I WOULD like to respond to the letter that was printed in the December 18, 2014 edition, sent in by D J Radford titled ‘Labour Hypocrites’.

D J Radford initially begins the letter by citing Labour’s response to the Ukip conference held in Port Talbot, Saturday, December 6. I would like to add to the Labour message that Nigel Farage is a Thatcherite, he was also a banker. His financial credentials have served him well in obtaining millions of pounds of funding for Ukip from his fellow millionaire friends.

I would also like to draw the editor and readers of this newspaper to a leaflet that was recently put out by Ukip in Swansea titled: Islamic Terror – Abuse of our Children – The Consequences of Multi-Culturalism. This was a provocative message to stir up racism in the community against the Muslim community.

It was rightly condemned by a number of organisations who oppose racism including the newly formed Stand Up to Ukip who organised a protest recently, attended by a 100 or so people from Labour, Greens, TUSC, various trade unions and various other organisations. I was part of this protest. It was our aim to show that Ukip is not a party of the people as it would like to claim. I believe it is a racist organisation.

D J Radford further writes about the very real concerns that ordinary people are suffering at the moment – job losses, food banks and the savaging cuts in the public sector including the NHS.

It is right to cite these issues as major issues concerning us all at the moment but let us take a moment to look at Ukip policies. They want more cuts not less, they do not oppose austerity measures, they do not want to tax the rich they want to reduce the 50 per cent top rate, they do not want their banker mates blamed for the ensuing bitter crisis that we are all experiencing at the moment. No, who they really turn their fire on is not the richest in society, doing very well at the moment thank you very much, billionaires have doubled in the last 10 years and continue to increase, no their target is immigrants.

To finish it is interesting that D J Radford turns the fire on Labour and not the friends of Ukip – the very rich.

I would warn those who are drawn in by Ukip’s claims that they are an alternative, they are not, instead they are setting a dangerous precedent to scapegoat the most vulnerable in our society.

Karen Tyre

Falcon Drive

Barry