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UKIP councilor Victoria Ayling

UK Independence Party councillor smeared by British Press Mail on Sunday claim of a ‘racist rant’ is patently false



The headline in Britain’s Mail On Sunday, its lead story, shows a key leader of the right-wing UKIP party saying “send them all back home”. UKIP councilor Victoria Ayling is speaking on immigration matters. But The Mail incorrectly identifies this as a racist rant and falsely states that Ayling wants to repatriate all immigrants.
The Mail and its ideological sister The Telegraph are caught up in a contradiction. They generally support the policies of the UK Independence Party but their allegiances lie with the Britain’s centre-right Conservative Party. Thus the papers occasionally get caught up in attacking UKIP over something they actually believe in. In this case the Mail specifically attacks UKIP when the said video was in fact made for the Conservatives. Five years ago, when Ayling was a member of the Conservative Party, the video in question was shot by her then husband Rob whose occasional directing and prompting comments can be heard from behind the camera. Presumably he is the source of the video. Rob Ayling is quoted as saying “Victoria said during the divorce she would never be entering national politics again. Now, with her being a rising star of UKIP, I think it is a public interest story in terms of the electorate knowing what kind of a woman she is.” And with that it seems he decided to release something from their marriage that he deemed would be damaging to her. The couple divorced after he left her for Kristian Darling, a former American beauty queen and 1987 Miss America finalist.

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The substance of the video (2 mins. out of 20 are available at mailonline) goes as follows. At first Victoria is recording some kind of policy announcement. At various times the video shows breaks in the ‘takes’ during which time she and her husband are conversing. The references to The National Front are of a more or less extinct race-based anti immigration group largely replaced by the British National Party.
Victoria:”We must control immigration. There are too many people coming in. We cannot sustain the numbers. We must insure that those who should not be here should be repatriated. The illegals and failed asylum seekers and all those coming here should learn to speak English to integrate properly.” Rob: “Is that a policy” Victoria: “It’s not policy what it is is Cameron wants to restrict the numbers and he says he cannot sustain it it’s a big strain.” Rob: “Well as long as you’re OK with It” Victoria: “I am! We must basically repatriate those that shouldn’t be here. That’s not quite policy yet, maybe I should soften it a bit. OK send them back.” Rob: (mutters something about the National Front) Virginia: “it’s right though but anyway OK." Rob: “Take four on immigration one and two and three” Virginia:” We must control immigration. We cannot sustain the numbers coming here. And those that come here should learn to speak English so they can integrate fully. Multi-culturalism does not work. Britishness does.” Rob:”any more” Virginia:” OK next. Multi-culturalism is dead, I’m allowed to say that but maybe Britishness is waving the National Front flag a bit. Next.” Rob:”OK immigration take five” Virginia: “We must control immigration. We cannot sustain the numbers coming in. The strains on our infrastructure are enormous. Controls should be done fairly and the points system like they have in Australia and all those coming here should be encouraged to speak English so they can integrate.” Rob: “OK two or three stumbles and you looked away (from the camera) as well” Virginia:”I just want to send the lot back but I can’t say that right” Rob: (starting to laugh)”we’ll nip that out just in case we need it for some future…” Virginia: (interrupting & laughing) “some future get back at me; bribery, blackmail, we need the blackmail music don’t we.”
It’s some future get back at me alright. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Rob saved that video it seems and Virginia should have been ready with the blackmail music. It is Virginia’s penultimate comment that the Mail on Sunday is misconstruing to mean a call for universal deportation of all British immigrants, legal or not. Clearly though the context shows she is referring to illegal immigrants and failed asylum seekers. And her comments about a system based on Australia’s shows support for an orderly system. How this is deemed to be racist I cannot say other than to suggest the Mail wishes to paint UKIP accordingly! Ironically Virginia Ayling’s comments are the general editorial position of the Mail, the Telegraph and the Daily Express (who one newspaper analyst described as “The Mail off it meds”). But the Express excepted these papers can’t wait to attack UKIP, or anyone else who dares to threaten the existing three party structure of British politics. Once the Mail judged the comments racist, the boo-birds came out in force to be quoted. Local MP Stephen Phillips, said: “Immigration is a huge issue. But anyone who says they ‘just want to send the lot back’ has no place at all in frontline politics. People who have come here to work hard, to live by British values and to contribute to our communities have always been welcomed. [Many] will be as disgusted as I am by the views which Mrs Ayling apparently holds.” Iraqi-born Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi said Miss Ayling should “retract her deeply damaging comments”, and added “Hard-working immigrants contribute significantly to the UK.” Nothing from Mr. Zahawi though on the fact the video was originally made for his party. Labour’s outspoken Diane Abbot said she was “shocked”. But you have to wonder how much context some of these people get before being quoted. Abbot is a die-hard lefty but she’s also blessed with some common sense. A UKIP spokesman smartly said “Given that this was before the time Victoria joined UKIP we cannot comment on why this video was made for the Conservatives. However, we can vouch for her as a capable and decent councillor and support her through this time.” Mailonline readers also supported Ms. Ayling with 7 out of 9 commenter’s at time of writing supporting her comments. It seems The Mail on Sunday might understand what their readers believe but are still lagging in understanding who they support.


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David C. Jennings -- Bio and Archives

David Jennings is an ex-pat Brit. living in California.

A Christian Minister he advocates for Traditional & Conservative causes.

David is also an avid fan of Liverpool Football Club and writes for the supporters club in America

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