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| Nigel Farage attacked for Ukip poster showing queue of refugees | Nigel Farage attacked for Ukip poster showing queue of refugees |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nigel Farage has been accused of engaging in the “politics of the gutter” after launching a campaign poster depicting a long queue of refugees, with the slogan “Breaking point”. | Nigel Farage has been accused of engaging in the “politics of the gutter” after launching a campaign poster depicting a long queue of refugees, with the slogan “Breaking point”. |
| The advert, which has also appeared in the local press, shows a crowd of refugees and migrants walking along a road. | The advert, which has also appeared in the local press, shows a crowd of refugees and migrants walking along a road. |
| Yvette Cooper, the Labour MP for Pontefract and Castleford, who has campaigned on behalf of refugees, said: “Just when you thought leave campaigners couldn’t stoop any lower, they are now exploiting the misery of the Syrian refugee crisis in the most dishonest and immoral way.” | Yvette Cooper, the Labour MP for Pontefract and Castleford, who has campaigned on behalf of refugees, said: “Just when you thought leave campaigners couldn’t stoop any lower, they are now exploiting the misery of the Syrian refugee crisis in the most dishonest and immoral way.” |
| Caroline Lucas, the Green party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “Using the innocent victims of a human tragedy for political propaganda is utterly disgusting. Farage is engaging in the politics of the gutter.” | Caroline Lucas, the Green party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “Using the innocent victims of a human tragedy for political propaganda is utterly disgusting. Farage is engaging in the politics of the gutter.” |
| Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader, branded it as disgusting. | |
| Neil Carmichael, the Conservative MP for Stroud, said: “It’s disappointing to see Ukip jumping on the refugee crisis to further their own political aims. Britain can only deal with the issue of immigration by working together with European countries that face the same challenges.” | Neil Carmichael, the Conservative MP for Stroud, said: “It’s disappointing to see Ukip jumping on the refugee crisis to further their own political aims. Britain can only deal with the issue of immigration by working together with European countries that face the same challenges.” |
| Farage defended the poster, saying, “This is a photograph – an accurate, undoctored photograph – taken on 15 October last year following Angela Merkel’s call in the summer and, frankly, if you believe as I have always believed that we should open our hearts to genuine refugees, that’s one thing. | Farage defended the poster, saying, “This is a photograph – an accurate, undoctored photograph – taken on 15 October last year following Angela Merkel’s call in the summer and, frankly, if you believe as I have always believed that we should open our hearts to genuine refugees, that’s one thing. |
| “But, frankly, as you can see from this picture, most of the people coming are young males and, yes, they may be coming from countries that are not in a very happy state, they may be coming from places that are poorer than us, but the EU has made a fundamental error that risks the security of everybody.” | “But, frankly, as you can see from this picture, most of the people coming are young males and, yes, they may be coming from countries that are not in a very happy state, they may be coming from places that are poorer than us, but the EU has made a fundamental error that risks the security of everybody.” |
| Related: What has the EU ever done for my … security? | Related: What has the EU ever done for my … security? |
| When it was suggested to him that the people were refugees, he said: “You don’t know that. They are coming from all over the world. If you get back to the Geneva convention definition, you will find very few people that came into Europe last year would actually qualify as genuine refugees. | When it was suggested to him that the people were refugees, he said: “You don’t know that. They are coming from all over the world. If you get back to the Geneva convention definition, you will find very few people that came into Europe last year would actually qualify as genuine refugees. |
| “We have just had, in the last two weeks, the Dusseldorf bomb plot has been uncovered – a very, very worrying plan for mass attacks along the style of Paris or Brussels. All of those people came into Germany last year posing as refugees. | “We have just had, in the last two weeks, the Dusseldorf bomb plot has been uncovered – a very, very worrying plan for mass attacks along the style of Paris or Brussels. All of those people came into Germany last year posing as refugees. |
| “When Isis say they will use the migrant crisis to flood the continent with their jihadi terrorists, they probably mean it.” | “When Isis say they will use the migrant crisis to flood the continent with their jihadi terrorists, they probably mean it.” |
| A spokesperson for Getty Images confirmed that the picture in the campaign ad had been licensed from the agency and was taken in Slovenia in 2015 by staff photographer Jeff Mitchell. It depicts people who have just crossed the Croatian-Slovenian border. | |
| “It is always uncomfortable when an objective news photograph is used to deliver any political message or subjective agenda,” said a Getty spokesperson. | “It is always uncomfortable when an objective news photograph is used to deliver any political message or subjective agenda,” said a Getty spokesperson. |
| “Editorial integrity is of the utmost importance to Getty Images and our photographers are passionate about documenting the global news agenda and covering issues from an objective and impartial standpoint. Our images are syndicated to almost 1 million customers around the world – whether that be to media, business and brands, or in this case, political parties.” | |
| Farage has made a series of colourful interventions in the referendum campaign, including on Wednesday leading a flotilla of fishing boats up the Thames to Westminster to promote Brexit. | Farage has made a series of colourful interventions in the referendum campaign, including on Wednesday leading a flotilla of fishing boats up the Thames to Westminster to promote Brexit. |
| Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, told MPs in the home affairs select committee this month that he “utterly condemned” comments made by Farage that sexual assaults by migrants were the “nuclear bomb” of the EU referendum. | Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, told MPs in the home affairs select committee this month that he “utterly condemned” comments made by Farage that sexual assaults by migrants were the “nuclear bomb” of the EU referendum. |
| The archbishop said Farage was guilty of “inexcusable pandering to people’s worries and prejudices, that is giving legitimisation to racism”. The Ukip leader was “accentuating [people’s] fear for political gain and that is absolutely unacceptable,” he added. | The archbishop said Farage was guilty of “inexcusable pandering to people’s worries and prejudices, that is giving legitimisation to racism”. The Ukip leader was “accentuating [people’s] fear for political gain and that is absolutely unacceptable,” he added. |
| Challenged about the archbishop’s criticism, Farage dismissed his comments about migrants as a tiddly issue in the wider context of the referendum. | Challenged about the archbishop’s criticism, Farage dismissed his comments about migrants as a tiddly issue in the wider context of the referendum. |
| Leave.EU, which is funded by Ukip’s biggest donor, Arron Banks, has been repeatedly criticised for the tone of its campaign material towards immigrants, which includes a video that remain campaigners said demonised Turkish people. | |
| The contentious film carried a message saying: “Donald Trump’s take on immigration … Vote to Leave the vicious snake that is the EU on June 23.” It was soundtracked by Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, reading the lyrics of a song called Vicious Snake, about a woman who takes in a snake that fatally bites her. | |
| Trump’s voice, and ominous music, is played over footage of migrants rushing over a wall, and crowds in France, Greece and Hungary. | Trump’s voice, and ominous music, is played over footage of migrants rushing over a wall, and crowds in France, Greece and Hungary. |