position in life, business, art, media, theatre, on their own merits, not because they are black, white, or green.

[douglas9401]

I agree with Mr Henry and his call for more black and ethnic minority people in creative industries.
In this particular case I declare a selfish interest though. If there are more black and ethnic people in those industries then the chances of complete drivel like Rudy's Rare Records being produced and foisted on a long suffering public (me) lessen as the talent base expands, hopefully crowding out the formulaic and mundane.

[mikey4444]

Every time these gaffs appear, The Man in the Pub feigns shock and horror, and says that it won't happen again. But it is obvious that he hasn't a clue what is going on.

UKIP recently made all candidates sign a " I Am Not A Fruitcake, Nutter, or a Loony" declaration, but it seems to have been just a PR exercise.

I predict that just like London buses, there will be another foot-in-the-mouth moment any day soon, maybe as early as later on today. I'm afraid that Farage is presiding over a complete shambles.

[Svejk]

I'd like to see him go away.

[Brenden]

I would like to see him win the local elections just to wake up our three main parties as to what the majority of people want for their country.

[emmie]

won't happen, it should give a proverbial kick in the nuts to them all,
but they seem immune to the wishes of the many, or at least a reasoned, well planned, thought out plan to decrease, stop more immigration,

[anotheoldgit]

It is marvellous how the left are so frightened regarding UKIP so much so that they will report on every bit of 'muck raking' that they can find, just so they can try and discredit UKIP..

It was interesting to note that on all left leaning BBC TV reports this bit of non-news took second place to the dreadful news report on the helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

What kind of country are we now living in when a person is not entitled to speak their mind?

Yes I am also fed up to the back teeth of Henry's constant racist comments regarding whites etc, and I agree if he 'ain't happy' he should go to some place where there aren't the injustices that he is always harping on about.

Regarding Islam and the Nazis, we should be concerned with it's spread, it happened when it spread throughout the Mediterranean and as far as Spain, what is saying it could not happen again.

More people than one would think are also thinking these things although they dare not come out into the open to voice them, this is the true danger, when such matters are allowed to bubble un-addressed under the surface.

[Kromovaracun]

"It is marvellous how the left are so frightened regarding UKIP so much so that they will report on every bit of 'muck raking' that they can find, just so they can try and discredit UKIP"

It isn't fear. These people are putting themselves forwards as credible alternatives to the main parties. But what we have is instance after instance after instance that seems to prove they have no control over their candidates.

Also you clearly don't know how social media works. When you put something on twitter, it's public domain. What will have happened in the case of this tweet was that it would have been spread by people who disagreed with it - which one can do with a click of a button. There isn't a Labour party secret policeman sitting in a room somewhere in front of a bunch of monitors with social media feeds on them.

I actually agree with what sp observed in the other thread - UKIP could capitalise on it by saying their party is unified by being "anti-PC" (although I think that's a somewhat ridiculous thing to say myself, a lot of people don't.)

[sp1814]

I wonder whether these statements are hitting the media because UKIP is a very young party (in terms of the political experience of its candidates)?

Once again, UKIP' response is "It's a smear campaign..." and "Other parties have members who are like this..."

I don't think UKIP understands how social media works. Once you put something out there on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or Facebook, its like opening your diary to the world.

Perhaps the reason why these statements are leapt on by the media is because the public love these kinds of stories.

Remember Gordon Brown and 'that bigoted woman'?

Or John Major and 'the bastards'?

Couple of strings things though...does Mr Henwood realise that black people who were born in the UK should be able to argue a point about an industry that they have been employed in, for 30 years - as Mr Henry has, without being told that they should leave their country?

Sidebar...when did Lenny Henry become so thin???

[sp1814]

string things???

[sp1814]

AOG

What racist statements has Mr Henry said about whites?

[Brenden]

Positive discrimination is alive and well - albeit - racist. AOG is this the time of revival of the Otterman Empire - looking very much like it.

[emmie]

perhaps Lenny Henry should note that people get by on their own resources, merits, i.e they have talent, are needed, work hard, slog their guts out, that having a black or brown face doesn't mean you automatically qualify to appear on tv, in ads, in the media, same applies to white folks, its about the talent, have some and you may actually get somewhere, especially in the media, or brass neck like Alan Sugar, he didn't use the fact he is white to progress up the ladder, i suspect he did so because he is a hard faced bastard

[emmie]

http://news.sky.com/story/1227815/lenny-henry-attacks-britains-white-tv

[sp1814]

Yep...that's what UKIP should capitalise on.

Seriously - how many times have you read complaints about 'The PC Brigrade' on AB, and on other social media?

My colleague who works in project management tells me that every laptop in the Daily Mail offices has a button above the 'Return' key labelled 'PCZ', which types out 'PC zealot' when hit.*

So why not capitalise on this?

If these statements are not racist, and just plain speaking, then UKIP should stand up for itself, and not gag their candidates. Would that not actually make them MORE sense?




*A complete lie which I just made up.

[emmie]

why doesn't he set up his own TV production company, or has he? he is pretty high profile, could choose his actors, and then get the programmes made that he wants to star in, or produce.

[sp1814]

emmie

Perhaps Lenny Henry recognises that people do not always get on by their own merits and that we are not a completely meritocracy yet.

Perhaps Mr Henry has a better idea of what happens behind the scenes in tv?

Perhaps he read that report from a few years ago which showed that candidates with identifiably 'black' names (ie. African names) would have their CVs rejected and when resubmitted with exactly the same qualifications as 'white' names - would receive interview requests.

Just a maybe.

[Brenden]

Because he has not got enough talent emmie - a failure always blames his tools or somebody else,. Imo.

[sp1814]

emmie

I've read your link through twice and would like you to point out the racism.

I mean, unlike certain persons on AB, he has not referred to anyone as a 'white savage'.

I totally disagree that 50% of on screen talent should be from ethnic minorities. That's ridiculous.

However, I note that we with the same racial proportions in the US, there is a much greater representation of non-whites in all sections of television (drama, comedy, sport, news etc).

And it's nothing to do with positive discrimination (with the underlying assumption that black performers are 'not as good' - watch series one of The Wire to have that blown out of the window) and everything to do with talent.