Ukip has been unusually quiet in its response to the Woolwich killing last week. The only thing we’ve heard is a tactful statement on the day from Nigel Farage, slamming the incident and calling for calm. Not a peep more, and certainly no outlandish statements about tackling the ‘cancer’ of Islam. The muted response is a clear sign Ukip is working hard at its message discipline.
The party still has one significant issue to overcome — the views of some of its members. In their response to the Woolwich incident, it appears Ukip wanted to avoid a rerun of the difficult stories they encountered at the local elections. Coffee House has seen an email sent out to all Ukip members shortly after the Woolwich killing, warning the rank and file not to cause trouble by voicing their opinions on the incident:
‘With the recent interest by the media in UKIP it is essential that we all do not cause unnecessary problems.
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