UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEP Godfrey Bloom has said that he regrets “any genuine offence which might have been caused” by describing some of the recipient countries of UK aid as “Bongo Bongo Land”.
Bloom was caught on video sent to The Guardian railing against the size of the UK’s international aid budget as well as against the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decision that every prisoner had the right to a parole hearing no matter the crime.
In the speech at a UKIP meeting at Wordsley, West Midlands, Bloom is heard saying:
“How we can possibly be giving £1bn a month, when we’re in this sort of debt, to Bongo Bongo Land is completely beyond me.
To buy Ray-Ban sunglasses, apartments in Paris, Ferraris and all the rest of it that goes with most of the foreign aid.
F18s for Pakistan. We need a new squadron of F18s. Who’s got the squadrons? Pakistan, where we send the money.”
Bloom was originally unrepentant on the BBC’s Today programme and quipped:
“If I’ve offended anybody in bongo bongo land I shall write to the ambassador at the Court of St James and apologise to him personally.”
After a number of complaints and newspaper headlines, UKIP has asked Bloom to refrain from using the phrase “Bongo Bongo Land” as it may be considered “disparaging”.
In a statement, Bloom said:
“At a public speech in the West Midlands in early July, I used a term which I subsequently gather under certain circumstances could be interpreted as pejorative to individuals and possibly cause offence.
Although quite clearly no such personal usage was intended, I understand from Ukip party chairman Steve Crowther and leader Nigel Farage that I must not use the terminology in the future, nor will I and sincerely regret any genuine offence which might have been caused or embarrassment to my colleagues.”
