UKIP Health spokesperson: People with HIV shouldn’t be banned from UK

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UKIP’s health spokesperson has contradicted her party leader’s claim that migrants with HIV should be banned from the UK.

Nigel Farage made the comments in October, when asked which kinds of people should be allowed to enter the UK.

He said: “People who do not have HIV, to be frank. That’s a good start. And people with a skill.”

However, the party leader – who later defended his comments – has been contradicted by his own senior team.

MEP Louise Bours – who is the party’s official spokesperson for Health – told the Independent she did not agree.

She said: “I’ve looked at Australia’s minimum health standard [for migration]… they exclude people with long-term medical conditions and I think you have to look at those kind of things.

“HIV is rather a bad example though, to be honest. HIV is managed now, isn’t it.

“As somebody with personal experience, through very dear friends, HIV is a bad example. I know perfectly helpful, fabulous folk… I think it was an unfortunate example that he used.”

In the same interview, she admitted: “I like people to be straight with me, I don’t like all this… shenanigans in the background, I’d rather people be honest and up-front and I always try to answer things very honestly.

“So, honestly, I have no experience in health whatsoever.”