Protest at Proms EU flag promotion

A letter of protest about blatant promotion of the EU during the Last Night of the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall has been sent to the BBC's Director General by an irate UKIP MEP.

"Over the past few years there has been a creeping, indeed blatant promotion of the European Union by the BBC during the televised, ‘Last Night of the Proms’ in London," said Paul Nuttall.

"This has being achieved by large EU flags totally usurping the Union Jack flags, which used to form the main backdrop behind the Orchestra and below the statue of Sir Henry Wood, the founder of the Proms.

"This has been noted by a great many viewers and this 'Euro creep' has even extended to certain planted members of the audience.

"It was so bad at one time that viewers sight of the orchestra was almost obliterated by giant EU flags being waved in front of the television cameras," said Mr Nuttall, UKIP MEP for the North West.

"After complaints were made to the BBC about this the large EU flags were taken out of the audience. However, the other EU stage drapes were not.

"The BBC has no right to indulge in pro EU political propaganda, which this most certainly is,. The EU flag has no place at the very night when the British people express their patriotism and pride in their nation.

"The presence of this blue flag alongside the Union Jack, is abhorred by a great many viewers, as the EU flag no more represents Britain and its people in 2009 than the ‘Hammer and Sickle’ of the Soviet Union did Czechoslovakia or Poland during the Cold War era.

"Musicians and singers from all around the world come to perform at the Proms and therefore the presence of certain national flags, especially the flags of the Commonwealth, certainly have a place.

"But the EU symbol, in whatever form it takes, has no right, legal or otherwise, to be there and I have requested that all EU flags to be removed from this great patriotic event," said Mr Nuttall.

Paul set to tackle EU committee

UKIP's Paul Nuttall, is ready to face head-on the challenges of the EU's Environment Committee.

"I am looking forward to injecting a bit of realism into the sensationalist debate that goes on about environmental matters these days," said the North West MEP.

"Now that the majority of people no longer support the EU, the pro-European politicians have cyincally jumped on the environmental bandwagon and are trying to us so-called man-made climate change as justification for their own existence.

"And this is despite the fact that the globe has actually showed a cooling trend since 2001.

"We are, of course, in favour of conserving the earth's resources but the environment has become a political football with lobbyists in the background often throwing the ball.

"Inefficient wind turbines blighting our beauty spots and seascapes are a prime example of EU environmental nonsense.

"Being a member of the EU is costing this country £45 million a day and just think how this could be used to directly benefit this country. We should be making our own decisions and not have rules imposed on us by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels," he said.

UKIP backs forces pension campaign

A campaign fighting for ex-servicemen to receive a pension is being backed by the UK Independence Party

UKIP Chairman Paul Nuttall has thrown his weight behind the campaign launched by the Armed Forces Pension Group (AFPG), to provide ex-servicemen, who served before April 1975, with an Armed Forces Pension.

Prior to that date servicemen had to have served 22 years to be eligible for a pension. However, when this was changed it did not apply retrospectively,

North West MEP Mr Nuttall, pictured here with AFPG organiser Tony Bullen said: “I think it is an absolute disgrace that men and women who were willing to die for this country have been treated so shabbily by successive governments.

“There must be thousands of men and women who served in the Armed Forces prior to April 1975 who are not receiving the pension they deserve.

“I encourage them to contact AFPG and get behind the campaign to claim the
money that is morally theirs,” he said.

AFPG has already collected 200,000 signatures of support across the country. The group hopes to collect one million signatures and hand the petition in to 10 Downing Street.

People interested in helping can contact info@afpg.info or call 01623 402290

Mole catcher cause goes to Brussels

The plight of a mole catcher, whose living has been wiped out by Brussels legislation, is to be taken up with the European Parliament.

Peter Brown used to go round 87 farms in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire each year catching moles using strychnine - but is no longer allowed to do so.

His case is supported by UKIP and its North West MEP, Paul Nuttall, is now taking the matter up with the EU.

Mr Nuttall is pictured here as he spoke with 57-year-old Mr Brown outside the Stockport office of LibDem MEP Chris Davies, who champions the rules which have destroyed Mr Brown's livelihood.

"I was appalled, but sadly not surprised, to learn about Mr Brown's situation. This is how the EU juggernaut rolls on without thought for those flattened by it," he said.

"He used to use strychnine, as mole catchers have done for 70 years, but now only trapping or the use of aluminum phosphide is allowed. The strychnine used to kill moles within 15 minutes but trapping takes twice as long and aluminum phosphide can take up to two days.

"And the cost of the aluminum phosphide is many times greater than strychnine and according to the manufacturers application is a two man job," said Mr Nuttall.

"Mr Brown has been left high and dry by these rules, brought in under the Biocides Directive and has also drawn a blank in his claim for compensation.

"I intend to pursue this matter with the EU's Petitions Committee which, under Article 194 of the EC Treaty, enables citizens to complain about EU matters which affect them directly," said Mr Nuttall.

Mr Brown, from Shaw, near Oldham, is angry at the way he has been treated and pointed out that a report showed that three children have died from aluminum phosphide poisoning.

"I have been told so much contradictory information by various authorities and given misleading answers that I feel there is a cover-up going on. There should have been a thorough impact study but instead of today's much-hyped 'openness and transparency' there has been a charade of democracy," said Mr Brown.

He has held regular protests outside the office to highlight his campaign for justice and his disgust at Mr Davies' inaccurate claims that moles just push up a few daisies.

"Moles are a pest because they push up soil which can then get into silage and cause potentially fatal listeriosis in cattle and sheep. Humans who eat infected meat can catch listeria," he explained.

Home school plan 'madness', says Nuttall

Plans to encourage parents to complain about badly-behaved families of unruly classmates as part of the Government moves to make school contracts legally binding have been slammed by UKIP.

"This plan to make home school agreements compulsory for all English state schools is absolute madness," said UKIP chairman and MEP Paul Nuttall.

"The answer to children misbehaving in the classroom is to re-introduce discipline, which has been steadily eroded over the years by political correctness.

"Anyone can see that since teachers have had their hands tied behind their backs and have to let the pupils rule the roost, discipline has gone out the window.

"Sadly this plan is just more desperate Labour spin to pretend that can regain control of the mess they have created. The suggestion that £1,000 fines could be imposed on the parents is laughable.

Mr Nuttall added: "And the idea that parents can complain to the LEA if they feel the contract is not being enforced against other parents will only encourage trouble between parents as well as the pupils involved."

Meanwhile, the Government's 'war on grammar schools' has been blamed by the UK Independence Party for the lack of social mobility criticised by Alan Milburn.

Controversial plans to give thriving schools an incentive to accept students from poorer area show that Mr Milburn is "missing the elephant in the room", said Paul Nuttall.

"Social mobility in this country has decreased since we have had a war on grammar schools. They are the route for working class kids to better themselves and climb the social ladder.

"Bog standard comprehensives just ensure they kept down," said Mr Nuttall.

"The approach now being put forward is not the answer and is likely to make struggling schools even worse."

UKIP slams Badman review as attempted "nationalisation of childhood"

The release of the Badman Review into Home Education today is yet another example of this government's controlling, heavy handed approach to society. Calling for local councils to have the right to interfere in the responsibility of parents to provide sufficient education for their children may sound reasonable but amounts to a grab for power.

Worse still they are using appalling scare tactics to justify their actions by suggesting that home education is a cover for the worst forms of child abuse. No evidence is presented merely smears and threats.

"UKIP believe that it should be up to the parent to decide how their children be educated," said Paul Nuttal MEP and the party's Chairman. Child abuse must be tackled, but the tragic failures of the systems have been due to local councils inability to follow basic procedures, not due to home educators.

"The fact that this report is being backed by organisations such as the NSPCC and the National Children's Bureau should come as no surprise. These organisations are these days largely adjuncts to the state and appear to see for themselves a role in the monitoring, inspecting and running of Home Education, all for a nicely tax payer funded fee. They are not independent voices and mustn't be seen as such" he went on.

Action for Home Education (AHEd), has called for the Badman review to be abandoned, saying "AHEd members believe that the review has been composed in this skewed manner in order to attain predetermined answers for the purpose of supporting the government's desire to impose compulsory registration, monitoring and tracking of electively home-educated children and their families, including state control and prescription of educational method, content and outcome for all children."

UKIP overtake Labour!

Dear supporters,

With polling day now less than a week away, today's Populus poll for the Times shows UKIP on 19% of the vote. We are in clear second place and well ahead of Labour and the Liberal Democrats nationally. The poll merely confirms what UKIP activists across the country have been seeing for themselves on the streets. We are getting a fantastic reaction on the doorstep. The UKIP vote is increasing. The Labour vote is collapsing and the Conservatives are wavering. With Nigel Farage's excellent Question Time performance on Thursday and an overwhelming response to our final Party Election Broadcast, we are certainly on a roll.

We can expect our opponents to attempt to throw all kinds of insults and accusations at us in a desperate last-ditch attempt to claw back votes. But UKIP have been a zero-tolerance party on misuse of expenses. No party is immune from scandal - it is how we deal with it that matters. UKIP have sent a clear message: no-one can treat the electorate with contempt and remain a UKIP MEP.

If we can hold firm, and manage one last push over the next few days then we will achieve the goal stated by Nigel Farage at the start of this campaign - to beat the government across the country at a national election. This has never been achieved by any 'fourth' party in history and could be the focal point for forcing a general election.

If you've been out campaigning, please keep up the good work - whether it's leafleting, street stalls, internet forums or just persuading family and friends to vote UKIP - for a few more days. It may seem like a tall order but with our current momentum, we only need a further 5.5% swing from the latest poll to topple the Conservatives and win the European elections. How could they then deny us a referendum on EU membership?

We had planned to make no further appeal for funds during this campaign as our supporters have already donated massive amounts of money. But one last push now could make a massive difference to the future of our party, and our country. If you are in a position to help, please donate here or call Freephone 0800 587 6 587.

Yours,

Paul Nuttall (UKIP Party Chairman)

Jonathan Arnott (UKIP General Secretary)

UKIP Chairman blasts Brown over Hillsborough 20 th year remembrance

Gordon Brown didn´t go to the 20 th year commemoration of the Hillsborough disaster, sending instead Andy Burnham a low ranking Cabinet member in his stead who was quite rightly booed by the crowd.

"This is a double blow to the people of Liverpool and those who lost their loved ones that awful day 20 years ago" said Paul Nuttall, UKIP Party Chairman. "That the Prime Minister couldn´t even be bothered to turn up is disgraceful but he then compounds it by announcing that there will be no enquiry into what really went on that day.

"Without an enquiry we can never find out who was at fault. Without that there can never be proper compensation nor closure for those injured and those the 96 dead left behind.

"I was lucky that day, as a 12 year old I walked away" continued Nuttal. "But too many did not, were crushed and killed, and we need to find out why, who made the mistakes.

"Gordon Brown will not be welcome in Liverpool after this slap in the face he has given today, after this double betrayal."