Nigel Farage - do you agree with him?

Another gem from NF this week...
In an interview with GQ he said that Putin was the world leader he most admires.
And criticises Merkel for being "cold" and "miserable'. I wonder if he would have described a man like that? Presumably she is not smiley enough for him.

www.politics.co.uk/news/2014/02/23/another-stitch-up-snooping-state-makes-half-a-million-privat

I added an e to the link, being an ex English teacher! This should work, but the home page has lots of stuff to read anyway.

(Link still doesn't work - go to the Politics Homepage instead!)

www.politics.co.uk/news/2014/02/23/another-stitch-up-snooping-state-makes-half-a-million-private

Found it on the Politics page. I still don't see how online discussion of politics could be banned - nor have I seen any suggestion that that's what is being proposed.

Your first link didn't work, durhamjen.

niggly it was interesting that nobody was saying the Blair/Brown government was wrecking the economy due to their left wing policies. The economy was doing extremely well until their rather Tory approach to the City enabled bankers to wreck the economy. Unless of course you think Brown should have allowed several major banks to crash? Which would probably have resulted in a much bigger financial disaster.

civilsocietycommission.info

Information on here about how the lobbying bill would affect the Lewisham hospital campaigning and the stop climate chaos campaign, etc.

Dead easy, Ana.
www.politics.co.uk/news/2014/02/23/another-stitch-up-snooping-state-makes-half-a-million-private

That was in 2012.

roses

I certainly can't see it affecting online political discussion! Imagine the hassle of trying to 'police' that...

Yes, you're right, Ana. Have to get all talked out before May.
Somehow, I cannot see all the campaigning groups I am involved with shutting up shop because of it. Too many of them for the govt. to take them all to court.
I also cannot see all the political parties only spending £9750 per person on each election. I wonder who will be the first person to find his/her way round that?
Did you know that Ukip has a hereditary lord?

Is that the lobbying bill, durhamjen? I thought the Lords had recently accepted the government's proposals.

I have never distrusted a politician more than I distrust NF. The BNP were/are dreadful, but at least they don't hide their extremism under a cloak of bonhomie.

if only for her hair!

Not entering into the debate but just wanted to say that John Prescott only accepted his peerage for Pauline's sake. Apparently.

And by golly does she deserve it.

Not a bad statement from someone who did not want to enter into the debate, niggly. The reason there are so many Labour life peers is because there are only 4 socialist hereditary peers, compared with 49 tory and 30 crossbench.

There are the same number of Labour and Tory peers, allowing the Libdems and the crossbenchers to scrutinise the law. The commons has just got a law through to stop groups discussing politics in the final year before the election. Hopefully the Lords will stop it, otherwise we will not be able to discuss politics on here. And then what will I do?

Well, I could never vote Labour, never have, never will, they always wreck the economy and no doubt will again leaving it to other parties to pick up the bits - completely useless.

Tony Benn is seriously ill in hospital and in no position to defend himself. In fact he gave up his seat in the House of Lords to be an MP.
It's fortunate that there are some labour lords, otherwise there would be nobody to scrutinise the present government's laws as they pass them. The NHS would have been completely privatised if it wasn't for the HoL stopping them.
Most MPs feel so secure these days that they stop work at 5 p.m.

I suspect, roses'r'red, that NF is his party. If so that is a good thing and suggests that they will just be swallowed up by the sands of time. But much as I don't like NF's simplistic approach I really wonder what to do for the best in terms of conventional politics. I could never vote Tory, I've witnessed Labour dump most of their ethics, and the Liberals have sold out their ideals for a brief taste of power. I may have go green and join the Robin Hood party. Or perhaps GN could start up a party. But what would it be called and who would lead it? How about the GRANS ALIVE party, led by say, Esther Rantzen or Joan Bakewell, with Andrew Neill or George Galloway as deputy?

well said papaoscar NF is the 'likeable, acceptable' face of his party, but let's hope he and the rest of UKIP don't get any more seats in Parliament.Without him, they are nothing. All extremism is bad in religion or politics.I wouldn't trust a word NF says!

NF is like an aunt Sally to me, but he does highlight genuine concerns. Problem is how to deal with those concerns, but the vision of NF and his people actually having power I prefer not to think about because I am sure that their solutions would be far worse than the actual problems. Right-wing and left-wing extremists, yes, I've experienced both types over many years and have no time for either of them. They are usually shallow and brittle but can be overwhelmed by sound, logical, persistent argument and common-sense.

As previously said I have no desire to enter into this debate, but I can't resist commenting on something that never fails to amaze me and that is the number of Labour Life Peers in the H.O.L's!! politicians, trade union Leaders, intellectuals and others! Having led us all to believe during their working lives that they were totally adverse to such privileged nonsense, there they all are all be robed, bowing and scraping, calling each other 'noble lord' unbelievable!! Lord Prescott(?!!!) Lord Kinnock, Lord Bragg, Lord Sugar! the list is endless and I suppose goes to prove that ambition and hypocrisy go hand in hand! In a few years no doubt 'Lord' Crow will be joining them! One thing about Tony Benn, he wasn't seduced by elevation, mind you even he, I understand. took tax precautions to protect family money! At least the 'right' are as they are, like them or loathe them, and don't pretend to be something that at the end of the day they clearly are NOT! I don't see that Nigel Farage is any better or worse than anyone else on the political front

So you do not want to answer my question about putting words in my mouth.

Perhaps because you realise it was not what I said after.

But why did you say 'I always like to remind those whose political views are stridently right wing, possibly all those on here that did not work in public service, that St George, the patron saint of England is likely to have been Palestinian ...'?

Perhaps I misundertood your post, in which case I apologise, penstemmon.