Ukip urges members to avoid use of social media

Ukip members have been urged to steer clear of using social media following a series of scandals over inappropriate comments.

Party chairman Steve Crowther said his approach to social media was “just don’t” as Ukip updated its rules aimed at controlling the use of its logo on the internet.

Ukip members and supporters have been involved in several rows over their online activity, but Nigel Farage’s party has also been the target of spoof accounts using its logo.

In April council candidate William Henwood resigned after making offensive comments on Twitter about Lenny Henry, suggesting the comedian should emigrate to a “black country”.

Would-be councillor Andre Lampitt was suspended hours after featuring in an election broadcast for expressing “repellent” racist and anti-Islamic views.

A copy of the party’s new constitution lays out “rules for online communication”, stating that “party members shall refrain from using the Ukip logo in terms of their online postings, including avatars, unless they have express written consent to do so from the party”.

The Observer newspaper also reported that in a recent edition of a members’ magazine, party chairman Steve Crowther said: “The NEC (national executive committee) has adopted a new set of rules for online communication to fill a notable hole in our code of discipline ... My advice: just don’t.

“Remember life before you could delight the whole world with your every passing thought? It wasn’t so bad, was it? I have no Facebook page, Twitter account or Instagram thingy. It’s lovely.”

Ukip said the rules were partly to prevent imposters using the Ukip logo on provocative social media accounts.

DOWNWARD SLIDE

Nigel Farage’s approval rating and the popularity of his party have both slipped according to a poll which gave Labour a seven-point lead over the Tories.

The Opinium poll for the Observer puts Labour on 36%, an increase of two points on a fortnight ago, with the Tories unchanged on 29%, Ukip down three on 16% and the Liberal Democrats on 6%.

Ukip leader Farage’s personal approval rating has slipped below that of David Cameron.