This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/16/nigel-farage-defends-ukip-breaking-point-poster-queue-of-migrants

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Nigel Farage attacked for Ukip poster showing queue of refugees Nigel Farage attacked for Ukip poster showing queue of refugees
(about 5 hours 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 unveiling an anti-migrant poster that resembles Nazi propaganda, forcing Boris Johnson to distance the official leave campaign from Ukip. A string of politicians from Nicola Sturgeon to Yvette Cooper condemned the poster, which depicts a long queue of mostly non-white refugees and migrants with the slogan “Breaking point: the EU has failed us all.”
The advert, which has also appeared in the local press, shows a crowd of refugees and migrants walking along a road. Within hours, Twitter users had pointed out the image’s inadvertent similarity to Nazi propaganda footage of migrants shown in a BBC documentary from 2005.
Johnson, who leads the official Vote Leave campaign against the EU, said the poster was “not our campaign” and “not my politics”. Drawing a distinction between his own view and those of Farage, he suggested that leaving the EU would be a way of “spiking the guns” of anti-immigrant feeling.
“If you take back control, you do a great deal to neutralise anti-immigrant feeling generally,” he said, after reporters showed him a picture of the poster. “I am passionately pro-immigration and pro-immigrants.”
Farage has repeatedly praised Johnson in recent weeks, even suggesting that he would take a job in a government led by Johnson if he takes over after a vote to leave. The official campaign, however, has been less than happy to be associated with Ukip and Leave.EU, which have repeatedly been accused of stoking anti-immigrant feeling and using racist tropes.
Vote Leave is campaigning separately from Ukip, but it does include the party’s only MP, Douglas Carswell, who shared a platform with Johnson last week.
Farage unveiled the controversial poster in Westminster with the subheading: “We must break free of the EU and take back control of our borders.” The photograph used was of migrants crossing the Croatia-Slovenia border in 2015, with the only prominent white person in the photograph obscured by a box of text.
Challenged about its message, Farage said: “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.”
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. When Isis say they will use the migrant crisis to flood the continent with their jihadi terrorists, they probably mean it.”
A Ukip spokesman said the comparison with Nazi propaganda was invidious and “those making them should remember Godwin’s law”, an internet adage that heated discussions tend eventually towards someone bringing up the Nazis, and that those who do have lost the argument.
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, said the poster was disgusting.
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. A spokesperson for Getty Images confirmed that the picture had been licensed from them and was taken in Slovenia in 2015 by its staff photographer Jeff Mitchell. “It is always uncomfortable when an objective news photograph is used to deliver any political message or subjective agenda. However, the image in question has been licensed legitimately,” they said.
“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.” “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 interventions in the referendum campaign, including leading a flotilla of fishing boats up the Thames to Westminster on Wednesday to promote Brexit. Remain campaigners, however, have repeatedly criticised Ukip for the anti-migrant tone of some of its material, particularly in relation to the possibility of Turkey joining the EU.
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. The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, told MPs on the home affairs select committee this month that he utterly condemned Farage’s comment that sexual assaults by migrants were the “nuclear bomb” of the EU referendum. He 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 said.
“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. Asked about the archbishop’s criticism, Farage dismissed his comments about migrants as a minor issue in the wider context of the referendum.
“When Isis say they will use the migrant crisis to flood the continent with their jihadi terrorists, they probably mean it.” Leave.EU, which is funded by Ukip’s biggest donor, Arron Banks, has been repeatedly criticised for the tone of its campaign material regarding immigrants, which includes a video that remain campaigners said demonised Turkish people.
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.
“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.
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.
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.