Nigel Farage: Pride in London is prejudiced for ‘censoring’ UKIP from marching
Nigel Farage has said he thinks UKIP is “the most demonised party in Britain”, and that it faces “prejudice” for not being allowed to march in Pride in London.
Organisers of Pride in London originally approved plans for UKIP LGBT+ to take part in the parade on Saturday 27 June,claiming it would not “discriminate”against them.
However, following a backlash from campaigners including Peter Tatchell, the board reversed its decision, citing “safety” concerns if the group were allowed to march.
Writing for the Express in his Friday column, the UKIP leader Mr Farage said that he thought his party faced “prejudice” and “censorship”.
“There seems be a new modern phenomenon in British politics that no matter how nasty, there is no level of prejudice that is unacceptable as long as it is directed against UKIP,” he wrote.
He went on to say he thought Pride was “about standing for tolerance rather than censorship and hate.”
Writing “I’ve got some bad news for the metropolitan elite,” Mr Farage listed a number of LGBT members of UKIP including David Coburn MEP, who is openly gay.
He also noted the case of sacked UKIP councillor David Silvester, who last year claimed flooding was God’s punishment for same-sex marriage. Mr Farage said the media had not reported on his views when he was a member of the Conservative Party.
“This illustrates once again the wider attempt by segments of the media and the political class to incite hatred against UKIP,” he wrote.
Mr Farage went on to say that attempts to “whip up animosity towards” UKIP were the most “disgusting elements of British politics today.”
“There remains bigotry and sometimes even racism against people in Britain today that is simply unacceptable.”
UKIP’s Suzanne Evans, Liberal Democrats Tim Farron and Lord Paddick and Conservative MP Nigel Evans all told PinkNews that they disagree with the ban.
