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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| UKIP leader Farage sorry for MEP Janice Atkinson's 'offensive' term | UKIP leader Farage sorry for MEP Janice Atkinson's 'offensive' term |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| UKIP leader Nigel Farage has visited a Thai constituent and her husband to apologise after another of the party's MEPs described her as a "ting tong". | |
| South East MEP Janice Atkinson was recorded commenting about mobile food seller Fa Munday, by BBC South East Today in Ramsgate, Kent, on Friday. | South East MEP Janice Atkinson was recorded commenting about mobile food seller Fa Munday, by BBC South East Today in Ramsgate, Kent, on Friday. |
| Mrs Munday's husband Vincent said it was outrageous, rude and offensive. | Mrs Munday's husband Vincent said it was outrageous, rude and offensive. |
| Mr Farage told the couple he was "deeply sorry" and "it shouldn't have happened". Ms Atkinson has apologised. | Mr Farage told the couple he was "deeply sorry" and "it shouldn't have happened". Ms Atkinson has apologised. |
| Mr Farage, who is also a UKIP MEP for the South East, told the BBC: "I didn't want the thing to happen in the first place but, given that it happened, I'm the leader, the buck stops with me. | |
| "Something has happened that was offensive, unpleasant, didn't need to happen and I thought the only thing that I could possibly do was to come up personally and say 'I'm sorry for causing offence'." | |
| He said Ms Atkinson would be "spoken to" and "reprimanded", because "this is not the kind of behaviour that we want from anybody, at any level, in UKIP". | |
| Despite suggesting on Monday they would withdraw their UKIP membership, the couple have told Mr Farage they would not leave the party. | |
| Ms Atkinson previously said: "I deeply regret the words I used and am incredibly sorry. | |
| "It was poor judgement and naivety on my part rather than words spoken with any malice. | "It was poor judgement and naivety on my part rather than words spoken with any malice. |
| "I am devastated that I have caused hurt and apologise profusely to both Mr and Mrs Munday." | "I am devastated that I have caused hurt and apologise profusely to both Mr and Mrs Munday." |
| Analysis | |
| Louise Stewart, political editor, South East | |
| Nigel Farage took the unusual decision of personally visiting a Thai woman described as a "ting tong" by UKIP's South East MEP Janice Atkinson. | |
| He went to the home of Fa Munday to reassure her and her husband that UKIP in no way condones the use of language that may reflect prejudice or cause offence. | |
| The last time I remember a senior politician making a personal visit to say sorry was when Gordon Brown - then the prime minister - was forced to apologise to Gillian Duffy, a Rochdale pensioner, during the 2010 general election campaign after being caught on microphone calling her a "bigoted woman". | |
| Arguably, that was the turning point in the 2010 election campaign. The crucial difference is that he was apologising for his OWN mistake. | |
| Nigel Farage has previously been forced to apologise for one of his MEP's outspoken comments. | |
| Last year's UKIP conference was overshadowed when the Yorkshire MEP Godfrey Bloom said women who didn't clean behind the fridge "were sluts". | |
| He was suspended and subsequently quit the party. | |
| So will Mr Farage's apology - on behalf of Janice Atkinson - be enough to draw a line under this story? | |
| Ms Atkinson was interviewed by the BBC on Friday and had agreed to be filmed while she met local people and UKIP members in Ramsgate. | Ms Atkinson was interviewed by the BBC on Friday and had agreed to be filmed while she met local people and UKIP members in Ramsgate. |
| She wore a microphone and was aware she was being recorded. | She wore a microphone and was aware she was being recorded. |
| Mr and Mrs Munday have met Ms Atkinson at UKIP rallies. | Mr and Mrs Munday have met Ms Atkinson at UKIP rallies. |
| Mrs Munday said: "I'm from Thailand. I'm married to an Englishman and now I'm British. | Mrs Munday said: "I'm from Thailand. I'm married to an Englishman and now I'm British. |
| "No-one has ever spoken about me like that before." | "No-one has ever spoken about me like that before." |
| Mr Munday said "ting tong" in Thai meant that a person was mad and the comment had come as "a bit of shock". | Mr Munday said "ting tong" in Thai meant that a person was mad and the comment had come as "a bit of shock". |
| "I don't think UKIP are a racist party, but that comment certainly wasn't the brightest thing I've ever heard," he said. | "I don't think UKIP are a racist party, but that comment certainly wasn't the brightest thing I've ever heard," he said. |
| The couple have said that Ms Atkinson should resign. | The couple have said that Ms Atkinson should resign. |