A phone app made by school students and featuring a character called Nicholas Fromage kicking immigrants off the white cliffs of Dover has been criticised by the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage.
Farage claimed the game, developed by a group of sixth-formers from Canterbury Academy, was “risible and pathetic” and that it had “crossed the line”, despite saying he welcomed the opinions of young people.
But the school’s principal, Phil Karnavas, has defended the app, which he says is a bit of fun to celebrate “brilliant, traditional British satire”.
He said: “Never has a British political party offered themselves so easily to satire.
“It’s a bit rich, bearing in mind some of the things the members of Ukip have said, for their leader to say they have crossed the line.
“Mr Farage can’t have it both ways. He cannot expect young people to engage in politics and then criticise what they say when they do.”
The Android app, called Ukik, has been developed by 18-year-olds John Brown, James Dupreez, Fraser Richardson, John Hutchinson and Joe Brown, who work under the name FonGames.
A letter from Nicholas Fromage, who claims to represent “fruitcakes and loonies everywhere”, to Great Britain on the app’s description page says: “Do foreign voices on trains scare you? Can you handle a European living next door?
“Does your wife refuse to clean behind the fridge? Do you think women are too stupid to win a game of chess or have a top-level job?
“If you are feeling irrational and want to live in a rightwing hellhole then vote Ukik this May.
“These people might improve our economy, contribute to our culture and make Britain great but they are different to us so let’s kick them all out.”
FonGames has also published a disclaimer which explains that the game is “based upon controversial news stories for the purposes of entertainment and to encourage political discussion amongst young people”.
It continues: “The purpose of this game is to highlight the importance of a diverse culture for our great nation as well as make a mockery of extremist views.”
But Farage told Kent Online that while he accepted criticism as a public figure, there were elements of the game, such as the use of the term “racism”, which he found unacceptable.
He said: “Those elements are risible and in many ways pathetic. I think I’m quite well known for having a sense of humour.
“I’m a public figure and of course people are going to have views. But elements of this game appear to cross the line.”
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