“The context that he said it was satire against the people he was saying it about”
Gerard Batten, the Ukip leader, has described a candidate’s rape tweet to MP Jess Phillips as “satire” during an appearance on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning.
Carl Benjamin, who was announced as an MEP candidate for Ukip earlier in the week, had previously written that ‘I wouldn’t even rape you’ to the Labour politician on Twitter.
Asked about it by Marr, Batten said: “I think this was satire.”
Pressed by Marr, who asked how a comment about rape could be seen as satire, he added: “I don’t know the exact context of that and I certainly don’t condone any remarks like that but he is not a bad person as he’s being portrayed.
“He is a proponent of free speech. The context that he said it was satire against the people he was saying it about. He wasn’t actually making a literal statement.”
"I think this was satire"#Marr challenges UKIP Leader Gerard Batten on one of his EU election candidates tweeting "I wouldn't even rape you" to a Labour MP in 2016https://t.co/38cIQbBDC3 pic.twitter.com/FMc9Gk6gef
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) April 14, 2019
Phillips later responded to Batten’s appearance on Marr’s show via Twitter, despite not seeing it. In the last of three tweets posted, she made clear she had no problem with the issue being discussed by Marr, describing it as the ‘right thing to do’.
I see that people talking about if they would or wouldn't rape me has been discussed on #Marr this morning. UKIP claim it is satire to discuss my rape. I didn't see it I was eating pancakes with my sons and nephews. We are all flesh and blood.
— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) April 14, 2019
My husband on seeing Batten (he had no idea who he was) saying people talking about my rape is satire said, "is this man satire?"
— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) April 14, 2019
Just to make sure it is clear, I make no criticism of #Marr for covering and challenging UKIP on the issue, it's the right thing to do.
— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) April 14, 2019
