May 07, 2015
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Over the last few months, UKIP candidates have had their social media combed over obsessively for old transgressions – quondam memberships of “far-Right” groups, embarrassing acquaintances, lager-fuelled Facebook “Likes”, administrative irregularities, criminal missteps, professional misconducts, and private woes (as if such things could not be found among other parties” supporters). For people who say they are focused on the future, UKIP’s opponents seem to spend a great deal of time living in the past.
Despite taking pains to distance themselves from the BNP and comparable groups, “Kippers” have been unremittingly ridiculed and traduced, had their posters and offices daubed with liberal pleasantries like “Nazi scum”, and been threatened with death by predatory Peoplephiles. Faced with such menaces, it is perhaps wonder that a few faint hearts have been affrighted, or that popular support for UKIP has seemed at times to waver – a process aided by the unusual silence of the influential Mail journalists Simon Heffer and Peter Hitchens, anti-Cameronites who have recently been uncharacteristically quiet (perhaps under pressure from their Tory-supporting proprietor Lord Rothermere). But whatever happens to the UKIP vote today, at the very least the battle-hardened survivors will have shown their mettle, and learned vital lessons about discipline, and just how intolerant the “tolerant” can be.
It is not just UKIP members who need to understand this, but all who value freedom of expression. During one of Nick Clegg’s campaign stops, a teenage Torquemada asked him if he could have rightwing Sun columnist Katie Hopkins killed, “because she’s dreadful”. This was, replied the amused-surprised Deputy Prime Minister, “a brilliant question”, but the cherub was nevertheless destined to be disappointed by Clegg’s answer, telling the Daily Mirror disgustedly that “Unfortunately, he can’t”.
But what is really unfortunate is that a promising career in politics surely lies open to this pubescent prig – unless grown-ups can somehow wrest back control of the Kingdom from the children who have been allowed to play with it for far too long. A strong showing for UKIP today would be a good starting-point.
