A UKIP hashtag campaign inadvertently became the top trend across the UK for all the wrong reason… after Twitter trolls launched a tirade of insults to ridicule the party.
With elections round the corner, UKIP candidates took to Twitter to explain why they have the edge over other parties – but the #WhyImVotingUKIP was quickly pounced on by opposition supporters.
The UKIP hashtag campaign swiftly turned into an opportunity for witty social media users to mock the right-wing party.
UKIP North West MEP candidate Shneur Odze claimed the party are being attacked in an immature manner by a small minority.
He told MM: “With the hashtag people have just jumped on the band wagon and tried to destroy something that shows we are doing something ground-breaking.
“The hashtag has gone viral and has been top trending all over the UK. The twitter trolls abuse hasn’t worked because it has gone viral.
“When I joined in I didn’t think we would get such a good response and soon after we started it had gone viral.”
UKIP, a relatively new party after forming in 1993, are expected to see a surge in votes this year following a campaign which has received significant media attention.
#WhyImVotingUkip Because I’m really angry about Eurovision
— James McMahon (@jamesjammcmahon) May 21, 2014
#WhyImVotingUkip Because I didn’t see “Hitler” on the ballot.
— Martin Plant (@MartinPlant85) May 21, 2014
However the party has received its fair share of bad publicity too, largely for what many perceive to be racist policies, including members of their own party.
Sanya-Jeet Thandi, the British-born Indian poster girl of Ukip's youth wing, quit the party last week after accusing Nigel Farage's party of ‘racist’ cynicism.
Farage's party hit the headlines yesterday after a leaflet emerged which uses the graves of Britain's war dead to attack immigration.
“It’s a clichéd thing that all publicity is good publicity, but it isn’t good when people are throwing bricks at your windows and threatening you,” said the UKIP member.
I want to see Britain return to being a aspirational society, one that leads the world through soft power, not boots #WhyImVotingUkip
— Shneur Odze UKIP (@ShneurOdzeUKIP) May 20, 2014
“I don’t pay much attention to being called a racist. The countless amounts of twitter and Facebook trolls who throw out abuse, I find it quite humorous to an extent," Mr Odze said.
“I feel sorry for these people because they can’t be honest with themselves.”
Thousands of other Twitter users shared the reasons why they would be voting UKIP.
#whyimvotingukip because my parents never hugged me as a child
— Lauren (@whatlaurendid) May 20, 2014
#WhyImVotingUkip Because I like to think that people from other countries who live in mine are the main reason I have failed in life.
— R-Mattz (@RealMattLucas) May 20, 2014
James McMahon said: "#WhyImVotingUkip Because I'm really angry about Eurovision."
Funny man Marcus Brigstocke mocked the far-right party in a barrage of Tweets and even retweeted fellow users who ridiculed the hashtag.
#whyimvotingukip It's literally the best way I can think of to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that I'm NOT A FUCKING RACIST actually.
— Marcus Brigstocke (@marcusbrig) May 20, 2014
#WhyImVotingUkip Because the Daily Mail's gone a bit soft lately....
— Dapper Fucker © (@AlanPedigrew) May 21, 2014
@whatlaurendid joked: "#whyimvotingukip because my parents never hugged me as a child."
Image courtesy of Euro Realist Newsletter, with thanks.
