Around 100 people assembled to protest right-wingnut UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who attended Hove town hall as part of his speaking tour of the UK. A cross section of the local population, including GMB and NUT union members and Brighton & Hove anti cuts campaigners, turned out at short notice to tell him to go back to wherever he came from.
Nigel had to be snuck in through the back door in order to avoid the gauntlet his supporters had to run. Once safely inside his opening remark that he “had never encountered such disrespect” was met with riotous applause. (In your face, Edinburgh!) The attendees were so pleased that they had made such an impression on Nigel that they were unable to contain their satisfaction and continued clapping and cheering his every word, so much so he was unable to deliver his speech above the din of clapping and cheers of “YEAH GO NIGEL!!” “WE LOVE YOU NIGEL!”
His David Dickenson orange tan hue took a turn for the scarlet however, as it quickly became apparent that the impassioned members of the audience were taking the piss. One by one the more raucous were unceremoniously removed from the building. Farage accused them of being UAF infiltrators in the service of the Labour Party. After around an hour of this, it looked like the last “threat” had been removed. Unfortunately he was asked a few awkward questions about his party's uncomfortably close relationship to other, less media-friendly elements of the far-right, such as how he felt about being endorsed by EDL leader Tommy Robinson. It was hardly the stuff of PR gold. The party tried to stick to their mantra that evening; that the protests proved somehow that UKIP had truly “landed”. Because, like, how would you know if you'd really made it as a popular party unless everybody absolutely fucking hated you?