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MEP urged to apologise over jibe

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UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom was expelled from the European Parliament for remarks made about a German member

UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEP Godfrey Bloom has been urged to apologise to the European Parliament or face sanctions for calling a German member an “undemocratic fascist”.

He was expelled from the Strasbourg chamber after refusing to withdraw a Nazi jibe levelled at Socialist leader Martin Schulz. Mr Bloom interrupted Mr Schulz’s speech by calling out, in German, the infamous Nazi slogan “Ein volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer” – One People, One Nation, One Leader.

When challenged to apologise, Mr Bloom, MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, responded: “The views expressed by Herr Schulz meet the case – he is an undemocratic fascist.”

Parliament President Jerzy Buzek looked shocked and then retorted: “Well, we expected something quite different.”

Mr Bloom was still refusing to apologise hours after the incident, insisting: “Schulz is an unrepentant Euro nationalist and a socialist. He wants one currency, one EU state, one EU people. Already the Euro nationalists have one currency, one flag, one anthem, a foreign service and are creating a home office for Justice.

“These Euro Nationalists are a danger to democracy. These people are fanatics. People have got to wake up to this fact. My father as a Spitfire pilot fought for freedom against Nazi domination of Europe. As an MEP I will fight against the destruction of democracy across Europe.”

Parliament Vice-President Edward McMillan-Scott said: “To say there is one EU State and one EU people is utterly ridiculous. A Martian landing here and looking at the EU would see it has three presidents, a parliament meeting in two places, 21 working languages and multiple cultures. It is anything but the juggernaut superstate that Godfrey Bloom wants to suggest.”

Mr McMillan-Scott, MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said Mr Bloom’s remarks in the chamber had gone “beyond the bounds of decency” and he repeated the demand for Mr Bloom to apologise.

He said: “Godfrey Bloom must apologise because, as a Yorkshire MEP myself, I am ashamed that he has got to the point of making himself a laughing stock – a man of his seniority and years invoking the Nazi slogan.”

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: “Whereas we accept that Mr Bloom’s jibe in the Parliament may have been rash and inflammatory, we fully support his sentiments about the formation of an undemocratic Europe.”

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