Britannist

A confident, indeed excellent performance from Mr. Farage on Question Time tonight. I've just written this up and post it just as the programme is finishing:

Nigel Farage MEP (leader of UKIP) said on Question Time on 29.3.2007 (broadcast on BBC 1 Television from Bath from 10.35 pm to 11.35 pm)

On the abduction of British soldiers by Iraq:

10.41 pm: Had we not gone to war we wouldn’t be in this position. Why were we not on a state of alert as the USA is (in that area)? Why was the Royal Navy Cornwall vessel not nearer? I worry about Iran’s long-term nuclear aims. This is a situation requiring sensitivity. Had we not gone to ‘war’ in Iraq four years ago we wouldn’t be in this position now. We need an independent foreign policy.

On casinos:

10.56 pm: The Lords is stuffed full of Labour people (“your people” Mr. Farage as he turned to look at Hazel Blear, the Labour MP, sitting next to him). I have no objection in principal to casinos. There is too much central control. Let Local Government decide. Let people decide in a local referendum.

On the question of if you can apologise for something 200 years ago (i.e. slavery):

11.13 pm: This is not a simple black and white people. There were African slave traders on Lundy Island. There were slaves taken from the west coast of Ireland and taken to Africa. It must be embarrassing for former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey (on the Question Time panel) to see the Archbishop of Canterbury marching through the streets. We should be celebrating that moment in history 200 years ago when we abolished slavery (firm applause from audience)
* George Carey said “I agree with Nigel Farage - why don’t the Vikings apologise for invading our country?”

On if breaking up the Home Office is responsible:

11.18 pm: We have one department which is declared unfit for purpose. So they are going to split it up and have two departments which are not fit for purpose with even more bureaucrats (applause from audience in agreement with what Mr. Farage said). I am very concerned about this new Ministry of Justice. The very name of it. Our liberties are being eroded. This Government now proposes to abolish juries in fraud trials. It is good when you have a good Government making proposals on law. But we have a bad government proposing something that is very dangerous thing to do. (more applause from audience in agreement with Mr. Farage)

On if David Miliband MP (Labour Environment Minister is a threat to David Cameron)

11.29 pm: If he does beat Gordon Brown (and becomes Labour leader) he will be saying the same things as David Cameron. The choice will be Labour or Blue Labour (woman shown in audience smiling in agreement). It makes no difference who is in – Labour or Blue Labour. It is hardly worth commenting on.
* In response to a claim by Conservative Vice-Chairman Sayeedi Warsi (on the Question Time panel) that he (Mr. Farage) was in UKIP “shouting from the fringe” Mr. Farage said loudly “You should merge. You are the same. You (Labour and the Conservatives) should merge. It would make it all a lot simpler and save people a lot of trouble.”

sean43

He was by far the best candidate tonight.

eublues

Nigel showed superb statesman qualities tonight. He made controlled but powerful points on the big issues. Any reasonable person watching would have been impressed.

A well-balanced panel, with Blears on her own, looking and sounding like an automaton throughout.

allanon

His performance made a mockery of the insults thrown by Cameron.

However, I doubt the public are ready to turn to unfamiliar parties just yet.

Britannist

I agree. The political careerist Blears is now getting beyond a joke. I wonder how long she will as Labour's Chairwoman? Not long if her performance (or lack of it) last night on Question Time is anything to go by :twisted: .

Britannist

A Conservative-voting friend I have just spoken to on the telephone was impressed with the performance on the Question Time panel of Mr. George Carey - the former Archbishop of Canterbury.

mkpdavies

Farage has a key advantage in that he can say what he believes is best for Britain and it's people.

The others are just puppets.

__________________
http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/
http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/
http://lpuk.org

My ignore list

Labour, Lib Dems

Hereward77

UKIP is still thankfully a Neocon-free party, unlike the Tories.

__________________
"The social experiment in China under Chairman Mao's leadership is one of the most important and successful in history."
David Rockefeller, New York Times, August 10, 1973

Alex McKee

I missed it!
However I am very impressed with his responses.

Britannist

I like the way he was fairly succinct in his responses.

On the question about Miliband (towards the end of the programme) Mr. Farage more or less just said "who cares" and got an enthusiastic round of applause 8) .

Mr. Farage also slapped down the Conservative on the panel, I noticed, telling her several times (ever more loudly when she tried to talk over him) to go and merge her "Blue Labour" party with Labour.

I suggested to a UKIP friend of mine yesterday that they watch the programme and I am looking forward to hearing what they thought of it.