Ukip say Thanet street abuse ‘thugs’ were organised imposters out to discredit them
Posted: January 25, 2015 Filed under: UKIP | Tags: Britain First, Day of Action, Nigel Farage, organised campaign of imposters, South Thanet, Thanet, thugs, UKIP Leave a commentUkip say ‘thugs’ who shouted abuse at locals who refused to take Ukip leaflets were imposters trying to damage the party’s reputation
A group of men shouted abuse at Thanet locals while handing out Ukip leaflets on Sunday – but the party say they were part of an organised campaign of imposters out to discredit them.
Witnesses called the police after the men shouted insults at shoppers on Broadstairs High Street who refused to take their leaflets.
One local, who reported the incident in a letter to local community newspaper Thanet Watch, said there were between five and seven men, who shouted “communist scum”, “left wing scum” and “paedophile protection party” at passers-by.
In the letter, the local said: “I said to the Ukip representatives that they shouldn’t talk to the electorate in that way and was promptly told to “go home and knit another scarf”. It was a very intimidating scene to witness, and two of the male supporters followed me down Charlotte Street. I reported the incident to the police.”
Police confirmed in a statement they had received a complaint relating to the incident.
A Police spokesman said: “Officers attended and spoke with the members of the group and gave words of advice. No further reports were received.”
According to Ukip, more than 500 activists descended on South Thanet on Sunday to campaign alongside leader Nigel Farage in the party’s first ‘Day of Action’ in the area, which Farage will contest at the general election.
But a Ukip spokesman said the gang couldn’t have been genuine activists, because “‘kippers just wouldn’t do that.”
He even suggested the incident was part of an organised campaign of imposters who pose as Ukip activists, steal leaflets and deliberately behave badly in order to damage the party’s reputation.
“You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve seen this,” he said. “I’ve seen them nicking our kit, handing it out to the Britain First crowd, and then claiming Britain First support Ukip.”
He continued: “I’m pretty sure we don’t have gangs of five to seven thugs. Most of our supporters are about 55 years old and probably work in a charity shop.”
No investigation has been undertaken by the party, he said, because there was no evidence to suggest the “thugs” were Ukip supporters, and because no photo or video evidence has come to light in order to identify them.
He said: “If there are party members behaving like that, they shouldn’t be. They shouldn’t be behaving like that, and they shouldn’t be party members.
“It just doesn’t ring true to me. If there’s a problem, we’ll deal with it.”
Ukip abuse claim – ‘It wasn’t us’ says party HQ
Posted: January 25, 2015 Filed under: UKIP | Tags: abuse, Broadsttairs, Rochester, Thanet, UKIP Leave a commentA CLAIM that Ukip supporters abused people in Broadsttairs High Street, chanting ‘Communist scum’ has been denied by the party’s HQ.
A report was made to police that up to seven supporters handing out leaflets were shouting insults at passers-by who refused to take them. The incident is said to have taken placed at 1.45pm on Sunday, January 18.
A post on facebook from the woman who reported the incident said: “: I witnessed a group of 5-7 Ukip supporters handing out leaflets shouting ‘Communist scum’, ‘Left Wing scum’ ‘ ‘Paedophile Protection Party’ at passers-by who refused to take leaflets. I said to the UKIP representatives that they shouldn’t talk to the electorate in that way and was promptly told to ‘go home and knit another scarf’. It was a very intimidating scene to witness, and two of the male supporters followed me down Charlotte Street. I reported the incident to the police.”
Police confirmed a report was made.
A spokesman said: “A complaint was received about comments made by a small group of people issuing leaflets in the High Street.
Officers attended and spoke with the members of the group and gave words of advice. No further reports were received.”
But Ukip have denied their supporters would be involved in any way.
A spokesman said:”What I have heard on numerous occasions, including recently during the Rochester by-election where I was an eye witness, is people pretending to be Ukip activists and making trouble, in order to damage our reputation.
“Without evidence of either names or pictures I cannot believe this is anything other than deliberate and malicious trouble making. If any evidence of who these people were comes forward then Ukip will be happy to investigate further.”
The spokesman claimed that the similar incident during the Rochester by-election was carried out by members of anti-facism groups.
He added: “Kippers would not behave like that.”
Asked where the Broadstairs group would have obtained the Ukip leaflets he said: “There were a lot around the place – I have no idea.”
Ukip councillor fired after allegedly saying she has a problem with ‘negroes’ because there’s ‘something about their faces
Posted: January 8, 2015 Filed under: UKIP | Tags: Councillor, expelled, Nigel Farage, racism, racist, Rozanne Duncan, South Thanet, Thanet, UKIP Leave a commentA Ukip councillor who was fired from the party allegedly said she had a problem with ‘negroes’ because there’s ‘something wrong with their faces’.
Thanet councillor Rozanne Duncan, 68, was expelled from the eurosceptic party last month for comments made in a TV interview that, despite Ukip declining to publish, were described by one source described as ‘jaw-dropping’.
And it has now been revealed that Ms Duncan lost her job because she allegedly said she had a problem with ‘negroes’, The Times reports.
Ukip is expelling Cllr Rozanne Duncan under rule 15 of its constitution for bringing the party into disrepute. She has 28 days to appeal,’ a party spokesman said at the time of the sacking.
The comments, which apparently included Ms Duncan saying there was ‘something about the faces’ of black people, were reportedly said during the filming of a television documentary about Ukip in South Thanet, the constituency where party leader Nigel Farage will stand for election in May.
The former Conservative allegedly went on to insist that she was ‘not a racist’ because she had ‘many Asian shopkeeper and local business friends’.
Ukip expels Thanet councillor Rozanne Duncan for “jaw dropping” comments made in TV programme, not yet broadcast
Posted: December 21, 2014 Filed under: UKIP | Tags: bringing the party into disrepute, Cliftonville East, Councillor, expelled, Rozanne Duncan, Thanet, Thanet South, UKIP Leave a commentUkip has expelled the Thanet councillor Rozanne Duncan from the party for comments she made in a TV interview.
The party declined to say what the comments were and the programme has not yet been broadcast.
However, party sources say that when they were brought to their attention, they had no hesitation in deciding she should be expelled for bringing the party into disrepute.
One source said the remarks were “jaw dropping.” In a statement, a party spokesman said:
“Ukip is expelling Cllr Rozanne Duncan under rule 15 of its constitution for bringing the party into disrepute. She has 28 days to appeal.”
The news comes after a series of unwelcome revelations about Ukip candidates, the latest involving comments made by the parliamentary candidate Kerry Smith. He was dropped this week after using the word “chinky.”
Cllr Duncan was elected to Thanet council for Cliftonville East ward in 2013, after a by-election triggered by the jailing of former council leader Sandy Ezekiel.
She had previously been a Conservative councillor but defected in 2013. In addition to being a councillor, she was secretary of the Thanet South Ukip constituency association.
She won the by-election in May 2013 and earlier this year unwittingly revealed that Nigel Farage was to stand for election in the Thanet South constituency.
At the time of her election, she said that one of her concerns was that people had difficulty making GP appointments because of the number of immigrants in the area.
She is one of two Ukip members on the council.
Kent Online was unable to contact Cllr Duncan for comment today.