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Nigel Farage stages ‘mini carnival’ in Croydon - including steel band - as Ukip fights racism accusations Nigel Farage stages ‘mini carnival’ in Croydon - including steel band - as Ukip fights racism accusations
(35 minutes later)
Ukip has held a “carnival” in Croydon this afternoon, as Nigel Farage continues to defend the party against accusations of racism.Ukip has held a “carnival” in Croydon this afternoon, as Nigel Farage continues to defend the party against accusations of racism.
The event included a steel band and was planned as a “celebration of the ethnically diverse backgrounds” of the party’s candidates in the south London borough, the Croydon Advertiser reported.The event included a steel band and was planned as a “celebration of the ethnically diverse backgrounds” of the party’s candidates in the south London borough, the Croydon Advertiser reported.
Mr Farage was expected to attend himself, and it was thought he would be making a speech to appeal to black and ethnic minority voters. Yet the gathering, described by a source earlier as as more “like a street party” than a political rally, descended into chaos as Ukip supporters clashed with protesters and campaigners on Croydon High Street.
The event, described by a source as more “like a street party” than a political rally, comes after the Ukip leader was branded “a racist” by Labour MP David Lammy for comments he made about living next-door to Romanians. Winston McKenzie, a black Ukip candidate in Thursday's election, argued with local teenagers about whether he was a leader of the community while also being in the party, and used a megaphone to make a speech urging people to make Britain great again.
Channel 4's political correspondent Michael Crick, attending the carnival, wrote on Twitter that the steel band members stopped playing when they were told it was a Ukip event, and said they would not have attended if they had known beforehand.
Mr Farage was expected to attend himself later on, and it was thought he would be making a speech to appeal to black and ethnic minority voters.
The event comes after the Ukip leader was branded “a racist” by Labour MP David Lammy for comments he made about living next-door to Romanians.
David Cameron said Ukip had “condemned themselves during this campaign with a succession of pretty unpleasant remarks”, and described Mr Farage’s answers during a car-crash LBC interview on Friday as “appalling”.David Cameron said Ukip had “condemned themselves during this campaign with a succession of pretty unpleasant remarks”, and described Mr Farage’s answers during a car-crash LBC interview on Friday as “appalling”.
Tommy Tomescu, a Romanian dentist who is standing in the European elections on Thursday as president of the Europeans Party, called for the Ukip leader to be prosecuted for incitement to racial hatred.Tommy Tomescu, a Romanian dentist who is standing in the European elections on Thursday as president of the Europeans Party, called for the Ukip leader to be prosecuted for incitement to racial hatred.
He told the BBC’s Daily Politics programme: “We demand the Crown Prosecution to go and analyse the case against Nigel Farage for incitement to hate.He told the BBC’s Daily Politics programme: “We demand the Crown Prosecution to go and analyse the case against Nigel Farage for incitement to hate.
“There are attacks which have happened against Romanians, Poles, Bulgarians, Slovakians and other eastern Europeans which have coincided with the increasing rhetoric and campaign of hate portrayed by the Ukip leader and sometimes by Conservatives who have joined him, or Labour, which apologises for the fact that they allowed in so many eastern Europeans.“There are attacks which have happened against Romanians, Poles, Bulgarians, Slovakians and other eastern Europeans which have coincided with the increasing rhetoric and campaign of hate portrayed by the Ukip leader and sometimes by Conservatives who have joined him, or Labour, which apologises for the fact that they allowed in so many eastern Europeans.
“I think [Mr Farage] should be prosecuted, clearly. He doesn't have to be above the law, just because the other parties are afraid that they will lose votes.”“I think [Mr Farage] should be prosecuted, clearly. He doesn't have to be above the law, just because the other parties are afraid that they will lose votes.”
Yesterday an “open letter” from Mr Farage appeared as a full-page advert in the Daily Telegraph, in which he insisted that Ukip is “not a racist party”, before going on to quote a series of crime figures about Romanians.Yesterday an “open letter” from Mr Farage appeared as a full-page advert in the Daily Telegraph, in which he insisted that Ukip is “not a racist party”, before going on to quote a series of crime figures about Romanians.
But in a Newsnight interview last night, Mr Farage admitted that it had been wrong to say Romanian gangs were responsible for 7 per cent of all crime in the EU.But in a Newsnight interview last night, Mr Farage admitted that it had been wrong to say Romanian gangs were responsible for 7 per cent of all crime in the EU.
“It was simplified,” he said of the figure. “It was criminal networks, not crime.”“It was simplified,” he said of the figure. “It was criminal networks, not crime.”
He also said he regretted using the words “you know what the difference is” at LBC radio when asked about the distinction between Germans or Romanians living next door.He also said he regretted using the words “you know what the difference is” at LBC radio when asked about the distinction between Germans or Romanians living next door.
“That gave people the impression that I was saying, 'A nod a wink, we don't really like Romanians'. I regret doing that but I do absolutely insist we must have a proper debate about this,” he said.“That gave people the impression that I was saying, 'A nod a wink, we don't really like Romanians'. I regret doing that but I do absolutely insist we must have a proper debate about this,” he said.