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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/jun/08/eu-referendum-live-voter-registration-site-crashes-cameron-farage-debate
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| EU referendum live: voter registration site crashes after Cameron-Farage debate | EU referendum live: voter registration site crashes after Cameron-Farage debate |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 11.08am BST | |
| 11:08 | |
| Farage tells MEPs Brexit vote could bring down the EU | |
| Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, delivered a speech in the European parliament this morning in a debate on the EU investment plan. In it he described the referendum as “the biggest event in the history of this project” and predicted that a Brexit vote would bring down the entire EU. | |
| There was a strong element of “I told you so” running through the speech. Here’s an extract. | |
| I came in here in 1999 and sat at the back and there were only three of us in the whole building who thought our member state should leave the European Union. But it is grand projects that have turned the tide of public opinion, in particular the introduction of the Euro. I warned you, we all warned you; it would not work for the Mediterranean countries. It could comfortably work for the optimal currency zone in the north but no, through massive ambition and hubris you ploughed on and you allowed countries like Greece to join a currency that they were never fit for. And what has happened to Greece now? Well they’re facing the next bailout in probably July of this year and because you want to hold your project together you are forcing them bit by bit to become a third world country and all I can say frankly is shame on you ... | |
| And the other feature that I have noticed here is the growth of what I can only describe as authoritarianism. We actually saw the prime minister of Greece removed effectively by a coup d’état and we saw Mr Berlusconi removed by a coup d’état and in both cases replaced by appointees who were former directors of Goldman Sachs. So I think you’ve sown the seeds of your own destruction. | |
| He ended saying he hoped this would be his last speech to the European parliament from a member state. | |
| And I hope on June 23rd it is not just independence day for the United Kingdom, I hope it brings an end to this entire project and in a few years’ time we can be sovereign, democratic nation states that work and trade together. I hope this is the last time I’ll be speaking in this parliament from a member state and I hope that we are going to leave this union on June 23rd. So I’m going out now, I may be some time. | |
| Farage ends by quoting Captain Oates, the Antarctic explorer who sacrificed himself to help save his colleagues. But it was in vain, because his colleagues, led by Captain Scott, also died. It is odd for Farage to end his speech quoting a heroic failure. | |
| You can read the full speech here. | |
| Updated | |
| at 11.17am BST | |
| 10.55am BST | |
| 10:55 | |
| Heidi Alexander says NHS could not function without EU migrants | |
| Heidi Alexander, the shadow health secretary, has been giving a speech on the threat to the NHS from leaving the EU to Unison this morning. My colleagues Heather Stewart and Anushka Asthana previewed it this morning. Here are the key points from what she said. | |
| But we have to be honest: as of today, parts of the health system would not function without the contribution of EU migrants. | |
| Put simply, you’re more likely to come across a migrant caring for you in a hospital, then in the bed next to you ... | |
| Would hospitals be able to fill staff shortages without immediate access to the pool of qualified staff from other European countries? | |
| The truth is we just don’t know. | |
| Just because the bus has got the NHS logo plastered on its side, doesn’t mean for a second that you should trust the people sat in its seats. | |
| People like Boris Johnson who has written that “people [should] have to pay” for the NHS. | |
| People like Daniel Hannan and Douglas Carswell who have called for a “price-mechanism in healthcare”. | |
| Or people like Nigel Farage, who was caught on video, saying that he wants the NHS to move to an insurance based system like the United States. | |
| Now, the past few weeks of this campaign have sometimes felt like a beauty contest for the next leader of the Conservative Party. | |
| I don’t know about you, but I’m fed up of it. | |
| Fed up of the mud-slinging and the name-calling. | |
| Fed up of the dry debates about sovereignty and the rebate. | |
| And fed up of being told that people like me, a comprehensive girl from Swindon are somehow part of an elitist establishment that have been brainwashed by bureaucrats from Brussels. | |
| Boris, Nigel - I can assure you that is not the case. | |
| It seems to me the public want less spin and more substance in this debate. They want to understand what their vote on the 23rd June means for them and for the things they care about – like the National Health Service. | |
| 10.25am BST | 10.25am BST |
| 10:25 | 10:25 |
| And the Electoral Reform Society is saying the same thing. This is from Katie Ghose, its chief executive. | And the Electoral Reform Society is saying the same thing. This is from Katie Ghose, its chief executive. |
| This is a similar situation to the 2010 general election, when people were turned away from polling stations despite being in the queues before close of polls. Those queueing up last night shouldn’t be turned away, and plenty more may have heard about the site crashing and not bothered. There’s still time to put this right, with over two weeks to go until the referendum. | This is a similar situation to the 2010 general election, when people were turned away from polling stations despite being in the queues before close of polls. Those queueing up last night shouldn’t be turned away, and plenty more may have heard about the site crashing and not bothered. There’s still time to put this right, with over two weeks to go until the referendum. |
| Given the huge rush to register there is clearly a huge demand for people to have their voice heard, so we believe the deadline should be extended until at least midnight tonight, or ideally the end of the week if feasible. Everyone turned away needs time to hear about the extension and to sign up, and a day might not be long enough given the high numbers involved. | Given the huge rush to register there is clearly a huge demand for people to have their voice heard, so we believe the deadline should be extended until at least midnight tonight, or ideally the end of the week if feasible. Everyone turned away needs time to hear about the extension and to sign up, and a day might not be long enough given the high numbers involved. |
| Over 1.5m people have applied to register this past week, and 525,000 on the final day alone. This huge enthusiasm to take part shouldn’t be cast aside because of a short cut off. | Over 1.5m people have applied to register this past week, and 525,000 on the final day alone. This huge enthusiasm to take part shouldn’t be cast aside because of a short cut off. |
| 10.22am BST | 10.22am BST |
| 10:22 | 10:22 |
| Leanne Wood, the Plaid Cymru leader, has joined those saying the voter registration deadline should be extended. “It is unacceptable that thousands of people were unable to register to vote last night due to a technical error on the government’s website,” she says. | Leanne Wood, the Plaid Cymru leader, has joined those saying the voter registration deadline should be extended. “It is unacceptable that thousands of people were unable to register to vote last night due to a technical error on the government’s website,” she says. |
| 10.01am BST | 10.01am BST |
| 10:01 | 10:01 |
| Farage says more black migrants would come to UK under his proposed immigration system | Farage says more black migrants would come to UK under his proposed immigration system |
| On ITV’s Good Morning Britain Nigel Farage also claimed that, under his preferred immigration system (the Australian-style, points-based one, in case you had not heard), there would be more black people coming to the UK. | On ITV’s Good Morning Britain Nigel Farage also claimed that, under his preferred immigration system (the Australian-style, points-based one, in case you had not heard), there would be more black people coming to the UK. |
| I believe in the Commonwealth. I believe our relationship with the Commonwealth is vital. I think we’ve been stupid to turn our backs on it in favour of EU membership. And what has happened, because of the huge numbers of people coming from the EU, is it’s now very difficult for somebody who’s qualified from India or from Africa to get into this country because we have an unlimited open door to unskilled labour from southern and eastern Europe. And the effect of what I’m proposing – a points system, call it the Australian one or whatever you like – actually more black people would qualify to come in under that. | I believe in the Commonwealth. I believe our relationship with the Commonwealth is vital. I think we’ve been stupid to turn our backs on it in favour of EU membership. And what has happened, because of the huge numbers of people coming from the EU, is it’s now very difficult for somebody who’s qualified from India or from Africa to get into this country because we have an unlimited open door to unskilled labour from southern and eastern Europe. And the effect of what I’m proposing – a points system, call it the Australian one or whatever you like – actually more black people would qualify to come in under that. |
| 9.54am BST | 9.54am BST |
| 09:54 | 09:54 |
| Farage accuses archbishop of turning 'blind eye' to problems exemplified by Cologne sex attacks | Farage accuses archbishop of turning 'blind eye' to problems exemplified by Cologne sex attacks |
| In his interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, also hit back again at the archbishop of Canterbury, accusing him of turning a “blind eye” to the problems exemplified by the sex attacks in Cologne. | In his interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, also hit back again at the archbishop of Canterbury, accusing him of turning a “blind eye” to the problems exemplified by the sex attacks in Cologne. |
| The row was triggered by an interview Farage gave to the Sunday Telegraph in which he warned about the danger of Cologne-style attacks in the UK if the UK remained in the EU. He described the issue as a “nuclear bomb”. Yesterday the archbishop, Justin Welby, accused Farage of racism. | The row was triggered by an interview Farage gave to the Sunday Telegraph in which he warned about the danger of Cologne-style attacks in the UK if the UK remained in the EU. He described the issue as a “nuclear bomb”. Yesterday the archbishop, Justin Welby, accused Farage of racism. |
| Speaking on GMB, Farage tried to clarify what he meant. | Speaking on GMB, Farage tried to clarify what he meant. |
| I didn’t say that I was going to detonate that bomb, did I? In fact, what I said was this was an issue for the longer term, it’s not a problem for the short term. Longer term, there could be an issue if the one million men, young men, economic migrants that went to Germany last year were to get EU passports but I quite deliberately played that down ... | I didn’t say that I was going to detonate that bomb, did I? In fact, what I said was this was an issue for the longer term, it’s not a problem for the short term. Longer term, there could be an issue if the one million men, young men, economic migrants that went to Germany last year were to get EU passports but I quite deliberately played that down ... |
| Read what Alison Pearson’s written in the Daily Telegraph, listen to what Liam Fox has said, listen to what Iain Duncan Smith has said – they’ve gone far further than me, they’ve been far more explicit about this. But there was no question that during this campaign there was going to be a moment when people chose to attack me. What they’ve done here is, frankly, confected outrage. | Read what Alison Pearson’s written in the Daily Telegraph, listen to what Liam Fox has said, listen to what Iain Duncan Smith has said – they’ve gone far further than me, they’ve been far more explicit about this. But there was no question that during this campaign there was going to be a moment when people chose to attack me. What they’ve done here is, frankly, confected outrage. |
| Turning to Welby, Farage went on: | Turning to Welby, Farage went on: |
| He hasn’t read what I’ve said, he hasn’t studied what I’ve said ... | He hasn’t read what I’ve said, he hasn’t studied what I’ve said ... |
| This is the archbishop who, in his New Year’s message on 6 January, didn’t even make any mention of what had gone wrong in Cologne. It would appear to me he’s one of those people who’s prepared to turn a blind eye. | This is the archbishop who, in his New Year’s message on 6 January, didn’t even make any mention of what had gone wrong in Cologne. It would appear to me he’s one of those people who’s prepared to turn a blind eye. |
| As I say, there are people leading the debate on this subject; I’m frankly a follower on it. But to try to talk about this and to link it to people who are black or racism is ludicrous. What actually has happened in Germany and in Sweden is there is a cultural difference, that there are countries in North Africa and the Middle East where women are not treated as they are in the West. | As I say, there are people leading the debate on this subject; I’m frankly a follower on it. But to try to talk about this and to link it to people who are black or racism is ludicrous. What actually has happened in Germany and in Sweden is there is a cultural difference, that there are countries in North Africa and the Middle East where women are not treated as they are in the West. |
| This is not the first time Farage has made incendiary remarks in an interview, only to find himself clarifying them later after being branded racist. There was a good example two years ago when he had a go at Romanians. | This is not the first time Farage has made incendiary remarks in an interview, only to find himself clarifying them later after being branded racist. There was a good example two years ago when he had a go at Romanians. |
| I’ve taken the quotes from PoliticsHome. | I’ve taken the quotes from PoliticsHome. |
| 9.36am BST | 9.36am BST |
| 09:36 | 09:36 |
| Here is more from the legal blogger Carl Gardner on how the government could extend the voter registration deadline. | Here is more from the legal blogger Carl Gardner on how the government could extend the voter registration deadline. |
| I can't find where in legislation the June 7 registration deadline's laid down. But I think it's these regs: (1/3) https://t.co/eV0ywnIAQK | I can't find where in legislation the June 7 registration deadline's laid down. But I think it's these regs: (1/3) https://t.co/eV0ywnIAQK |
| Anyway, s4 of the EU (Referendum) Act 2015 gives ministers power to modify electoral registration rules: https://t.co/cqrABuJJ2C (2/3) | Anyway, s4 of the EU (Referendum) Act 2015 gives ministers power to modify electoral registration rules: https://t.co/cqrABuJJ2C (2/3) |
| And an amending SI made today (Wednesday) would I think take effect automatically *at the start of* today. Problem legally solved. (3/3) | And an amending SI made today (Wednesday) would I think take effect automatically *at the start of* today. Problem legally solved. (3/3) |
| 9.32am BST | 9.32am BST |
| 09:32 | 09:32 |
| Harriet Harman, the Labour former deputy leader, says the whole voter registration system is flawed anyway. | Harriet Harman, the Labour former deputy leader, says the whole voter registration system is flawed anyway. |
| Why on earth do we still have "opt in" elec registration? U shouldn't have to apply. Govt should put all eligible on register | Why on earth do we still have "opt in" elec registration? U shouldn't have to apply. Govt should put all eligible on register |
| 9.26am BST | 9.26am BST |
| 09:26 | 09:26 |
| This is from Sky’s Faisal Islam. | This is from Sky’s Faisal Islam. |
| Record referendum registration applications yesterday - 525,000...(previous high 485k) 302k under 35, 402k under 44: pic.twitter.com/60IHJODcQ5 | Record referendum registration applications yesterday - 525,000...(previous high 485k) 302k under 35, 402k under 44: pic.twitter.com/60IHJODcQ5 |
| 9.25am BST | 9.25am BST |
| 09:25 | 09:25 |
| More than 500,000 people did register to vote on Tuesday, government sources are saying. | More than 500,000 people did register to vote on Tuesday, government sources are saying. |
| But Philip Cowley, a politics professor, is using Twitter to point out that technically these are applications to register. Many people apply to register to vote who are either already registered, or who turn out to be ineligible. | But Philip Cowley, a politics professor, is using Twitter to point out that technically these are applications to register. Many people apply to register to vote who are either already registered, or who turn out to be ineligible. |
| For the next two days, I will mostly be tweeting this...From The British General Election of 2015. pic.twitter.com/elfVUU3Sru | For the next two days, I will mostly be tweeting this...From The British General Election of 2015. pic.twitter.com/elfVUU3Sru |
| 9.13am BST | 9.13am BST |
| 09:13 | 09:13 |
| Cabinet Office not saying yet whether voter registration deadline will be extended | Cabinet Office not saying yet whether voter registration deadline will be extended |
| This is what the Cabinet Office is saying this morning. A spokesperson said: | This is what the Cabinet Office is saying this morning. A spokesperson said: |
| We became aware of technical issues on gov.uk/register-to-vote late on Tuesday night due to unprecedented demand. Some people did manage to get through and their applications were processed. We tried to resolve the situation as quickly as was possible and to resolve cases where people tried to register but were not able to. | We became aware of technical issues on gov.uk/register-to-vote late on Tuesday night due to unprecedented demand. Some people did manage to get through and their applications were processed. We tried to resolve the situation as quickly as was possible and to resolve cases where people tried to register but were not able to. |
| But the Cabinet Office is not saying yet whether or not the government will agree to extend the deadline. | But the Cabinet Office is not saying yet whether or not the government will agree to extend the deadline. |
| That is probably because they are still thinking about it. We will almost certainly get an answer one way or the other later, and perhaps at PMQs, where David Cameron will be asked about this. | That is probably because they are still thinking about it. We will almost certainly get an answer one way or the other later, and perhaps at PMQs, where David Cameron will be asked about this. |
| 9.09am BST | 9.09am BST |
| 09:09 | 09:09 |
| Farage says backs extending voter registration deadline - but just for a day | Farage says backs extending voter registration deadline - but just for a day |
| Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, has given half-hearted backing to the call to extend the deadline for voter registration in the light of the fact that the website crashed last night. This is what he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain this morning. | Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, has given half-hearted backing to the call to extend the deadline for voter registration in the light of the fact that the website crashed last night. This is what he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain this morning. |
| If you apply that logic, you might say why not delay the date of the referendum itself. I think there have been some pretty big clarion calls for people to register and my understanding is that a very, very large number of people have. So if the website crashed last night then maybe the sensible thing is to extend it by a day but I really wouldn’t go beyond that. | If you apply that logic, you might say why not delay the date of the referendum itself. I think there have been some pretty big clarion calls for people to register and my understanding is that a very, very large number of people have. So if the website crashed last night then maybe the sensible thing is to extend it by a day but I really wouldn’t go beyond that. |
| Given that the people registering to vote at the last minute are overwhelmingly likely to be young rather than old, as the government’s voter registration dashboard reveals in precise detail, and young voters are more likely to be Remain than Leave, it is not surprising that Remainers like Farron are far more keen on extending the deadline than Leavers like Farage. | Given that the people registering to vote at the last minute are overwhelmingly likely to be young rather than old, as the government’s voter registration dashboard reveals in precise detail, and young voters are more likely to be Remain than Leave, it is not surprising that Remainers like Farron are far more keen on extending the deadline than Leavers like Farage. |