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UKIP pledges to set bounty hunters after ‘illegal immigrants’

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UKIP announces it would put a bounty on ‘illegal immigrants’

UKIP, already sinking to new racist depths under recently appointed leader Nick Tenconi, hit a new low yesterday when they pledged to put a bounty on the heads of ‘illegal immigrants’.

They have announced that they would “offer a reward of £500 per illegal immigrant correctly identified by British citizens”.

Led by two convicted criminals – Tenconi who kicked someone in the head as they lay unconscious on the floor during a night club brawl, and Chairman Ben Walker with multiple convictions as a ‘rogue builder’ – UKIP has been moving ever rightwards in recent months and will announce a formal tie-up with ‘Tommy Robinson’ (aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) when he gets out of jail.

Convicted crooks

For this bunch of convicted crooks to offer rewards for informing on ‘illegal immigrants’ is possibly the ultimate in brass neck. A former UKIP member who contacted Searchlight after seeing the announcement compared it to “the informant system used by the Gestapo”.

It’s particularly ironic given that Tenconi’s grandfather fought for the Italian fascists in WW2 and was allowed to stay in this country after being released from a prisoner of war camp.

What people are saying about Searchlight

Professor Colin Holmes

Professor Colin Holmes
Everyone who wants to understand contemporary racism and its historical background needs to read Searchlight.
Professor Colin Holmes
University of Sheffield

Paul Nowak

Paul Nowak
The essence of trade unionism is solidarity, fairness and equality – for all workers – from all backgrounds. That’s why our fight against the far-right has always been part of our movement’s DNA. Searchlight is an incredibly important resource for trade unions and members to understand the contemporary tactics of far-right activity. Their work and intelligence gathering over the years have been incredibly insightful for the work we do, and how we fight the scourge of fascism.
Paul Nowak
TUC General Secretary

Paul Holborow

Paul Holborow
In the campaign against the National Front, Searchlight provided a rich and utterly reliable basis for much ANL propaganda – particularly with reference to the two leading NF figures, John Tyndall and Martin Webster. The appearance of Tyndall in full nazi uniform, drawn from the archives of Searchlight, was a key part of ANL propaganda, coupled with deeply damaging nazi quotes from Webster.
Paul Holborow
Founding member of the ANL and National Organiser 1977-81

Nick Davies

Nick Davies

To investigate fascists takes real courage and unusual commitment. The government, police, mainstream media occasionally take a look, but in the UK only Searchlight have kept at it, relentlessly and admirably, regardless of threat or obstacle. It’s journalism that matters. A rare thing.

Nick Davies
Multi-award-winning investigative journalist and writer

Peter Hain

Peter Hain, founder of the ANL and friend of Searchlight

British Jews have been persecuted over the centuries; British blacks since the Windrush generation of the 1950s; British Muslims, especially after the Islamist 9/11 and then 7/7 terrorist attacks in New York 2001 and London 2005. But until the last few years there has not been a simultaneous threat against all three British communities of Jewish, Black and Muslim Britons – meaning the need for Searchlight has never been greater.

Peter Hain
Labour peer, former MP and Cabinet Minster

Alf Dubs

Lord Alf Dubs

Searchlight’s voice is more important than ever, and I am delighted that it will now be available to a wider audience than ever before in its new incarnation online. Searchlight has been extremely helpful over the years in exposing the far right, corruption, criminality and the murky links between organised crime and powerful interests in the UK and abroad. I wish Searchlight the very best.

Alf Dubs
Labour peer, former MP and Cabinet Minister, and Kindertransport child