Post by Editor on Mar 5, 2013 18:06:01 GMT
UKIP is fueling the same 'distrust' of foreigners that triggered WWI, claims Lib Dem peer in warning against 'negative nationalism'
Liberal Democrat Lord Tyler voices fears in a debate ahead of centenary commemorations of the start of the Great War in 2014
Warns against blaming 'foreigner scapegoats for our economic troubles'
But UKIP leader Nigel Farage leads tours of WWI battlefields and claims Greek 'hatred' of Germany over Eurozone crisis is highest since 1945
By MATT CHORLEY, MAILONLINE POLITICAL EDITOR
PUBLISHED: 13:03, 5 March 2013 | UPDATED: 15:24, 5 March 2013
The UK Independence Party has been accused of fuelling the same ‘distrust’ of foreigners which swept Europe before the outbreak of First World War.
Liberal Democrat Lord Tyler sparked a major row with UKIP leader Nigel Farage with a warning against blaming ‘foreigner scapegoats for our economic troubles’.
The peer made the provocative remarks during a House of Lords debate on how best to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War.
War of words: Lib Dem Lord Tyler questioned how much UKIP's Nigel Farage knew about the First World War, but it emerged Mr Farage runs his own tours of battlefields
The peer claimed Mr Farage would ‘do well to revisit the history of that period’ to learn that ‘fomenting distrust can so easily lead to hatred’.
However, it emerged Mr Farage runs regular tours of First World War battlefields and he said his opposition to the European Union was in part informed by the way the collapse of the single currency had fuelled 'hatred' between eurozone countries.
As part of national commemorations next year, 100 years on from the start of the conflict, children from every state secondary school will travel to the battlefields as part of a £50million package of events.
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David Cameron has said Britain had a duty to ‘honour those who served, remember those who died and ensure the lessons learnt live with us forever’.
But Lord Tyler, a former MP for North Cornwall, said the tone of the events must reflect how the sacrifice of millions ‘did not achieve the war to end all wars that they thought they were fighting for’.
The criticism of Mr Farage appeared to backfire after it emerged the UKIP leader conducts tours of World War One battlefields every year
Lord Tyler said his three uncles died in the conflict which was 'largely pointless, meaningless and avoidable'.
He went on: 'We should not be celebrating its absurd origins, however much we may pay tribute to those who fought, were wounded or lost their lives.
‘Instead, we must remind ourselves of the futility of negative nationalism, so sharply distinct from positive patriotism.’
He then went on to appear to draw parallels between the rise of UKIP based on attacking 'foreigner scapegoats' and the spread of nationalism across continental Europe before 1914.
More than a million Britons died in the First World War. The Battle of the Somme was one of the most deadly in the four year conflict. Here a party of Royal Irish Rifles is pictured in a communication trench on the first day of the Battle of the Somme
Personal accounts of life on the frontline are likely to feature heavily in next year's commemorations, most notably from the Battle of the Somme, the bloodiest day in the history of the British army
The First World War was sparked by the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian during a visit to Sarajevo on June 28 1914.
As the two countries clashed, their allies lined up in support with Germany backing Austria, with Russia, Britain and France sympathising with Serbia. A period of of grand-standing, abortive talks and partial mobilisation of troops culminated in Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia on July 28.
Germany declared war on Russia on August 1 and then France on August 3, demanding free passage through Belgium, which lead Britain to declare war on Germany. On August 6 Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia and within weeks Japan had also entered the conflict.
David Cameron unveiled plans to for the commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War at the Imperial War Museum in London
Lord Tyler said the catalogue of events in 1914 marked 'a terrible failure of common sense and common humanity'.
He told peers: 'I will find it difficult to mark the centenary of the war's outbreak with anything other than a resolve that we should do all we can to reconcile the peoples of Europe in the 21st century, avoiding new foreigner scapegoats for our economic troubles, and perhaps also reminding ourselves of the 1914 warmongering populism of the British press, which seems familiar.'
‘I do not know where Mr Farage's ancestors were between 1914 and 1918, but he would do well to revisit the history of that period. Fomenting distrust can so easily lead to hatred.’
The remarks come just days after UKIP ran the Lib Dems a close second in the hotly-contested Eastleigh by-election, as all the main parties wrestle with how to respond to the rise of the Eurosceptic party.
Lord Tyler told MailOnline today: ‘Making a scapegoat of other peoples for problems which are closer to home is extremely dangerous.
‘Clearly [UKIP] are more serious players than they were so they have got to watch how they approach these issues.’
However, Mr Farage told MailOnline the criticism was ‘totally absurd’. Twice a year he leads tours of World War One battlefields, with groups of friends, colleagues and visiting politicians whom he labels ‘Farage’s Foragers’.
‘I know a lot about the First World War and its origins and I know that in the wake of it we formed something called Yugoslavia to stop Balkan conflicts and look where that got us.
‘It is totally absurd, and I would invite Lord Tyler to go and visit Athens and see real hatred. They now hate the Germans more than at any time since 1945.
‘I want us to have a Europe of independent nation states that trade and co-operate together.
‘But if you force people together against their will, history tells us the long-term outcome will be deeply, deeply unpleasant.
'You breed extreme nationalism. Lord Tyler is 50 years out of date with his analysis of what Europe is.’
100 YEARS ON: HOW THE FALLEN ARE TO BE REMEMBERED
Commemorations marking the centenary of the First World War will last five years and cost £50million. They will include:
£5.3million to allow children and teachers from every secondary school to visit battlefields such as the Somme, Verdun and Fromelles.
National commemorations on August 4, 2014, to recall the first day of the conflict; on July 1, 2016,to remember the first day of the Somme; and in 2018 to mark the centenary of Armistice Day.
£15million in grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support events across the country. Ideas include friendly football matches to mark the 1914 Christmas Day truce on the Western Front.
A £5million contribution to the £35million redevelopment of the Imperial War Museum’s First World War galleries.
A £1million grant to secure the future in Belfast of HMS Caroline, WW1’s last surviving warship.
Visit by David Cameron and Irish taoiseach Enda Kenny to the Belgian battlefields where 27,000 Irishmen in the British forces died.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2288422/UKIP-fuelling-distrust-foreigners-triggered-WWI-claims-Lib-Dem-peer-warning-negative-nationalism.html#ixzz2Mgp0nhj3
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Liberal Democrat Lord Tyler voices fears in a debate ahead of centenary commemorations of the start of the Great War in 2014
Warns against blaming 'foreigner scapegoats for our economic troubles'
But UKIP leader Nigel Farage leads tours of WWI battlefields and claims Greek 'hatred' of Germany over Eurozone crisis is highest since 1945
By MATT CHORLEY, MAILONLINE POLITICAL EDITOR
PUBLISHED: 13:03, 5 March 2013 | UPDATED: 15:24, 5 March 2013
The UK Independence Party has been accused of fuelling the same ‘distrust’ of foreigners which swept Europe before the outbreak of First World War.
Liberal Democrat Lord Tyler sparked a major row with UKIP leader Nigel Farage with a warning against blaming ‘foreigner scapegoats for our economic troubles’.
The peer made the provocative remarks during a House of Lords debate on how best to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War.
War of words: Lib Dem Lord Tyler questioned how much UKIP's Nigel Farage knew about the First World War, but it emerged Mr Farage runs his own tours of battlefields
The peer claimed Mr Farage would ‘do well to revisit the history of that period’ to learn that ‘fomenting distrust can so easily lead to hatred’.
However, it emerged Mr Farage runs regular tours of First World War battlefields and he said his opposition to the European Union was in part informed by the way the collapse of the single currency had fuelled 'hatred' between eurozone countries.
As part of national commemorations next year, 100 years on from the start of the conflict, children from every state secondary school will travel to the battlefields as part of a £50million package of events.
More...
Cameron needs training in how not be sexist, claims Tory MP who worries they are losing the female vote
Osborne launches bid to block EU cap on bankers' bonuses but Ireland warns he stands little chance of success
Legal aid cuts will force people to take law into their own hands, Britain's top judge warns in extraordinary attack on ministers
David Cameron has said Britain had a duty to ‘honour those who served, remember those who died and ensure the lessons learnt live with us forever’.
But Lord Tyler, a former MP for North Cornwall, said the tone of the events must reflect how the sacrifice of millions ‘did not achieve the war to end all wars that they thought they were fighting for’.
The criticism of Mr Farage appeared to backfire after it emerged the UKIP leader conducts tours of World War One battlefields every year
Lord Tyler said his three uncles died in the conflict which was 'largely pointless, meaningless and avoidable'.
He went on: 'We should not be celebrating its absurd origins, however much we may pay tribute to those who fought, were wounded or lost their lives.
‘Instead, we must remind ourselves of the futility of negative nationalism, so sharply distinct from positive patriotism.’
He then went on to appear to draw parallels between the rise of UKIP based on attacking 'foreigner scapegoats' and the spread of nationalism across continental Europe before 1914.
More than a million Britons died in the First World War. The Battle of the Somme was one of the most deadly in the four year conflict. Here a party of Royal Irish Rifles is pictured in a communication trench on the first day of the Battle of the Somme
Personal accounts of life on the frontline are likely to feature heavily in next year's commemorations, most notably from the Battle of the Somme, the bloodiest day in the history of the British army
The First World War was sparked by the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian during a visit to Sarajevo on June 28 1914.
As the two countries clashed, their allies lined up in support with Germany backing Austria, with Russia, Britain and France sympathising with Serbia. A period of of grand-standing, abortive talks and partial mobilisation of troops culminated in Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia on July 28.
Germany declared war on Russia on August 1 and then France on August 3, demanding free passage through Belgium, which lead Britain to declare war on Germany. On August 6 Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia and within weeks Japan had also entered the conflict.
David Cameron unveiled plans to for the commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War at the Imperial War Museum in London
Lord Tyler said the catalogue of events in 1914 marked 'a terrible failure of common sense and common humanity'.
He told peers: 'I will find it difficult to mark the centenary of the war's outbreak with anything other than a resolve that we should do all we can to reconcile the peoples of Europe in the 21st century, avoiding new foreigner scapegoats for our economic troubles, and perhaps also reminding ourselves of the 1914 warmongering populism of the British press, which seems familiar.'
‘I do not know where Mr Farage's ancestors were between 1914 and 1918, but he would do well to revisit the history of that period. Fomenting distrust can so easily lead to hatred.’
The remarks come just days after UKIP ran the Lib Dems a close second in the hotly-contested Eastleigh by-election, as all the main parties wrestle with how to respond to the rise of the Eurosceptic party.
Lord Tyler told MailOnline today: ‘Making a scapegoat of other peoples for problems which are closer to home is extremely dangerous.
‘Clearly [UKIP] are more serious players than they were so they have got to watch how they approach these issues.’
However, Mr Farage told MailOnline the criticism was ‘totally absurd’. Twice a year he leads tours of World War One battlefields, with groups of friends, colleagues and visiting politicians whom he labels ‘Farage’s Foragers’.
‘I know a lot about the First World War and its origins and I know that in the wake of it we formed something called Yugoslavia to stop Balkan conflicts and look where that got us.
‘It is totally absurd, and I would invite Lord Tyler to go and visit Athens and see real hatred. They now hate the Germans more than at any time since 1945.
‘I want us to have a Europe of independent nation states that trade and co-operate together.
‘But if you force people together against their will, history tells us the long-term outcome will be deeply, deeply unpleasant.
'You breed extreme nationalism. Lord Tyler is 50 years out of date with his analysis of what Europe is.’
100 YEARS ON: HOW THE FALLEN ARE TO BE REMEMBERED
Commemorations marking the centenary of the First World War will last five years and cost £50million. They will include:
£5.3million to allow children and teachers from every secondary school to visit battlefields such as the Somme, Verdun and Fromelles.
National commemorations on August 4, 2014, to recall the first day of the conflict; on July 1, 2016,to remember the first day of the Somme; and in 2018 to mark the centenary of Armistice Day.
£15million in grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support events across the country. Ideas include friendly football matches to mark the 1914 Christmas Day truce on the Western Front.
A £5million contribution to the £35million redevelopment of the Imperial War Museum’s First World War galleries.
A £1million grant to secure the future in Belfast of HMS Caroline, WW1’s last surviving warship.
Visit by David Cameron and Irish taoiseach Enda Kenny to the Belgian battlefields where 27,000 Irishmen in the British forces died.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2288422/UKIP-fuelling-distrust-foreigners-triggered-WWI-claims-Lib-Dem-peer-warning-negative-nationalism.html#ixzz2Mgp0nhj3
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