Farage's Bulletin from Brussels: Lies and more damned lies

It would appear that UKIP members are still being lied to by the leadership clique.

The winter issue of Bulletin from Brussels recently arrived on members doormats, and it is full of the usual misinformation. So may we make a few corrections?

On p6, referring to the constituent parties, it is said of the EFD group that it is "Convinced that the legitimate level for democracy lies with the Nation States,..." This is not true: the 9-strong Italian delegation, Lega Nord, is a separatist party that wants independence for its own region.

Also, on the same page, "the Group opposes further European integration (treaties and policies)..." This is again untrue. Lega Nord actually steered the Lisbon Treaty through the Italian Parliament, as they felt that this would prevent a more favourable situation for the fracturing of the Italian state that they seek.

On p7, "The group rejects xenophobia, anti-Semitism and any other form of discrimination." Hardly plausible, since the group includes one member who received a jail sentence for "racial offences" and was then forced to resign his job after "Heiling Hitler" in public. The group also includes a member who has called for racial segregation on public transport, as well as one who has been convicted of assault on a 12 year old coloured child (and other offences). One party in the group has been categorised as a "racist party" by a court of law. And all this is just the tip of the iceberg.

On p8, William Dartmouth says of Switzerland "do(es) not feel the need to submerge...in supranational prisons like the EU in order to be international players in trade" This is not entirely true. Switzerland has had open borders with the EU, and has had to abide by EU immigration policy for some years in order to facilitate this. The Swiss are opening up their banking system to greater scrutiny in response to demands from the EU. They could refuse, but then see what happens to their trade figures. Employment, tax, and environmental laws are all being harmonised with the EU in order to facilitate trade.

p11. It is spelt "Me", Marta, not "ME".

We are reminded of Napoleon Bonaparte's famous bulletins that were widely distributed across France and Europe. They became so notorious for misleading his subjects that 'to lie like a bulletin' became a popular saying.

Not that we are suggesting for even one minute that Nigel Farage is remotely like Napoleon Bonaparte. We have no wish to insult the late emperor's memory!