UKIP's Webber gaffe - the story behind the story

It's an election, the poltical reporting reaches fever pitch as newspapers generate column feet of coverage and candidates fight tooth and nail for their lark's song to rise above the twittering of starlings.

So we can always expect some great gaffes by our Westminster wannabes. Our own Brighton Kemptown UKIP candidate James Chamberlain-Webber managed to put his foot in it this week by comparing our train service to travelling on Nazi 'cattle trucks' to concentration camps. Hmmm.

Dr James Chamberlain-Webber (UKIP PPC for Brighton Kemptown)

But things are not always as they appear at face value of course. Here's a potential scenario that could have led to Webber's 'blunder' - the story behind the story:


[Wednesday night and the phone rings in the Chamberlain-Webber household.]

Dr Chamberlain-Webber: Hello?
Nigel Farage (UKIP Leader): Ah, Webber...Nigel Farage here. Look, I'm very disappointed by the lack of momentum in your campaign so far. I want you to up the ante and try and knock coverage of tomorrow's leaders' debate off the front pages.
DR C-W: Oh, OK. What do you have in mind?
NF: Well, something controversial, something offensive, something that really sheds some light on who we are and sets your camapign alight.
Dr C-W: Oh, right. What about something crass and ill-thought-out about the gay community...I am standing in Brighton Kemptown after all?
NF: No, no, no, the Conservatives have got there first...Grayling with the B&B fiasco and now Julian Lewis has stolen our thunder with his comment about how being young and gay is as dangerous as going to war. Pity, as that would have been perfect.
Dr C-W: I could say that it's our policy to cosy up to the extreme right wing in Europe.
NF: Nope. Conservatives again. Anway...we ARE the extreme right wing in Europe!
Dr C-W: What about if I get confused and say "Here I am in Arundel & South Downs" when I'm actually in Brighton Kemptown?
NF: Old hat! Liam Fox in Edinburgh South.
Dr C-W: I could get on Twitter and say that Simon Burgess is a tw*t and Juliet Williams is a f*cking idiot.
NF: Slagging off candidates has already been done by Labour - Stuart MacLennan in Moray. Hang on just a minute...I think I've got it!!!

[Obviously the above is completely ficticious and in no way explains why Webber said what he said.]