UKIP is not a fascist party

I REFER to the letter of Mr Reg Littleboy (”Be aware of extreme right”).

In your letter Mr Littleboy you criticise Caven Vines for not answering questions of yours, yet you yourself have dodged answering four questions I posed to you and which were printed in the Advertiser on August 23. I know these were difficult and unpalatable questions for a member of New Labour to face but you could have had a go, surely? Do you not think you might therefore come across as a tad hypocritical?

At least this time you did not repeat your easily disproved guff about UKIP wanting to privatise the NHS, so I suppose I should be thankful for that small mercy.

The rest of your letter reminded me of the words of the French writer de Beaumarchais: “Vilify! Vilify! Some of it will stick.” I refer to your not even thinly veiled attempt to smear UKIP as “...an extreme right wing party...” The Oxford Dictionary describes “extreme right wing” as another phrase for “Fascist”. Are you therefore seriously saying that UKIP are a Fascist party?

You also mention two UKIP members by name and state they “ ...are of the extreme right wing...” Are you suggesting that these two individuals are Fascists? Mr Littleboy, a cursory examination of UKIP shows that they are the very opposite of Fascists. A Fascist believes in overwhelming state control over people’s lives but UKIP wants small government and low taxation. Fascism includes extreme nationalism and racism yet UKIP is the only mainstream political party that does not allow ex-BNP members to join its ranks.

Finally, Fascism is characterised by a curtailing of personal freedoms, but UKIP is a libertarian party that champions freedom. If you are not aware of the three points above could I suggest you do some basic homework on your opponents, it may save you further embarrassment.

In your letter Mr Littleboy you come across as hypocritical but also, and much worse, someone who is prepared to smear your opponents in the basest manner by trying to link UKIP with the likes of Franco, Mussolini and Hitler who were all real, bona fide “...of the extreme right wing...”. Shame on you Mr Littleboy!

Rob Sanderson, Low Golden Smithies, Swinton