Ukip's Nigel Farage On 'Rough Diamond' Kerry Smith
Ukip's Nigel Farage On 'Rough Diamond' Kerry Smith
Ukip's Nigel Farage On 'Rough Diamond' Kerry Smith
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said on LBC that parliamentary candidate, Kerry Smith, sacked for using term to refer to Chinese woman 'talks and speaks' like a lot of people.
Now Farage says he feels sorry for 'rough diamond' Ukip candidate forced to quit for 'poofter' and 'Chinky bird' phone rants
Nigel Farage today defended a disgraced Ukip candidate taped mocking ‘poofters’, referring to a Chinese woman as a ‘Chinky bird’ and threatening to ‘shoot peasants’.
The Ukip leader said he felt sorry for ‘loutish’ Kerry Smith, who was a ‘rough diamond’ and meant no ‘malice’ with the comments, which were not considered offensive in TV shows like Only Fools and Horses.
Mr Farage hit back at claims it was not further proof that Ukip is racist and homophobic, claiming people who live in London are ‘snobbish’ about ‘colloquial language’ which is common amongst people who live in council houses.
Ukip has had a torrid few weeks, dogged by in-fighting over candidate selection and gaffes by Mr Farage which have seen his personal ratings plummet to a record low.
The party’s general secretary Roger Bird was suspended over allegations of behaving inappropriately towards candidate Natasha Bolter, including taking her for dinner and buying her a dress. She had been a front runner for the seat of South Basildon and East Thurrock, but after pulling out of the race, Mr Smith was selected.
But days later, tape-recorded phone calls made by Mr Smith emerged in which he:
Mr Farage initially refused to sack Mr Smith, with Ukip insiders hoping an apology would help the row to ‘blow over’. But he stood down on Monday ‘by mutual consent’.
However, today Mr Farage leapt to Mr Smith’s defence, insisting that there was nothing ‘evil’ about his comments.
The Ukip leader told LBC radio: ‘I’m a bit sad because Kerry Smith is a rough diamond, a council house boy from the east end of London, left school early, and talks and speaks in a way that a lot of people from that background do.
‘If you and your mates are going out for a Chinese what do you say you are going for?’
When host Nick Ferrari insisted he would not use the word ‘Chinky’, Mr Farage insisted: ‘A lot of people would… I don’t think I’ve ever used that word.
‘The point is this: I feel a bit sorry for Kerry Smith, I think even the poofter comment – the next sentence he was saying how good the candidate was and the fact he was gay would be an asset to the party.
‘I think he has had a tough time. However, he is not suitable to be a parliamentary candidate.
‘I think we are very snobbish in London about condemning people perhaps for the colloquial language they use particularly if it’s not meant with really unpleasant intent.
