UKIP manifesto launch: Paul Nuttall takes aim at radical Islam and calls for 'more muscular' approach

Tom Powell25 May 2017
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Paul Nuttall said Ukip wants to “cut out the cancer of radical Islam” from society as he launched the party’s manifesto less than three days after the Manchester attack.

The Ukip leader made social integration the key theme as he accused “cowardly” politicians of failing to acknowledge a "key problem".

Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, he began by paying tribute to the Manchester victims before saying it was “not enough to light candles” and show support on social media.

Instead he called for a “far more muscular approach”, including seizing the passports of any Britons who leave to fight for the so-called Islamic State in Syria.

Paul Nuttall pledged more police, soldiers, prison officers and border guards in his manifesto speech
PA

Ukip's flagship policy document also pledges to fund 20,000 extra troops and police officers, as well as 7,000 extra prison officers.

"I believe that anyone who leaves this country to fight for Islamic State should forfeit their passport, their citizenship, and never be allowed to return," Mr Nuttall said.

"The fact that this Islamist terrorist targeted a concert which was primarily attended by children and teenagers simply proves that there is no depth to which these evil and warped individuals will not stoop.

"When I was elected leader of Ukip six months ago, I was clear right away that the threat posed to our people by Islamic fundamentalism was one of the major issues I and indeed all politicians would face in the coming years.

"I also identified the need to take a far more muscular approach to social integration and against segregation as a key policy area."

Paul Nuttall arrives to launch his party's General Election manifesto at One Great George Street in central London
PA

Mr Nuttall said more police, soldiers, prison officers and border guards were "essential", with Ukip also pledging to recruit 4,000 more border officers.

He added: "It is not the British way to turn a blind eye to evil in our midst. It is not good enough to light candles and proclaim that extremists will not beat us. Action is required on multiple fronts.

"I am proud Ukip is setting out its patriotic agenda for defending our country and our way of life."

Party leader Mr Nuttall said there was "no magical formula" to addressing Islamic fundamentalism, adding: "But be in no doubt, the problem will not be solved if politicians are too cowardly to confront or even identify where the problem lies.

"Moreover, without the political will to take difficult decisions, challenge communities and most importantly secure our borders, things are only going to get worse."

Mr Nuttall also said he made no apologies for calling radical Islam "a cancer in our society".

"I will repeat it - it is a cancer that needs to be cut out," he added.

Mr Nuttall went on to attack Theresa May's record as home secretary, saying: "The Prime Minister has, during her time in high office, presided over cuts to our police service and reductions in our Armed Forces too.

"She has put pressure on the police to lower the numbers of stops and searches they carry out.

"And no progress whatever was made reducing the level of immigration in order to give social cohesion a chance to advance.

"This, despite Mrs May's pledge to bring net migration down to the tens of thousands."

The Ukip leader added that the emergency services' response to Monday's terror attack in Manchester showed it was time to invest in them.

Other key policies in the Ukip manifesto include an extra £11 billion a year for the NHS and social care by the end of the next parliament, funded by cuts in foreign aid.

They also include a pledge not to raise taxes, scrap VAT on takeaways and abolish the House of Lords.

The manifesto also backs a previous pledge to ban the wearing of burqas.

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