Press Release - Nikki Sinclaire MEP Condemns UKIP Association With Nazis in European Parliament

Press Release - Nikki Sinclaire MEP Condemns UKIP Association With Nazis in European Parliament

UKIP has announced that it will form a political group in the European Parliament with far-right politicians, including 2 MEPs from the controversial Sweden Democrats. The party leader, Nigel Farage, had been struggling to find the requisite 7 nationalities in order to form a group.

The Swedish party was founded in 1988 by Gustaf Ekström, a former soldier in Hitler's Waffen SS, and an active Nazi since the 1940s. It has attracted controversy ever since. As recently as 2013, a Sweden Democrats parliamentarian, Erik Almqvist, resigned his seat after being previously filmed in Stockholm on a drunken rampage, armed with a scaffold pole, carrying out several assaults, one racially motivated, and one against a woman, in the street with another member of the party.

Ms Sinclaire said "I am appalled. That this party should be elected to the European Parliament confirms my fears about the state of European democracy, and it shows just how far Nigel Farage will go in order to hold onto his cherished position as the president of a political group in an institution he claims to oppose."

Ms Sinclaire was elected to the European Parliament in 2009 as a UKIP MEP, but left the party's political group, the EFD, because of her strong objections to "racist" and "homophobic" elements within the group.

UKIP has also accepted into its parliamentary group Joelle Bergeron, who was elected in May's European Elections to represent the French Front Nationale. The French party has been ostracised in recent weeks for anti-Semitic remarks made by founder Jean-Marie LePen, the father of current party leader Marine LePen.

Nikki Sinclaire said "UKIP claim that they will not allow former members of the BNP or the National Front into the party under any circumstances. But on the basis of two letters from the Swedish MEPs saying that their party is no longer racist, they are accepted into UKIP's group. Despite all his condemnation of Front Nationale in the UK press, he allows an MEP elected for that party to sit alongside UKIP in Brussels and Strasbourg."

ENDS

Pleased to be joined by another principled MEP

Mike Nattrass and I are delighted to be reunited with an old colleague this week in the form of Trevor Colman, UKIP MEP for the South West.

 

Like Mike and I, Trevor has rejected membership of a controversial political group in the parliament, and now sits alongside Mike and I as 'non-attached' members. This means that we can concentrate on doing the job we were elected to do, and campaign for Britain's withdrawal from the EU. Membership of any such group means compromising on our principles, and we are not prepared to do that. Trevor is a good and hard working campaigner, and I and my staff are looking forward to working alongside him.

Legal action announced

Today at a press conference in Westminster, I announced with regret that I have been driven to take legal action against UKIP, Nigel Farage MEP and Godfrey Bloom MEP in the High Court and the Employment Tribunal.

The high court action is in relation to UKIP breaching it's own Constitution and party rules. The ET claim relates to discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. I feel that I have been unfairly treated by the leadership of UKIP because I stood up for my principles. It is especially disturbing and offensive as my colleague, Mike Nattrass MEP has received no sanction despite leaving the EFD group for the same reasons.

My complaint against Godfrey Bloom MEP

Me in the EP today in an impromptu press confernce after my meeting with President Buzek

 After I was elected to the European Parliament in 2009 I raised serious questions over the composition of the political group - EFD - that my party, UKIP chose to join.

Immediately, I identified extremist behaviour including homophobia from the Italian Co-Presidents of the group, Liga Nord. I since discovered convicted racists, anti-Semitic and further homophobia. I found it incredibly difficult to accept that my colleagues parties called for racial segregation on Italian public transport, that the gas chambers in Auschwitz were nothing more than disinfecting chambers and its former mayor of Treviso called for the "ethnic cleansing of faggots" from his city.

I tried hard to change the situation, but my protests were ignored. I felt obliged, in order to stay true to my beliefs and values, to resign from the EFD group.

As a result of this I had the UKIP whip removed, and I now sit as an independent MEP. A fellow MEP, Mike Nattrass also left the group for the same reasons as myself. He has not had the party whip removed. I will leave you do come to your own conclusions as to why that may be.

I have recently been subjected to harassment and intimidation from a number of sources. This has now spilled over into the Parliament itself, and I have today met with President Buzek, who has very kindly re-arranged his busy schedule to meet with me. He considers this a very serious matter and launched an investigation in respect of my formal complaint I have made against a fellow MEP, Godfrey Bloom.

I have been abused and intimidated by this gentleman, and my staff have had to publically endure verbal abuse attacking me.

There should be no place for harassment, for intimidation, or for homophobic abuse anywhere in our society.

These events have been deeply distressing. I am now publically calling on Mr Bloom to do the honourable thing and apologise.

see also

http://www.euchronicle.eu/nikki-sinclaire-resigns-efd

This week in Strasbourg

If anyone had told me a year ago that I would get a round of applause in the parliament chamber twice in 24 hours I would have thought they were crazy and were without political acumen.

This week however, it actually came to pass. After hearing an outdated viewpoint from the Italian partners of UKIP in the parliament, I felt it was necessary to explain, as an openly gay politician that all people desire to be treated equally regardless of whom they love should be respected and protected.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bhqDIRj-Bs&feature=player_embedded

The politics of hate must never be allowed to succeed. The EFD group gives a home to the politics of hate. I find it incredibly sad that UKIP, who were elected to campaign for withdrawal from the EU. But with their association with such extremists, some who are pro EU, pro Lisbon Treaty the message gets lost and UKIP compromised.

My second applause came out of my sheer disbelief at what I was hearing. It was at voting time on Wednesday. We had just heard a oral amendment on delaying the vote on animal testing. An EPP member from Portugal stood up and complained that he was receiving too many emails from his constituents. I reacted with anger. See for yourself

http://yourmep.org/european-doesnt-work.html