Pages

Thursday, 11 February 2010

UKIP: Godfrey Bloom MEP gets some unwelcome publicity



Godfrey Bloom's support of terrorism has got him some nice publicity. But we wouldn't advise him to make any plans to visit New Zealand in the near future!

From the Guardian:

Godfrey Bloom, the UK Independence Party MEP who says climate change is "a stinking ruse to put cash and power into the hands of political elites", has been filmed congratulating the French government for sinking Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior in 1985. But when speaking to the Guardian yesterday, he claimed that he had forgotten one man was killed and the French secret service agents were convicted of manslaughter after the bombing in New Zealand.

The MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber had been filmed posing in front of the present Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior II, while in Copenhagen harbour at the UN climate summit in December. In the film, he says: "Here we have one of the most most truly fascist boats since 1945." He adds: "Well done the French for sinking [it]. "

But when asked yesterday whether he regretted his statements given the death of Fernando Pereira in the bombing, Bloom first claimed he did not know a man had been killed, then said he had forgotten.

The video appears to have been uploaded to Bloom's YouTube channel Goddersvision on 16 December during the last days of the Copenhagen summit, but was later taken down by Bloom or the person who manages his channel. However, the "politics magazine and discussion" blog Liberal Conspiracy has obtained and uploaded a copy of the video to YouTube (watch the film above).

The episode has echoes of another incident at Copenhagen, where prominent climate sceptic Christopher Monckton was filmed repeatedly calling youth climate activists "Hitler youth" and "Nazis". But Bloom, who sits on the EU's environment committee, went further when speaking to the Guardian yesterday, accusing the green movement of killing "tens of thousands" of people a year:

"I am fed up with eco-fascism. How many old people die of hypothermia each year because our fuel is the most expensive in the world as a direct result of greenies' not letting us develop cheap sources of power? The green movement has killed thousands of people a year by their misguided understanding of global energy."

Ben Stewart, head of media for Greenpeace, responded to the video:

"It's extremely upsetting to see this guy saying those things in front of the Warrior. Our dear colleague Fernando Pereira was murdered the day the French secret service planted that bomb. It was an act of terror, pure and simple, and to see a member of the European Parliament lauding it is jaw-dropping. Mr Bloom owes an apology to the crew of the Warrior and to Fernando's family. If he can't bring himself to say sorry then UKIP's new leader should apologise on his behalf. We can disagree about climate change without celebrating the killing of a man."

To see the original: LINK

And here are a few of Godfrey's fans:

Vias

Oh dear, Godfrey. What an embarrassment you are to those at UKIP. We expect a grovelling apology today.


dogeared123

I just love the faux irony in his last sentence, what a horrid little man Sir Godfrey is.

Apparently all eco-activists are middle class folk who enjoy nothing better than a free sailing trip around the world.

You know what else the French were good at? Chopping off the heads of the reactionary landed-gentry. It's a shame how some traditions die out.


dorlomin

The rainbow warrior was protesting nuclear testing. Is this man against stopping nuclear proliferation?

Daithi

Someone from UKIP calling someone else fascist??
Pot? Kettle?


Ausername

"I regret that the French killed someone inadvertently in the Rainbow Warrior but Godfrey is correct in his assessment."

So, if a terrorist organisation other than the French government, perhaps the real/continuity IRA, inadvertently killed someone you would merely regret it?

Which assessment is correct?

Greenpeace are fascists? That would be laughable if it wasn't so serious. I have not noticed them marching through towns beating up people they don't like. It isn't something they do.

The only other assessment is the assertion that greenies have stopped us from developing cheap sources of power. Again that would be laughable if it wasn't so serious. It is greenies who have emphasised insulation to stop heat leaking out of homes. It is also greenies who have emphasised not going for expensive forms of energy, such as nuclear electricity. It is greenies who have emphasised far cheaper sources of energy, such as wave power, the price of the fuel for which will not be going up any time soon.


JasonP

What a nasty little man.

hexham

"I regret that the French killed someone inadvertently in the Rainbow Warrior but Godfrey is correct in his assessment."

If you plant a damn bomb on a boat I don't think 'inadvertent' covers it. they may not have targetted this specific person, but were clearly, at the least, indifferent as to killing somebody.

I'm not too well inclined towards RBS at the moment, but if I planted a bomb in one of their cash point lobbies, even one set to go off in the early hours, and a person was killed, how would that be inadverent?

Jacqueline67

I'm neither "Middle Class" or "Hitler Youth" (far too old for that anyway) or a "Nazi". My vote goes to Greenpeace and the Rainbow Warrior, please carry on the good work that you all do.

As for G Bloom, what can one say.................................................******


Bluecloud

The true face of what Greenpeace are up against can be seen in this man.

How he ever got to become an MEP beggars belief. Along with the other BNP reps in Brussels Britain really has let the side down.

Why did we bother fighting a war against fascism only to let this happen?

Lest we forget. Well we have forgotten. God help us all.

Ausername

NeverMindTheBollocks has not told us what names the climate activists called anyone in the video.

While waiting I tried to think if Greenpeace have claimed that the seas will boil, a claim which is made several times. I have never seen them make this claim and couldn't find it in a search engine. Perhaps someone could back up this claim?

If nobody can back up this claim too then it doesn't surprise me.

Rufus16

This is a silly, ignorant little man representing a political party of lightweight fools. This goes to show what a long way they have to go before they can be taken seriously.

I always thought that NuLabour represented about the lowest common demoninator of capability and skills, but UKIP seem to set the bar even lower.

We really need a better quality of public servant. Lord knows where they will come from.

kiwi11

I find Bloom's comments disgusting. I am not a greenpeace supporter but the rainbow warrior event was an act of French terrorism that ocurred in a New Zealand port. One of my forebears fought alongside British troops at the Somme and came home minus an arm another served on a British Mercantman in the Atlantic convoys in WWII. They would be revolving in their graves at the betrayal Bloom's comments represent.

Bloom's affront to Britains faithful allies mean he should be sacked.

rienpeace

Bloom is a very sick puppy indeed! Whoever voted him in should get there heads examined as well... It's sickening & a truly sad day for the UK.


thesnufkin

It's an interesting political question to ask if UKIP are a hindrance to the Tories because they split the right wing vote or actually a benefit to them because they hoover up all the fruitcakes who otherwise might get themselves elected as Conservatives.

michaelswann

Does Bloom really believe what he is saying, I wonder, or is he just building up momentum for a lucrative US lecture tour?


Cernekolo

The list of Ukipper eccentricities is a long one.

But to applaud a terrorist bombing in which a man was killed? Sick sick sick.

Ukip should be embarassed into withdrawing the whip from this character.


kiwi111

As a kiwi grand son of world war II veterans, this mans comments only prove 1 thing..that there are always ignorant men in politics. With a posh overeducated accent like that i dont expect anything else, after all we all know they think this way, he has just been caught spilling his mind.

In 1985, New Zealand,s soveriegn waters were attacked by the french government,in a mission aimed at almost openly detering any peaceful activists from interferring with their nuclear weapons test in once idilic part of the pacific.

New Zealaders fought and died for the soveriegnty of the UK and France way back in the 1940s and this man thinks it was ok for the french government to return the favour and murder a man in our waters. I think almost all Kiwis remember and detest the french for this and would agree that this poor ignorant man will never be welcome in our free, democratic and peaceful land. As murry would say, go stuff yourself.

Viridis

There once was a feller called Bloom,
In whose head there was oodles of room.
He stood on the quay,
Said "I am a Na-zi"
And faded away in the gloom.


JohnLWest

Bloom is an idiot. I pity the people of Yorkshire who have to suffer him as their MEP. If he had any brains he would resign.

Valleyboi

Bloom is an ignorant b*****d!

This really wound me up. The Rainbow Warrior was protesting nuclear testing at Muriroa Atoll, the fall out was actually affecting the people living on neighbouring islands!

When some people who actually care stand up to them they are murdered for their troubles.

Bloom is not only being massively ignorant and disrespectful to the people affected by the fall out, the family of the murdered photographer and the crew of the Rainbow Warrior, he is trying to re-write history by calling them 'facists'.

I urge anyone who is disgusted by Bloom to email him letting him know how you feel and requesting that he resign from European Parliament immediately.

thesnufkin

Bloom's rant may just be the sort of bizarre thing that members of fringe parties say every now and again.

However whether it's cause and effect or part of the same drive it seems the abuse eco-warriors are getting on these threads has moved from One World Government and Green Communists to the Fascist angle.

Is this Godwin's Law playing out in a larger arena?

Valleyboi

thesnufkin,

I understand he is a member of a fringe party, but he's still representing Britian in the European parliament! It seems to me he's using it as a platform to spout to his target audience of ignorant, angry young men. Some would call him an 'eccentric' but i think of him as a racist, sexist fool.

I emailed him yesterday requesting that he resign his post immediately and return his local village idiot position, and i'd advise that you do the same.

I'm also going to start a group on facebook (wooooo) because i know his comments have deeply offended a lot of people, so watch this space...

Valleyboi

pjl20

I find it the height of stupidity that Bloom 'forgot' that someone died when the Rainbow Warrior sunk and went on to congratulate the French for a clear act of international terrorism.

For the record, they were NOT deservedly punished - it took 10 years to get a grudging apology out of them.

Now, please imagine how you yourself would feel if the French blew up a ship in on of your harbours and killed someone in the process, I'm sure you'd be absolutely raging! Now please imagine that 20 years a privileged idiot from the other side of the world tried to use the incident to promote his hate-mongering political agenda.

You say eco-fundamentalists are wrong - to me this debate is simply doesn't make sense.

Firstly though, I like how you've used the word "fundamentalist" in order to make a link to the Taliban. Very clever.

As far as I'm concerned without groups like Greenpeace the world would be in an even worse state. Commited volunteers give up their own time and often risk their lives to try to prevent overfishing, promote clean energy sources & promote sustainable farming methods. I say 'try to' because it's an uphill battle as they are usually up against powerfull entrenched interests with far more money and power.

But try they do which, and I'm making an assumption here, please correct me if I'm wrong, is a lot more than you or Godfrey 'silver spoon' Bloom do.

I really respect the tolerance you have to all points of view in Britian but i believe that an idiot is an idiot wherever you are. I think Godfrey Bloom is abusing his position as an MEP to spout ignorant, divisive rubbish and should be retired immediately.

End of quotes.

No comments:

Post a Comment