Is UKIP really a 'Nigel Farage dictatorship' rife with sexism?
by Mary Honeyball
"A woman's place is cleaning behind the fridge." Well that's what they seem to believe in UKIP. Indeed, in 2004 UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom said just this and the events which unfolded last week shows little has changed in the intervening years since Bloom made such remarks.
It would be laughable if it was not so damaging, offensive and humiliating for those on the receiving end. So it is hardly a surprise to learn that the party's only female MEP might have suffered alleged discrimination from within the party. But it was a surprise to see Marta Andreasen MEP launch a searing attack on the leader of the party Nigel 'too much air time' Farage.
She has said of Farage: "He doesn't try to involve intelligent professional women in positions of responsibility in the party. He thinks women should be in the kitchen or in the bedroom." Andreasen continued by telling the BBC that she had been openly criticised by her party leader and other MEPs, claiming that this amounted to bullying.
"I've been bullied, in private situations, for decisions I have made by Nigel," she said. "I have been accused of being disloyal, breaching confidence and breaching my contract with the party. There's an attitude that either you keep silent about everything that's been going on in the party or suffer the consequences." Andreasen said she believed Farage – who was re-elected as leader in 2010 after standing down a year earlier to contest a Westminster seat – "did not like women" although this is purely her opinion and allegation.
I have appeared alongside Andreasen before on the BBC's Newsnight programme and her views were some of the most thoughtful that I have seen come out of UKIP. We should give weight to what she says because what she is demonstrating is that UKIP seems to be a party filled with anti-women sentient. It is a one man band and it is all about Farage, or so it certainly seems.
Andreasen who, represents South East England in the European Parliament, has said she will not stand again. Still, this is a brave thing to do - to reveal a bullying culture at the highest level of the party while she is still in office and to do it so publically is courageous. She also claims in an interview with LondonlovesBusiness.com that Farage runs his party like some kind of dictatorship:
"Under his leadership – and I have questioned his leadership obviously a number of times – the party has become a dictatorship," she said. "This is a Stalinist way of operating and he doesn't care about the membership or the grassroots."
We also should not forget former UKIP MEP Nikki Sinclaire - a lesbian, who won a sex discrimination case against her former colleagues on a default judgement at Exeter Employment Tribunal. This came after UKIP failed to lodge a defence. Sinclaire alleged that UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom had called her a "queer". We can only draw our own conclusions from all of this.
Mary Honeyball is a British Labour Party MEP and a member of the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament
Marta Andreasen got the wrong idea over something that had not actually happened and subsequently went on a betrayal rampage, so it was not a case of accusing her of anything - more a case of pointing out what she was doing.
I myself, used to have a lot of respect for Marta but of late she seems to have shown a very selfish side; much like a few others that have decided to throw their toys out of the pram when they didn't get their own way.
And UKIP is the only party with the ability to stop this country being denationalised and that should be on peoples minds when voting, not internal squabbles. If Labour could attack our policies, I am sure they wouldn't need to make up such rubbish stories but the fact is - they can't.
Marty Caine - Poole
The UKIP head of staff in Brussels is a woman. The UKIP party director is a woman. The best UKIP candidate to date is Jane Collins (two second places in by-elections).
All this from Mary Honeyball, whose website was advertising Polish mail order brides. Very rich indeed.
Sexism and mail-order brides. Mary Honeyball is the UK Labour's representative on the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee in the European Parliament. Strange, then, that her website should be carrying an advert for "sexy Polish girls".
Hermann Kelly
Labour use every opportunity to convince us that UKIP are homophobes. But here we have an example of the membership of UKIP selecting and electing an known lesbian to key positions in the party on a number of occasions.
And UKIP doesn't have lists. Both these women have been selected by the membership on merit. It's disingenuous of them to now play the 'am just a little girl card' because of fallout from politcal infighting, which happens in all parties.
And who exactly is Mary Honeyball. She is the 'UK Labour representative in the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee in the European Parliament'. Read a professional feminist grievance monger, whose most significant achievement to date according to Wiki is to have 'asked whether ministers should be allowed to sit on the front bench of government if they are committed Roman Catholics'. Nice woman.
Druth - UK
Clearly the so-called main parties are becoming worried when just before a vital by-election on Feb 28 in Southhampton Eastleigh, they come up with kind of claptrap.
Women hold many responsible positions in UKIP. As a party we must not bite when this kind of slur campaign appears but instead make our point at the ballot box.
Malcolm Lindley - York UKIP
Diane James is the Eastleigh candidate.
Jamie - New Forest
Oh the irony. Diane James the just-announced UKIP candidate for Eastleigh must have escaped from the kitchen when no-one was watching then?
Mike - Burton
Can't win the arguments on the EU, so you resort to the gutter with rubbish and personal abuse like this. Shows you what pro-EU politicians are like. Play the man not the ball.
JJ - UK
The article is correct. What about the junior member of UKIP, who was removed from his elected post in the party because he spoke in favour of same sex marriage?
The former UKIP MEP who is heckled by her former party for being a lesbian? That's before I even start on the party leadership's vice-like grip on the party. I'm ashamed that i used to vote for them.
Northerner - Northern England
Yes, I believe in sexism because it is reality. The UK has truly become a left-wing hole. You have an anti-male sentiment. It is ironic how you call the party Stalinist. Stalin was a left-wing dictator, who actually freed up women for the work place and hated traditionalism. So you would've loved him.
And UKIP is a pathetic party, that is the best that can be mustered. As an outsider looking in, knowing that you care about the opinions of the world, your country is on the decline. Thank god for France, it actually has a chance.
Sun - US
If UKIP is so sexist, how did Andreason and Sinclaire get to their high positions in the first place? Honeyball is just muckraking because she is afraid for her own position.
Gary Robinson
"UKIP has become a dictatorship" and there does exist a "Stalinist way of operating"? What unbelievable and irresponsible rubbish. Does anyone know what dictatorship and Stalinist way really means? That is war, death, arbitrariness and so on. Mr Farage and UKIP are real democrats. God bless you, Mr Farage.
Stephan Achner - Essen, Germany
Is UKIP really a 'Nigel Farage dictatorship' rife with sexism? Labour MEP says 'yes'. Shock.
Steve Crowther - Devon
Taken out of context - meant as light humour, nothing more. UKIP and Nigel have them running scared and they are trying everything in the book to discredit both Nigel and the party.
We want out of the EU, to make our own laws and control our borders - not to mention the £50m a day we pay.
Valerie - London
Well she would write that, wouldn't she. Get this Mary Honeyball, why on earth should we vote - and pay - three major political parties that can only obey EU orders like the rest of us? Come the next general election, we are only going to vote for a political party that wants out of the EU for good.
Even as I write this, the present government along with Labour is trying to alter nine written parts of our constitution allegedly for the coming new Royal baby - when in actual fact it is about alterring/destroying our long standing Common Law Constitution for the EU's Equality Act. According to R v Thistlewood 1820, destroying our constitution is treason.
Anne Palmer - Staffordshire, England
If you start taking flak, that means you're over the target. I wonder if Mary Honeyball MEP will still be in political office in June 2014?
David Challice - Devon
'British' Labour Party and Socialists and Democrats are getting pretty desperate aren't they.
Rob Hudson - Hull, UK
Last i heard was theres a strong female candidate in Eastleigh or is it a bloke disguised as a woman? Is this another labour clap trap smearing crafted from the school of Billy Liar and G McRuin?
peter - Gwynedd
What a lot of vicious, illiterate rant. The more you listen to the bile from these twisted, lefty, grievance inventors, the more you appreciate the honesty and decency of UKIP. The left are running sacred and will increasingly unleash all their lies and smears - as they did to Maggie.
Robert Laker - Portsmouth. UK
Having watched hours of video clips of many TV interviews, some of which were extremely hostile, and debates in the so called European Parliament; one thing i have noticed about Nigel is that he never bites at the bait.
Opponents are quick to slag him off with personal attacks on his integrity and beliefs without ever addressing the actual points he brings to the table. No matter what your political ideology may be you cannot deny that NF has exposed the political deceptions that have been practiced on all the people within the EU for decades.
The European Commission is a club of deluded megalomaniacs that have convinced me they really believe one day they will rule the world. That is, control everyone and everything on earth. That a new world order of one world, of one people, with one leader will make the world a better place for everyone.
As history has shown us, In all probability it will not work for the same reason a similar political system, communism, failed. The reason being corruption, which so easily prevails where individuals can use their positions and influence for personal gain at the expense of honest people.
The EU project is corrupt and the main players running and developing it are unashamedly corrupt by virtue of the fact that the project is a scam; it is not the club of trading partners helping each other to survive in the world that the politicians would have us believe.
It is not designed purely to give each nation state more influence and greater standing in the world. Its purpose is quite the opposite; George Orwell only got the date wrong.
Get justice 4U - Nottingham, UK, anti-corruption watch
