Wednesday 30 March 2016

Ukip still divided over Racist Slur Candidates.

I don't know what is worse fro an aspiring Politician being praised by Neil Hamilton or condemned by Nigel Farage.
Neil Hamilton has defended fellow Ukip National Assembly candidate Gareth Bennett, who has been accused of a "shocking slur" after criticising the multiracial nature of Cardiff and saying Eastern Europeans were responsible for some rubbish problems .

The former Tory MP said said unemployed Mr Bennett was "a nice chap" and "would make a very good AM" and said he was not a "racist or unpleasant person".
Maybe he could have phrased his comments a bit better, but he’s not an experienced politician.
“A lot of Ukip’s public appeal is based on the fact that many of its candidates are not experienced politicians.
“I’ve met him several times. He’s not a racist or an unpleasant person. In fact he’s a nice chap and I think he’ll make a very good AM.
“Anyway, the fuss seems to have died down. It was a squib. I don’t see the regional list candidates being changed now.”
However   party leader Nigel Farage has distanced himself  from Mr Bennett was not the sort of person UKIP would be "proud" to have as an assembly member after the election on 5 May.
Mr Bennett has been chosen as UKIP's lead candidate in the south Wales central region.
Mr Farage said he was "less than impressed" by Mr Bennett's comments.
Speaking in Newport, Mr Farage told BBC Wales he was not involved in candidate selection, but added:

"All I can say is the utterances that I've seen from that individual - he doesn't look to me, at the moment, to be the kind of person we'd be proud of in a few weeks' time."
As leader I have nothing to do with it [selecting candidates], but I'm less than impressed on what I've seen.
"

In his insightful analysis on the prospect of the Parties in the Welsh Assembly Elections  Oggy Bloggy Ogwr  writes that
I wouldn't mind one or two credible UKIP AMs in the Assembly to break the complacency that dominates current proceedings (same for the Greens and the minor parties) and give AMs from the "Big Four" a well-deserved and long-overdue kick up the arse. -
The Bay Bubble has gotten a bit too cosy and self-reverent, and AMs have been mostly shielded from some of the genuine hostility and antipathy many people feel towards devolution and the Assembly. AMs have never been properly challenged (for better or, in UKIP's case, for worse), need to start thinking on their feet more often and need to strengthen their arguments. So for the other parties, the election of a UKIP cohort will reveal who amongst their own ranks truly deserves to be there.

Which came as bit of a shock but fortunately he continues
Any more than one or two will become grating if the candidates aren't up to the task. Let's face it, despite attempts at putting a professional spin on things, the goings on of the last 6-8 weeks show UKIP up as a single-issue 1970s-inspired comedy club, not a serious political party that has anything constructive to say on the future of public services in Wales.
I understand why people would consider voting for UKIP en masse as I'm often as frustrated with politics, parties and politicians as anyone else - but when it comes down to it it's a dumb move. Current AMs are far from perfect but I wouldn't exchange them for this lot in a million years; though I suppose the price you pay for living in a democracy is that we have the freedom to make bad choices.

And there he hits  the nail  on the head . In America not being part of the Washington Bubble  even experienced ones is often the first claim of an aspiring politician of any party.

Unfortunately this has led to an Anti-intellectualism where stupidity can be potrayed as down to earth honesty.

This appears to the same case for Ukip. Whether there are even one or two credible Ukip candidates is open to question recent events seem to point to the negative.

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