Comedian Andrew Lawrence criticises "moronic liberal" comedians attacking UKIP

Comedian Andrew Lawrence has ruined his chances of ever working for the BBC again by criticising BBC political comedians for ripping into UKIP all the time.

He posted an article on his blog ripping into "moronic liberal" comedians who think it makes them look "enlightened" if they attack UKIP. Mock the Week is obviously the programme that particularly riled him because he describes the show as "aging, balding, fat men, ethnic comedians and women-posing-as-comedians, sit congratulating themselves on how enlightened they are about the fact that UKIP are ridiculous and pathetic".

Lawrence says he wouldn't describe himself as a UKIP supporter but hits the nail on the head with this comment:

The reason UKIP have resonated with voters is because all the other parties are too spineless to tackle the issue of immigration.

For every wonderful, welcome skilled worker our open borders bring into this country, there are also benefit tourists and criminals … Can’t say that I’m a UKIP supporter, but I can see why other people are, and I don’t disrespect them for it.

Dara Ó Briain, the ageing, balding, fat, Irish presenter of Mock the Week tried his hand at humour in his response on Twitter:

Hey Andrew, sorry I’m so aging, bald and fat, but as an an immigrant I’ll retain my disdain for anti-immigrant politics.

Spends days researching for a show, can't be
bothered to spend 5 minutes reading
UKIP's immigration policy

As an Irish citizen Dara would have had an automatic right to live in the UK thanks to the Common Travel Area that's been in place since Irish independence. Assuming that agreement (which UKIP has never indicated it intends to do away with) wasn't in place, under UKIP's immigration system - a system in place in the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand that somehow manages to avoid being described as racist - Dara would have no trouble coming to live in the UK. He has a job and the means to support himself.

What Dara wouldn't get is the unconditional, uncontrolled right to move here as an EU citizen regardless of whether he would be making a positive or negative contribution to the country. UKIP's policy on immigration is to treat everyone wanting to live and work here equally rather than discriminating against Indian doctors or African nurses in favour of Polish plumbers or Romanian fruit pickers exercising the EU's right to free movement. Far from being discriminatory, UKIP's immigration policy treats everyone exactly the same and seeks only to manage immigration to keep it sustainable, not ban it.