Scottish hatred of English is ‘biggest’ racism says Nigel Farage
Scottish racism towards the English is the "biggest" form of racism in Britain, Nigel Farage claimed today.
"The biggest racism I have seen in British politics is happening north of the border where some of the anti-English hatred is reaching a truly astonishing level," he said during a campaign visit to Hartlepool.
The Ukip leader added that the SNP in particular were "openly racist" and full of "anti-English hostility".
"The SNP are openly racist. The anti-English hostility and the kind of language that is used about and towards English people is totally extraordinary."
Farage said he was "bored" with claims that Ukip were racist and insisted that the real problem was with Scottish nationalists.
"I think it is ironic that all the talk about extremism within British politics is pointed towards Ukip when there are others who are far more guilty," he said.
He claimed he had been the victim of racist intimidation on his own visits to Scotland. When Farage visited Edinburgh in 2013, demonstrators forced him to remain barricaded in a pub before being whisked away in a riot van.
"If my supporters behaved in the way that some of those pro-independence supporters behaved in the referendum I'd have been painted out to be the worst person that had been seen for 70 years in British politics."
He blamed the SNP's former leader Alex Salmond for failing to condemn the behaviour of the demonstrators.
"'I think the one I blame is Alex Salmond. When I was attacked by a group of thugs in the street in Edinburgh with the most extraordinary anti-English sentiments being shouted, when Salmond was asked whether he condemned that behaviour he didn't," he added.
