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Nigel Farage attacked over Romanians 'slur' Nigel Farage attacked over Romanians 'slur'
(about 5 hours later)
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been criticised by politicians over comments he made about Romanian immigrants.UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been criticised by politicians over comments he made about Romanian immigrants.
Mr Farage said he thought people would be concerned if a group of Romanians moved in next door, but denied he was "demonising" them. Mr Farage said he thought people would be concerned if a group of Romanians moved in next door.
Labour leader Ed Miliband said the comments were a "racial slur", but he did not think the UKIP leader was racist. Labour leader Ed Miliband said the comments were a "racial slur", while Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said the remarks had no place in modern Britain.
Nick Clegg said the remarks had no place in modern Britain. On Sunday, Mr Farage said he regretted his form of words but said there was a "real problem" of Romanian criminality.
In an interview for LBC Radio on Friday, Mr Farage said: "I was asked if a group of Romanian men moved in next to you, would you be concerned? And if you lived in London, I think you would be." In an interview for LBC Radio on Friday, Mr Farage was asked what the difference was between having a group of Romanian men and German children as neighbours.
He also said many migrants who had come to the UK had been "forced into a life of crime" by the "real poverty" in their own country. "You know what the difference is," Mr Farage replied.
He later said in a statement: "Any normal and fair-minded person would have a perfect right to be concerned if a group of Romanian people suddenly moved in next door." He added: "I was asked if a group of Romanian men moved in next to you, would you be concerned? And if you lived in London, I think you would be."
He also said many migrants coming to the UK had been "forced into a life of crime" by "real poverty" in their country.
In a statement following the interview he said: "Any normal and fair-minded person would have a perfect right to be concerned if a group of Romanian people suddenly moved in next door."
'Rather nasty''Rather nasty'
Mr Miliband said the comments were "deeply offensive".Mr Miliband said the comments were "deeply offensive".
He told Sky News: "I think they were a racial slur but I don't think of Nigel Farage as a racist himself."He told Sky News: "I think they were a racial slur but I don't think of Nigel Farage as a racist himself."
Deputy Prime Minister Mr Clegg said Mr Farage's mask was slipping and that the UKIP leader had "a rather nasty view of the world".Deputy Prime Minister Mr Clegg said Mr Farage's mask was slipping and that the UKIP leader had "a rather nasty view of the world".
He told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: "I think anyone who singles out one community, one nationality, and says 'I don't want to live next door to them', I really think that's the politics of division and I think it really should have no place in modern Britain.He told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: "I think anyone who singles out one community, one nationality, and says 'I don't want to live next door to them', I really think that's the politics of division and I think it really should have no place in modern Britain.
"I would say to people if you don't like that point of view, if, like me, you are really put off by this very divisive, nasty approach to things then please go out and vote.""I would say to people if you don't like that point of view, if, like me, you are really put off by this very divisive, nasty approach to things then please go out and vote."
Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, said the comments had echoes of abuse against members of the Asian community in the 1960s.Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, said the comments had echoes of abuse against members of the Asian community in the 1960s.
He added: "This is just not the language that we should be involved in. I think there should be an explanation and I think there ought to be an apology."He added: "This is just not the language that we should be involved in. I think there should be an explanation and I think there ought to be an apology."
'Perfectly legitimate'
Prime Minister David Cameron has described some of Mr Farage's comments as "pretty unpleasant".Prime Minister David Cameron has described some of Mr Farage's comments as "pretty unpleasant".
"I just hope people will look at this and recognise that we are an open, tolerant, compassionate country," he said."I just hope people will look at this and recognise that we are an open, tolerant, compassionate country," he said.
"Yes, we want to have a controlled immigration system; yes, we want to sort out the welfare system, but we shouldn't put these labels on as UKIP do.""Yes, we want to have a controlled immigration system; yes, we want to sort out the welfare system, but we shouldn't put these labels on as UKIP do."
The Sun newspaper on Saturday also criticised Mr Farage, saying his comments were "racism, pure and simple".The Sun newspaper on Saturday also criticised Mr Farage, saying his comments were "racism, pure and simple".
The newspaper paper added: "It is not racist to worry about the impact of millions of migrants on Britain, as we have argued for years. 'Tired out'
"It is racist to smear Romanians for being Romanian." Asked about his comments on Sunday during an interview with ITV, Mr Farage said: "I regret the fact that I was, sort of, completely tired out, and I didn't chose, I didn't use the form of words in response that I would have liked to have used.
False accusations "I should have just hit back immediately and said, look, understand there is a real problem here, you can't deny it.
During the interview, Mr Farage was also asked what the difference was between having a group of Romanian men and German children as neighbours. "Too much criminality from those gangs from Romania has come to London - I could have been clearer. But, do you know what? In life, sometimes we get things wrong."
"You know what the difference is," Mr Farage replied.
He defended his party's stance on immigration and rejected claims that it was racist, arguing that it had growing support among minority ethnic communities.
And in his statement he said: "UKIP will never allow the false accusation of racism levelled by a politically correct elite to prevent the raising of issues that are of concern to the great majority of the British public.
"Where there are differential crime rates between nationalities, it is perfectly legitimate to point this out and to discuss it in the public sphere and I shall continue to do so."