Nigel Farage Accuses Left of 'Being More Outraged by Ukip Calypso Song Than Child Abuse'

Nigel Farage has accused the left-wing press with being more concerned about conducting "confected outrage" over Ukip's calypso song than the Rotherham child abuse scandal.

The leader of the Ukip party was defending former Radio 1 DJ Mike Read's Caribbean-tinged song – complete with the 67-year-old singing in a faux Jamaican accent – as just "a bit of fun".

Read ended up requesting the song be withdrawn from sale following complaints the song, which warned how there are "illegal immigrants in every town", was racist.

Speaking during his Phone Farage appearance on LBC radio show, he said how the song was no different to other acts, such as 10CC and Madness using pseudo-Jamaican accents on their songs. He added if Read had released the song for any other party other than Ukip, no one would have an issue with it.

"But because it's Ukip, people want to scream blue murder," he said.

He added: "I'll tell you what gets me. We've had more condemnation and outrage from left-wing commentators about Mike Read's Calypso than we've had over the grooming and rape of thousands of young girls in the north of England.

"It shows a very, I think, twisted, sense of priority."

Farage added when Read performed the song at a Ukip party conference in September, the whole room "roared with laughter".

Asked if he authorised the song to be released as a single, Farage added: "I certainly didn't veto it. I said, 'Fine Mike, if you want to do that, fine.'"

The proceeds from the single were supposed to go to the Red Cross. However, the charity said it would not accept any donations from the party.

"As a neutral organisation, we cannot benefit from something which overtly supports one political party," a spokesperson said.

"In addition, the Red Cross has a proud history of helping refugees and asylum seekers who are negatively referred to in the lyrics."