Daniel Pitt – The Man They Think Is Us

The Team that comprises Exposing Ukip on Facebook and SLATUKIP on Twitter are many. We even made a video to explain who we were. What we didn't do, understandably, is identify our individual team members.

The EDL - not all violent. Not one bit.

There is of course a very good reason for that.

As well as fighting UKIP, we have been a thorn in the side of many of the other Far Right Groups, from 'Mild Racists' to out-and-out Neo Nazis. In the eyes of the British National Party, English Defence League, Britain First, English Democrats, New British Union, National Action, StormFront, Pegida UK and their ilk - we represent the enemy.

Britain First, trying hard
not to look threatening.

And the Far Right, of course, have a long documented history of violent tactics. They are not above targeting children and families of activists who fight their Fascism and Hate.

We get regular, quite detailed, imaginative and very descriptive death threats (perhaps not quite as many as Justin Bieber or Piers Morgan) - and these are from people who have a record of, on occasion, actually carrying our their fantasies.

- This writer had a personal visit not so long ago from three local BNP members, although when they realised they were up against a 6 foot rugby-player in full biker gear ... they rather quickly changed their minds.

Fascist mass murderer
Anders Breivik, convicted
of the murder of 76
people because they
held Socialist Principles.

But it's a serious issue. Somewhere out there in the UK is the next Anders Breivik. Odds are, he votes UKIP.

The fact is that we are a group of various ages, from varied backgrounds, and supporters of many different parties. Very few of us have beards and we're not actually all 'Lefty'. But we have to retain our anonymity for said reasons.

So when an individual is 'named' as being one of us, it's a concern.

When that individual is not actually one of us, but simply a Twitter and Facebook follower who happens to share our views, that's a worry.

And when a person receives threats because of being named falsely as one of us, that becomes a Police Matter.

We thought it might be an idea to clear the air - so step forward, Daniel Pitt. He is the person that some Social Media Accounts have falsely identified as being one of us, or even the entire Exposing UKIP team himself.

Daniel has been a follower of our Facebook Page, Twitter account and Blog for quite a while. He has had his photo lifted from his Facebook account, his location and personal details posted and as such has been the target of multiple threats from Far Right Groups.

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Why The Brexit Campaign Could Be All Over Already

Originally posted in September 2015, updated February 2016. Only the names of groups have changed, the situation for the Brexit Camps is still just as critical.

Ukip have had over twenty years to prepare for this moment - and just at the critical time, Farage's dropping the ball.

---

Confused about EU Leave or Stay? Brexit or Remain? In and Out? Who’s running what campaign with who?

Welcome to the ‘God Only Knows’ Club. Grab a beer from the ‘No Idea’ Bar, take a seat on the ‘Not A Clue’ sofa and we’ll explain it all. Well, we'll try.

The bad news is, despite wall-to-wall rhetoric from all sides, the campaign hasn’t even started yet. Officially. Even the timetable hasn’t been decided. You thought we’d been debating this for months? Funny, we thought that too.

The Electoral Commission has still to 'nominate' one 'Designated Group' from each side to receive the public funding that each side gets. Ah, so there's money involved, is there? We can see the Ukip ears pricking up. Yes, actual hard cash. But only for one Designated Group per side. And there are lots of rules.

Clearly Farage's OUT side is up and dressed and having his first pint while the REMAIN Campaign (or whatever they finally choose to call themselves) haven't laced-up their trainers yet. But the interest right now lies with the OUT Campaign - which appears to be fragmenting already.

The 2014 Ukip Doncaster Conference was a rip-roarer with the defection of Douglas Carswell - but the 2015 Conference exposed the Party weakness. And the weakness is the egos involved. Oh, those egos. When putsch comes to shove, Farage has to be front and center, and this will be his undoing.

It is Nigel Farage himself
that is the single biggest
challenge for Brexit

It might just bring down the Brexit Circus around him.

Nigel Farage's main announcement last week - in fact, the core message of the Conference in toto - was that the Eurosceptic Movement had to come together as one to fight the Referendum. That worked well. Within 24 hours it had neatly been cleaved asunder.

(For Ukip readers: 'cleaved asunder' means 'cut into two parts')

There are two Eurosceptic Camps vying for the official 'nod', the honours, the credit - and of course the cash.

Firstly, "Business For Britain". A professional cross-party group, run by referendum veterans Matthew Elliot and Dominic Cummings.

(Update February 2016 - BfB has now morphed into 'Vote Leave'. Yeah,we said it was complex.)

Allied to 'Business For Britain' is Ukip's one and only MP. Yes, 100% of the Westminster representation. This is the Eurosceptic Movement for those who want to distance themselves from Ukip. 'Business For Britain' isn't even sure it wants to leave - it's strapline is "Supporting A Better Deal From Europe". Doesn't sound very Brexit to us.

(Update February 2016 - This was of course, before Cameron's negotiation process with the EU.)

Secondly "Leave.EU". Formerly trading as TheKnow.EU. Before that it was 'The Know', and before that 'Better For The Country'. Allied to Leave.EU is Farage, Ukip donor Arron Banks and it seems, the entire rest of Ukip.

(Update February 2016 - LeaveEU has now thrown it's weight behind Grassroots Out. Except for Douglas Carswell and Suzanne Evans. Still keeping up?)

Arron 'Go Skippy' Banks

And here's the problem for the Party: Farage and Banks have thrown everything behind Leave.EU. Banks is the Founder, Funder, Chairman, Advocate and The Only Person You've Ever Heard Of (and only then if you're into Politics. Or maybe Insurance).

Under his guidance, TheKnow.EU has already soiled it's reputation by posting streams of falsehoods on Social Media, leading many to conclude that when the Campaign begins for real, they will be unable to stop themselves breaking the Referendum Rules.

They are, in short, uncontrollable mavericks. Which might go down very well with the Ukip faithful, but which won't work at all for a Proper Referendum which needs to appeal to a wide cross-section of British people.

(Update February 2016 - which is why they've now allied with Grassroots Out.)

Leave.EU will have all of Ukip's (few remaining) resources, however; they are controlled not by Farage - but by Banks. I can't recall when a single wealthy individual has ever had so much power over how a party promotes it's one core belief. And so cheaply, too. Murmurs are being heard within Ukip. This is not how Democracy is supposed to be.

Carswell - SHOCKED!

For non-Ukip Eurosceptics, working with Leave.EU is problematic to say the least. It means jumping into bed with Farage, or Banks, or both. What a horrible image.

Add in two egos as large as the EU Headquarters in Brussels and it's clear - Ukip needs moderate Eurosceptics to join them, but moderate Eurosceptics just won't work with either of them.

Both? Not. A. Chance.

The division was aptly demonstrated right in the middle of Conference when Banks, livid with Carswell for what he saw as disloyalty, reportedly "threatened to deselect him if he didn't back Leave.EU".

Banks clearly appears to have a lot more power in Ukip than an unelected donor really ought to have.

He followed this up by describing Carswell, his Party's sole elected MP, as "borderline autistic with mental illness thrown in.” What a charming chap.

And this spat between the two camps doesn't look like mending any time soon. If anything, the gulf is likely to widen.

(Update February 2016 - And indeed it has. Merger attempts have failed, Ukip is still split on which group to back, Vote Leave trying to sack it's own founders.)

So, er, Nigel - how's that "Unified Eurosceptic Movement" working out for you?

Only one of two things can happen: 

Vote Leave gets selected as Nominated Group.

1. It gains some cross-party support for Brexit but probably not enough.
2. Meanwhile Leave.EU disintegrates as supporters and backers flock to Vote Leave, leaving Farage and Ukip isolated from the very cause they've promoted for twenty years.
3. Banks pulls out his money, both from Leave.EU and Ukip.
4. Farage resigns. 

Grassroots Out gets selected as Nominated Group.

1. Carswell gets sidelined.
2. Considers resigning from Ukip and remaining as an Independent MP - (the Tories won't take him back, he's asked already.)
3. Banks and Farage have the much anticipated Total Ego War (get popcorn for that one).
4. Grassroots Out, under guidance from Banks, shoots vitriol at every target in range, and Immigration becomes the core 'message' for the Campaign.
5. Moderate Eurosceptics become alienated at this and reconsider whether the EU maybe isn't so bad after all.
6. The Brexit Campaign fails, Banks pulls out his money, both from the Campaign and Ukip.
7. Farage resigns.

So how's that Unified Cause
working for you, Nigel?

Either way Brexit is rejected.

Farage resigns. 

Sigh.

Meanwhile what of the Remain Campaign? They just have to play a straight bat and wait for the inevitable implosion. They can only lose through ineptitude (but never underestimate the idiocy of any group.)

---

You know, Ukip have had twenty years to prepare for this moment.

It has been their raison d'etre. It they blow their chance now, what has it all been for? Farage is backing UKIP's last chip on Leave.EU / Grassroots Out.

If it fails - and we think it will, either way - what then for Nigel?

What then, indeed, for Ukip? How many donors will contribute, how many members will remain?

And, gee, where will all the racists go now?

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The Baitul Futuh Mosque Fire, Far Right Hate Speech And Facebook Rules

As you may be aware we posted yesterday about the vile comments on the English Defence League Facebook Page concerning the fire at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in London on Saturday. Similar comments (and just as vile in many cases) were seen on UKIP pages as well. We will not repeat any of those comments here.

Morden mosque fire: 70 firefighters tackle blaze

It's amazing how people confuse ‪#‎FreeSpeech‬ with ‪#‎HateSpeech‬ forgetting that all speech does, and should have consequences.
We considered that these posts constituted not just a breach of Facebook Terms and Conditions but an offence under The Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006. Accordingly, the page, and the posts, were reported to Facebook.

To our surprise, and to the anger and frustration of many, Facebook replied that in their view this did not constitute a breach in their Conditions. This is their clarification of what they consider to be 'Hate Speech'. Apparently they allow you to say anything you pretty much like as long as you state it in a way that suggests 'humour or satire'.

Who knew?

Facebook didn't like
this #Brelfie image
by Alyssa Milano

However woe betide you if you post an image of a mother breastfeeding her child. Until very recently they were mostly block-banned. The most natural and beautiful thing in the history of Homo Sapiens? No, that's not allowed. Nigel would probably call that a result. Ironically, there's a Facebook Page to discuss the Breast Feeding Pic ban.

Oh, and some other things Facebook has banned : Pictures of elbows, suggestive town names, images of children with Downs Syndrome, and men kissing.

And by the way, it's just fine to post videos of beheadings.

Clearly the rules are wrong concerning Online Hate Speech. But changing the rules IS actually possible, both via pressure and National Legislation. The Twitter #FreeTheNipple campaign got Facebook to change it's rules. Nipples are now okay so long as they have a baby clamped on.

On this matter Facebook does actually review it's position regularly and continuously updates it's own guidelines.

Recently German Chancellor Angela Merkel challenged facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the subject of Facebook inaction on Hate Speech - and German Justice Minister Heiko Maas met Facebook representatives earlier this month to discuss what the company could do to prevent Far-Right groups posting racist and inflammatory comments about refugees. Merkel has received assurances from Zuckerberg that the company will take action.

Zuckerberg and Merkel.
Not the best 'Blind Date' for either of them.

Not that we saw much progress today.

At least Germany is setting up a Task Force to combat the problem. Yes, Germany. We might have to reconsider the old stereotypes. Germany truly is leading the way in this arena.

So how does this help us in the UK? It doesn't, yet. That's for another day. Meanwhile we won't let this matter rest. It's not what we do.

Well, the traditional route is to write to your MP - and in this case we've had a bit of luck, in two ways. This writers' local MP happens not only to have visited the mosque often (as a Christian, by the way) but was a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee on E-Crime.

Well, lucky strike number 1.

The report they produced is here, to download. We've just read right through it, it's interesting.

And the MP (who 'promises to reply within 14 days') replied within an hour. The matter hopefully will be addressed at an upcoming Home Office Select Meeting, ideally with a view to possibly setting up a similair Task Force as Germany, which we think is the best option.

Even better, this writer had the pleasure of a discussion a few months ago on this very subject with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon. It's his local mosque, and he's Under Secretary of State Minister for Countering Extremism.

Lucky strike 2.

He has also been made aware of this issue. We're pretty confident he'll be on the case.

In the meantime, two teenagers have been arrested for arson in connection with the incident. It will be interesting to note their motives, if any, and what prompted them to commit such an offence.

As an aside, the Baitul Futuh Mosque is the largest in Western Europe.

Interior of the Bait ul Futuh Mosque, London

It's a rather beautiful building, and was built entirely from donations from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who believe in 'Jihad by the Pen'. They are a peaceful Islamic Group who reject entirely all forms of violence. They believe that the "answer of hate should be given by love".

Anyone have a problem with that? Because we certainly don't.

They categorically reject and condemn every form of terrorism. They do not provide "any cover or justification for any act of violence, be it committed by an individual, a group or a government."

They even believe that religion and science must work in harmony with each other.

It is a side of Islam you won't read about in the Media. Perhaps this sign, on their mosque wall, should be put on a poster opposite the offices of the Daily Mail.

In the meantime, if your feelings about the comments on that page were as angry as ours, we'd ask you also, to email your MP. These issues need weight behind them. Every email will help.

You can find your MPs contact details here, on the Official Parliament page, but a better link is the 'Write To Them' site here, where you can directly find and email your MP from one page.

Thank you.

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Statement On The Recent Attack On Our Twitter Account

Recently you may have noted from various posts that our Twitter account has come under attack from .. sources unknown. Yet.

Our regular Twitter following - usually around the 12,000 mark and rising, gained slowly over a long period of time - jumped up by 2500, and then another 2500. And they just kept coming.

These, of course, are 'Fake Followers'. So what's the point of them?

Usually, Fake Followers are purchased by individuals or corporations wishing to give credibility to a new account by appearing to be more popular than it actually is, or by causes or campaigns, again to lend credulity to their cause. Indeed, we ourselves have pointed out - with supporting data - that UKIP themselves have purchased Fake Followers in the past.

It seems these Fake Followers are being used in a new way - to discredit the account of an opponent. Twitter don't like them, and often threaten - although rarely act - to suspend any account found guilty of what is, in effect, a serious breach of Twitter rules. Hence the attack on us.

Who has paid for this attack ?

We don't know. We're trying to track it. But ask yourself, who would want to close us down ? Who has the funding for this ? There is only one answer. A Political Party, or allies of such a Party. They know who they are. Without proof, we cannot name them - but we know who we're all thinking of, right ?

Thankfully, we're damn good at this Internet stuff, and we have uber-geeks to call on when needed ! We have killed off 150,000 Fake Followers in the last few days.

Let's just absorb that number, shall we ? 150,000. All paid for by someone, all lasting less than 24 hours. And all zapped permanently.

We've now set things up so that future Fake Followers will be blocked quickly, permanently. Eventually the 'Bot Farms' will run out of addresses to use, or perhaps our opponents will get tired of throwing away good money in a failed attempt to affect our operations.

Fakes gone.

One might ask why Twitter allows this to happen? Simply, they don't. When you purchase Fake Followers, you are not asked your Twitter password, just the account name. Why ? Because checking the password requires the Fake Followers vendor to have access to the Twitter API - and Twitter won't allow this. Hence, sabotaging any account is easy, albeit costly.

We would ask Twitter to examine their processes and manually check any account that suddenly gains large chunks of Fake Followers, especially Followers from the countries known to be the sources of such activity. To be honest, Twitter Support has not been a great source of assistance in this matter.

Also, we'd like to put it to @twitter & @Support why they allow folk to buy fake followers for other accounts to try and get them suspended?

— Exposing UKIP IMP (@SLATUKIP) September 16, 2015

In the meantime, of course, if we have accidentally blocked any genuine followers, please let us know on Facebook and we'll unblock you.

Our operations remain unaffected by this attack.

We are unbowed, unbloodied, undefeated. ‪#‎NoPasaran‬.

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