More Fruitcakes
Here's another news story which seems to reinforce my view that UKIP is indeed full of fruitcakes and loonies.
If you ask me, they might be good for a laugh - but they're not really a serious political party even if they play to people's prejudices in Middle England about the failings of the European Union.
Just like Beppe Grillo and his Five Star Movement in Italy - UKIP is a good for beating up on the political classes, but completely useless for anything else.
If you ask me, they might be good for a laugh - but they're not really a serious political party even if they play to people's prejudices in Middle England about the failings of the European Union.
Just like Beppe Grillo and his Five Star Movement in Italy - UKIP is a good for beating up on the political classes, but completely useless for anything else.
Former UKIP spokesman was kidnapping gang 'boss'
By Mike Deri Smith & Jim Reed
By Mike Deri Smith & Jim Reed
BBC Newsnight
UKIP says Mujeeb Bhutto is no longer a member of the party, as Jim Reed reports
A man who served as UKIP's Commonwealth spokesman for a year is the former leader of a kidnapping gang in Pakistan, BBC Newsnight has revealed.
Mujeeb ur Rehman Bhutto's gang were behind a high-profile kidnapping in Karachi in 2004 and he then took a £56,000 ransom payment in Manchester.
In 2005, Bhutto, of Leeds, admitted being the gang's "boss" and was jailed for seven years by a UK court.
UKIP said Bhutto, 35, had "recently" resigned his party membership.
A party spokesman said: "When we recently became aware of possible issues relating to his past and raised the matter with him, he resigned his membership."
Bhutto joined UKIP in 2011 and regularly appeared as UKIP's Commonwealth spokesman, and as a party representative in local and national media. He said he had left the party in December 2013.
He organised a trip to a Leeds mosque for party leader Nigel Farage and, during the 2012 Rotherham by-election, canvassed with UKIP candidate Jane Collins.
'Beheading threat'
Bhutto told Newsnight he had admitted the charges against him in 2005 rather than risk being sent back to Pakistan and hanged.
"The evidence which was brought against me was from Pakistan. The allegation was simply because of political rivalry," he said.
He said he planned to appeal against his conviction for conspiracy to blackmail.
Bhutto said he had been granted political asylum in the UK in 2008 and that the case against him in Pakistan had been thrown out by the country's Supreme Court.
But senior Pakistani police sources insisted that Bhutto was still wanted in Pakistan.
In June 2004, a gang led by Bhutto kidnapped Ahmed Naeem, the son of a wealthy businessman, at gunpoint from a car on a Karachi residential street.
Five days later Bhutto flew to England.
He then negotiated a ransom payment with Mr Naeem's father, Mohammed Naeem.
"I have the power to give you such torture that you won't forget it for the rest of your life," Bhutto said in calls to Mohammed Naeem that were recorded by Pakistani police and reported during his 2005 court case.
UKIP says Mujeeb Bhutto is no longer a member of the party, as Jim Reed reports
A man who served as UKIP's Commonwealth spokesman for a year is the former leader of a kidnapping gang in Pakistan, BBC Newsnight has revealed.
Mujeeb ur Rehman Bhutto's gang were behind a high-profile kidnapping in Karachi in 2004 and he then took a £56,000 ransom payment in Manchester.
In 2005, Bhutto, of Leeds, admitted being the gang's "boss" and was jailed for seven years by a UK court.
UKIP said Bhutto, 35, had "recently" resigned his party membership.
A party spokesman said: "When we recently became aware of possible issues relating to his past and raised the matter with him, he resigned his membership."
Bhutto joined UKIP in 2011 and regularly appeared as UKIP's Commonwealth spokesman, and as a party representative in local and national media. He said he had left the party in December 2013.
He organised a trip to a Leeds mosque for party leader Nigel Farage and, during the 2012 Rotherham by-election, canvassed with UKIP candidate Jane Collins.
'Beheading threat'
Bhutto told Newsnight he had admitted the charges against him in 2005 rather than risk being sent back to Pakistan and hanged.
"The evidence which was brought against me was from Pakistan. The allegation was simply because of political rivalry," he said.
He said he planned to appeal against his conviction for conspiracy to blackmail.
Bhutto said he had been granted political asylum in the UK in 2008 and that the case against him in Pakistan had been thrown out by the country's Supreme Court.
But senior Pakistani police sources insisted that Bhutto was still wanted in Pakistan.
In June 2004, a gang led by Bhutto kidnapped Ahmed Naeem, the son of a wealthy businessman, at gunpoint from a car on a Karachi residential street.
Five days later Bhutto flew to England.
He then negotiated a ransom payment with Mr Naeem's father, Mohammed Naeem.
"I have the power to give you such torture that you won't forget it for the rest of your life," Bhutto said in calls to Mohammed Naeem that were recorded by Pakistani police and reported during his 2005 court case.
Bhutto once arranged a mosque visit for UKIP leader Nigel Farage
Bhutto at one point threatened to have Ahmed Naeem's head cut off and sent to his father, according to court evidence.
Police in Karachi assisted the victim's family, and a police source delivered a £56,000 ransom to a car park at Manchester's Arndale shopping centre. Ahmed Naeem was then released by the gang in Pakistan.
Bhutto was swiftly arrested by Greater Manchester Police in co-operation with Pakistan police.
Ransom in bed
The £56,000 ransom was found hidden in Bhutto's bed in a house in Leeds, and he was forced to repay it when he appeared in court.
He was sentenced under the name Majeebur Bhutto.
"You came to the UK to avoid the risk of detection in Pakistan, where kidnapping is a capital offence," said the judge, Martin Steiger.
The other gang members were initially sentenced to death in Pakistan for the offence of kidnapping for ransom, but their sentences were commuted to life in prison in 2007 and one was released.
"Kidnappings have really gone through the roof in Pakistan. It's the main form of getting money for many terrorist organisations," said Shahed Sadullah, former editor of The News, part of the bilingual paper The Daily Jang.
"There were two things that were different about this case. One was that there was an involvement with a city which was 5,000 miles away in the UK. The second was that the guys who did it actually got caught."
In a regional UKIP newsletter from May 2013, Bhutto stated that he had been a member of the party since 2011.
"Our policy in UKIP is not to attack foreign nations, but to work with like-minded parties and support them so there is no export of terrorism to our shores," he said.
During an appearance on BBC debating show The Big Questions in March 2013, when he was frequently referred to as "UKIP's Commonwealth spokesman", Bhutto said: "We want controlled immigration where we know who's coming in, who's going out."
Hailed on Twitter
Bhutto at one point threatened to have Ahmed Naeem's head cut off and sent to his father, according to court evidence.
Police in Karachi assisted the victim's family, and a police source delivered a £56,000 ransom to a car park at Manchester's Arndale shopping centre. Ahmed Naeem was then released by the gang in Pakistan.
Bhutto was swiftly arrested by Greater Manchester Police in co-operation with Pakistan police.
Ransom in bed
The £56,000 ransom was found hidden in Bhutto's bed in a house in Leeds, and he was forced to repay it when he appeared in court.
He was sentenced under the name Majeebur Bhutto.
"You came to the UK to avoid the risk of detection in Pakistan, where kidnapping is a capital offence," said the judge, Martin Steiger.
The other gang members were initially sentenced to death in Pakistan for the offence of kidnapping for ransom, but their sentences were commuted to life in prison in 2007 and one was released.
"Kidnappings have really gone through the roof in Pakistan. It's the main form of getting money for many terrorist organisations," said Shahed Sadullah, former editor of The News, part of the bilingual paper The Daily Jang.
"There were two things that were different about this case. One was that there was an involvement with a city which was 5,000 miles away in the UK. The second was that the guys who did it actually got caught."
In a regional UKIP newsletter from May 2013, Bhutto stated that he had been a member of the party since 2011.
"Our policy in UKIP is not to attack foreign nations, but to work with like-minded parties and support them so there is no export of terrorism to our shores," he said.
During an appearance on BBC debating show The Big Questions in March 2013, when he was frequently referred to as "UKIP's Commonwealth spokesman", Bhutto said: "We want controlled immigration where we know who's coming in, who's going out."
Hailed on Twitter
UKIP candidates, associations and official social media channels have previously posted messages indicating that Bhutto had a role as a UKIP representative, beyond being just a party member.
"UKIP have plenty of quality spokesman… Mujeeb Bhutto," UKIP Bradford and district chairman Jason Smith wrote on Twitter in May 2013.
"Watch UKIP's Mujeeb Bhutto speak out against mass uncontrolled immigration on the BBC's Big Question," read a tweet from UKIP's official Twitter feed in March 2013.
Jane Collins said on Twitter in March 2013 that Mr Bhutto was "fantastic on BBC Big Question this am. What an asset for UKIP".
In the course of the last month, Twitter, LinkedIn and multiple Facebook profiles of Mujeeb Bhutto have been deleted from the internet.
"If you don't have any discipline and tight screening of candidates, you are perpetually going to be in trouble," said Matthew Goodwin, of policy institute Chatham House and co-author of Revolt on the Right: Explaining Support for the Radical Right in Britain.
"UKIP are certainly trying to professionalise, to move away from its more amateurish origins."
Bhutto said he had now joined the Conservative Party, but the Tories said they had rejected his application to become a member.
"UKIP have plenty of quality spokesman… Mujeeb Bhutto," UKIP Bradford and district chairman Jason Smith wrote on Twitter in May 2013.
"Watch UKIP's Mujeeb Bhutto speak out against mass uncontrolled immigration on the BBC's Big Question," read a tweet from UKIP's official Twitter feed in March 2013.
Jane Collins said on Twitter in March 2013 that Mr Bhutto was "fantastic on BBC Big Question this am. What an asset for UKIP".
In the course of the last month, Twitter, LinkedIn and multiple Facebook profiles of Mujeeb Bhutto have been deleted from the internet.
"If you don't have any discipline and tight screening of candidates, you are perpetually going to be in trouble," said Matthew Goodwin, of policy institute Chatham House and co-author of Revolt on the Right: Explaining Support for the Radical Right in Britain.
"UKIP are certainly trying to professionalise, to move away from its more amateurish origins."
Bhutto said he had now joined the Conservative Party, but the Tories said they had rejected his application to become a member.
Looney Tunes (20 January 2014)
A year or so ago the Prime Minister, David Cameron, came in for a lot of criticism, in some quarters at least, for describing UKIP as a party that was full of 'fruitcakes and closet racists'.
Now I happen to think that David Cameron was spot on in his assessment because there's no doubt that many UKIP activists are wired to the moon - with this particular UKIP standard bearer claiming that God has punished us all for the wickedness of the Westminster Parliament in legalising same sex marriage.
Not only that, but the leadership of UKIP defend this particular fruitcake's right to say what he wants - no matter how ridiculous - in a spirit of freedom speech.
I'm a big supporter of free speech, as it happens, but there's a difference between people being able to speak their mind - and people just saying things which are deeply stupid and offensive without being challenged and being invited to back up with what they have to say with sound arguments, facts and evidence.
So, if you ask me this silly old duffer deserves to be ridiculed for spouting such nonsense - and UKIP deserves the same fate for defending David Silvester's right to make a fool of himself using their name and under UKIP's political banner.
Now I happen to think that David Cameron was spot on in his assessment because there's no doubt that many UKIP activists are wired to the moon - with this particular UKIP standard bearer claiming that God has punished us all for the wickedness of the Westminster Parliament in legalising same sex marriage.
Not only that, but the leadership of UKIP defend this particular fruitcake's right to say what he wants - no matter how ridiculous - in a spirit of freedom speech.
I'm a big supporter of free speech, as it happens, but there's a difference between people being able to speak their mind - and people just saying things which are deeply stupid and offensive without being challenged and being invited to back up with what they have to say with sound arguments, facts and evidence.
So, if you ask me this silly old duffer deserves to be ridiculed for spouting such nonsense - and UKIP deserves the same fate for defending David Silvester's right to make a fool of himself using their name and under UKIP's political banner.
UKIP councillor says God sent storms which battered Britain because David Cameron allowed gay marriage to be legalised
David Silvester, 73, wrote a letter to the Henley Standard in Oxfordshire. In it he said storms were God's punishment for legalising gay marriage.
UKIP said the views expressed by Mr Silvester were 'not the party's belief' but defended his right to state his opinions.
A party spokeswoman said: 'If the media are expecting Ukip to either condemn or condone someone's personal religious views they will get absolutely no response.
Pestilence: Part of the letter in the Henley Standard, claiming recent floods were godly vengeance
'Whether Jain or Sikh or Buddhist or Sufi or Zoroastrian or Jewish or Muslim or Baptist or Hindu or Catholic or Baha'i or Animist or any other mainstream or minor religion or movement, we are taught as a tolerant society to accept a diversity of ideologies.
'Freedom to individual thought and expression is a central tenet of any open-minded and democratic country.
'It is quite evident that this is not the party's belief but the councillor's own and he is more than entitled to express independent thought despite whether or not other people may deem it standard or correct.
'That is what makes the United Kingdom such a wonderful, proud, diverse and free country.'
Henley's Tory MP John Howell, said: 'I thought Mr Silvester's letter was not the sort of thing that he should have written in today's age. He really needs to consider his position.'
Twitter users have reacted angrily to the news, branding him a 'blithering idiot' and questioning his position as councillor.
Sam Bergmanski, a graduate from Cardiff, said: 'What is a man like David Silvester doing in public office? Disgrace.'
Another user calling himself Sisco, from Cumbria, added: 'UKIP Councillor David Silvester says the floods are due to gay marriage. Why do people take UKIP seriously? seriously, how?'
The retired Shell worker, elected in 2010, was unaware of the fury his letter had provoked when contacted by MailOnline today.
He stood by the rant, saying he went to a Bible college in 2004 and studied the work of Jeffrey Satinover, a controversial American psychologist who describes homosexuality as a treatable disorder, against the mainstream opinion of the medical world.
Since Christmas Eve several storms have left tens of thousands without power across the UK, caused damage to homes and businesses and disrupted transport
He said: 'The Conservatives are known as the party of the Queen. The Queen in her coronation oath promised to only to pass those laws that are consistent with the Christian gospel.
'There is a command to love all men, and I hope I love all men.
'But we are also taught to love the person but hate the sin.'
When told that hundreds of people had said his claim about gay marriage prompting floods was crazy, he said: 'That may be so if you are not a person of prayer. I am a person of prayer. I pray for each member of the Cabinet every day and each member of the Royal family every day.'
However, he admitted he 'lost a lot of friends' when he left the Tories over gay marriage.
Richard Lane, spokesman for the gay rights charity Stonewall, told MailOnline: 'Its hardly surprising that we've seen unusual weather patterns in Britain, considering the enormous amount of hot air being produced by some UKIP members'.
David Silvester, 73, wrote a letter to the Henley Standard in Oxfordshire. In it he said storms were God's punishment for legalising gay marriage.
Silvester, former Tory who defected over the issue, defended his view
By CHRIS PLEASANCE and DAN BLOOM - MAIL ON SUNDAY
David Silvester has blamed the recent storms on the decision to legalise gay marriage
A UK Independence Party councillor has blamed recent storms and floods on the Government's decision to legalise gay marriage.
David Silvester, who defected from the Tories last year in protest at David Cameron's support for same-sex unions, claimed he had warned the Prime Minister that the legislation would result in 'disasters'.
The Henley-on-Thames town councillor, 73, said the country had been 'beset by storms' since the passage of the new law on gay marriage because Mr Cameron had acted 'arrogantly against the Gospel'.
In a letter to the Henley Standard he wrote: 'The scriptures make it abundantly clear that a Christian nation that abandons its faith and acts contrary to the Gospel (and in naked breach of a coronation oath) will be beset by natural disasters such as storms, disease, pestilence and war.
'I wrote to David Cameron in April 2012 to warn him that disasters would accompany the passage of his same-sex marriage bill.
'But he went ahead despite a 600,000-signature petition by concerned Christians and more than half of his own parliamentary party saying that he should not do so.'
Blaming the Prime Minister for the bad weather, he added: 'It is his fault that large swathes of the nation have been afflicted by storms and floods.
'He has arrogantly acted against the Gospel that once made Britain 'great' and the lesson surely to be learned is that no man or men, however powerful, can mess with Almighty God with impunity and get away with it for everything a nation does is weighed on the scaled of divine approval or disapproval.'
Mr Silvester wrote another letter to the Henley Standard in April 2012 in which he told David Cameron not to legalise gay marriage and warned of 'disasters' if he did
By CHRIS PLEASANCE and DAN BLOOM - MAIL ON SUNDAY
David Silvester has blamed the recent storms on the decision to legalise gay marriage
A UK Independence Party councillor has blamed recent storms and floods on the Government's decision to legalise gay marriage.
David Silvester, who defected from the Tories last year in protest at David Cameron's support for same-sex unions, claimed he had warned the Prime Minister that the legislation would result in 'disasters'.
The Henley-on-Thames town councillor, 73, said the country had been 'beset by storms' since the passage of the new law on gay marriage because Mr Cameron had acted 'arrogantly against the Gospel'.
In a letter to the Henley Standard he wrote: 'The scriptures make it abundantly clear that a Christian nation that abandons its faith and acts contrary to the Gospel (and in naked breach of a coronation oath) will be beset by natural disasters such as storms, disease, pestilence and war.
'I wrote to David Cameron in April 2012 to warn him that disasters would accompany the passage of his same-sex marriage bill.
'But he went ahead despite a 600,000-signature petition by concerned Christians and more than half of his own parliamentary party saying that he should not do so.'
Blaming the Prime Minister for the bad weather, he added: 'It is his fault that large swathes of the nation have been afflicted by storms and floods.
'He has arrogantly acted against the Gospel that once made Britain 'great' and the lesson surely to be learned is that no man or men, however powerful, can mess with Almighty God with impunity and get away with it for everything a nation does is weighed on the scaled of divine approval or disapproval.'
Mr Silvester wrote another letter to the Henley Standard in April 2012 in which he told David Cameron not to legalise gay marriage and warned of 'disasters' if he did
UKIP said the views expressed by Mr Silvester were 'not the party's belief' but defended his right to state his opinions.
A party spokeswoman said: 'If the media are expecting Ukip to either condemn or condone someone's personal religious views they will get absolutely no response.
Pestilence: Part of the letter in the Henley Standard, claiming recent floods were godly vengeance
'Whether Jain or Sikh or Buddhist or Sufi or Zoroastrian or Jewish or Muslim or Baptist or Hindu or Catholic or Baha'i or Animist or any other mainstream or minor religion or movement, we are taught as a tolerant society to accept a diversity of ideologies.
'Freedom to individual thought and expression is a central tenet of any open-minded and democratic country.
'It is quite evident that this is not the party's belief but the councillor's own and he is more than entitled to express independent thought despite whether or not other people may deem it standard or correct.
'That is what makes the United Kingdom such a wonderful, proud, diverse and free country.'
Henley's Tory MP John Howell, said: 'I thought Mr Silvester's letter was not the sort of thing that he should have written in today's age. He really needs to consider his position.'
Twitter users have reacted angrily to the news, branding him a 'blithering idiot' and questioning his position as councillor.
Sam Bergmanski, a graduate from Cardiff, said: 'What is a man like David Silvester doing in public office? Disgrace.'
Another user calling himself Sisco, from Cumbria, added: 'UKIP Councillor David Silvester says the floods are due to gay marriage. Why do people take UKIP seriously? seriously, how?'
The retired Shell worker, elected in 2010, was unaware of the fury his letter had provoked when contacted by MailOnline today.
He stood by the rant, saying he went to a Bible college in 2004 and studied the work of Jeffrey Satinover, a controversial American psychologist who describes homosexuality as a treatable disorder, against the mainstream opinion of the medical world.
Since Christmas Eve several storms have left tens of thousands without power across the UK, caused damage to homes and businesses and disrupted transport
He said: 'The Conservatives are known as the party of the Queen. The Queen in her coronation oath promised to only to pass those laws that are consistent with the Christian gospel.
'There is a command to love all men, and I hope I love all men.
'But we are also taught to love the person but hate the sin.'
When told that hundreds of people had said his claim about gay marriage prompting floods was crazy, he said: 'That may be so if you are not a person of prayer. I am a person of prayer. I pray for each member of the Cabinet every day and each member of the Royal family every day.'
However, he admitted he 'lost a lot of friends' when he left the Tories over gay marriage.
Richard Lane, spokesman for the gay rights charity Stonewall, told MailOnline: 'Its hardly surprising that we've seen unusual weather patterns in Britain, considering the enormous amount of hot air being produced by some UKIP members'.
