Ukip leader Richard Braine says he is 'getting a bit fed up with all this dickbraine stuff'
Newly elected leader says jokes are 'bullying'
Ukip’s new leader, Richard Braine, has said he is “getting a bit fed up” with people making fun of his name.
Gerard Batten’s successor, who was elected to lead the right-wing party last week, described jokes referring to him as “Dick Braine” as “bullying”.
“I’m getting a bit fed up with all this dickbraine stuff,” he tweeted.
George Osborne, the former Conservative chancellor, is among those who have poked fun at the Ukip leader’s name.
Responding on Twitter, Mr Braine referenced the Evening Standard editor’s decision to change his name from Gideon at the age of 13.
The Ukip leader said: “It’s time to change my name to stop the bullying. Are my prospects better if I change my christian name to Gideon or George?”
UK news in pictures
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UK news in pictures
1/50 6 December 2019
A climate activist is seen wearing a mask and holding a placard reading 'Fossil fuel era is over' outside Millbank Studios in London
AP
2/50 5 December 2019
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon with the SNP campaign bus in front of the Queensferry Crossing, while on the General Election campaign trail in Scotland
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3/50 4 December 2019
The Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, which is given every year by the city of Oslo as a token of Norwegian gratitude to the people of London for their assistance during the Second World War
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4/50 3 December 2019
Protesters against the visit of US President Trump during a demonstration near Buckingham Palace on the first day of the Nato Summit in London
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5/50 2 December 2019
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6/50 1 December 2019
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7/50 30 November 2019
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8/50 29 November 2019
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9/50 28 November 2019
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10/50 27 November 2019
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11/50 26 November 2019
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12/50 25 November 2019
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13/50 24 November 2019
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14/50 23 November 2019
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15/50 22 November 2019
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16/50 21 November 2019
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17/50 20 November 2019
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18/50 19 November 2019
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19/50 18 November 2019
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20/50 17 November 2019
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21/50 16 November 2019
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22/50 15 November 2019
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24/50 13 November 2019
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25/50 12 November 2019
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26/50 11 November 2019
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27/50 10 November 2019
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28/50 9 November 2019
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29/50 8 November 2019
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30/50 7 November 2019
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31/50 6 November 2019
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32/50 5 November 2019
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33/50 4 November 2019
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34/50 3 November 2019
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35/50 2 November 2019
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36/50 1 November 2019
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37/50 31 October 2019
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gestures as launches the party's election campaign in south London. Britain will go to the polls on December 12
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38/50 30 October 2019
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39/50 29 October 2019
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40/50 28 October 2019
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41/50 27 October 2019
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42/50 26 October 2019
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44/50 24 October 2019
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45/50 23 October 2019
Thirty-nine bodies have been found in a lorry container in Essex, police have said.
The discovery of 38 adults and one teenager was made at an industrial estate in Thurrock.
Police said they believed the lorry had come from Bulgaria and entered the UK at Holyhead, in Wales, on Saturday.
Essex Police said it had launched a murder investigation after its officers were called to Waterglade Industrial Park, in Grays, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
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46/50 22 October 2019
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47/50 21 October 2019
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48/50 20 October 2019
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49/50 19 October 2019
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50/50 18 October 2019
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1/50 6 December 2019
A climate activist is seen wearing a mask and holding a placard reading 'Fossil fuel era is over' outside Millbank Studios in London
AP
2/50 5 December 2019
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon with the SNP campaign bus in front of the Queensferry Crossing, while on the General Election campaign trail in Scotland
PA
3/50 4 December 2019
The Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, which is given every year by the city of Oslo as a token of Norwegian gratitude to the people of London for their assistance during the Second World War
PA
4/50 3 December 2019
Protesters against the visit of US President Trump during a demonstration near Buckingham Palace on the first day of the Nato Summit in London
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5/50 2 December 2019
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6/50 1 December 2019
A hard frost is seen on the first day of the meteorological winter in Pitlochry, Scotland
Reuters
7/50 30 November 2019
A police officer looks at flowers left at London Bridge in central London, after a terrorist wearing a fake suicide vest who went on a knife rampage killing two people, and was shot dead by police
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8/50 29 November 2019
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9/50 28 November 2019
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10/50 27 November 2019
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11/50 26 November 2019
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12/50 25 November 2019
Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses with sheep as he visits the Royal Welsh Showground, in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, whilst on the General Election campaign trail
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13/50 24 November 2019
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14/50 23 November 2019
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn meets a supporter on a train on his return from a visit to Sheffield
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15/50 22 November 2019
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16/50 21 November 2019
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17/50 20 November 2019
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Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty
18/50 19 November 2019
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19/50 18 November 2019
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20/50 17 November 2019
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21/50 16 November 2019
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22/50 15 November 2019
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23/50 14 November 2019
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24/50 13 November 2019
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25/50 12 November 2019
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26/50 11 November 2019
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PA
27/50 10 November 2019
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28/50 9 November 2019
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Steffan Williams/PA
29/50 8 November 2019
Scottish National Party candidates, including SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford (centre left) and Nicola Sturgeon (centre), with a Brexit message at the party's General Election campaign launch in Edinburgh
PA
30/50 7 November 2019
Delivery lorry stuck in flood water at Coston Ford, Leicestershire after heavy rainfall in the area
PA
31/50 6 November 2019
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement to announce the general election at Downing Street in London, Britain
Reuters
32/50 5 November 2019
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson speaking at the launch of their general election campaign at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London
PA
33/50 4 November 2019
Pelicans in St James's Park in central London
AFP/Getty
34/50 3 November 2019
Dancers perform a mass Ghoomar dance during Diwali celebrations in Trafalgar Square, London
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35/50 2 November 2019
Campaigners listen as SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon addresses a rally calling for Scottish independence in Glasgow
AFP via Getty
36/50 1 November 2019
Police and recovery workers remove a damaged bus from the scene of a crash in Sevenoaks Road, south-east London. A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a person died and 15 others were injured
PA
37/50 31 October 2019
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gestures as launches the party's election campaign in south London. Britain will go to the polls on December 12
AFP via Getty
38/50 30 October 2019
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon joins Alyn Smith, the SNP's candidate for Stirling, at the Made in Stirling Store and Creative Hub, during the general election campaign trail
PA
39/50 29 October 2019
A 1264 locomotive travels through an autumn scene along the North York Moors National Park
PA
40/50 28 October 2019
Paul Hayes of Lower Lydbrook ferries children to dry land after the River Wye burst its banks flooding the Gloucestershire village
PA
41/50 27 October 2019
Cosplayers during the third day of London's Comic Con
PA
42/50 26 October 2019
England fans celebrate after their side beat New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup semi-final match in Japan. Eddie Jones’s side won 19-7
PA
43/50 25 October 2019
Meerkats at Blair Drummond Safari Park, Stirling, investigate a carved pumpkin as the park celebrates national pumpkin day on Saturday October 26.
PA
44/50 24 October 2019
A giant inflatable monster, created by artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas, is unveiled in Manchester ahead of the city's annual halloween celebrations
PA
45/50 23 October 2019
Thirty-nine bodies have been found in a lorry container in Essex, police have said.
The discovery of 38 adults and one teenager was made at an industrial estate in Thurrock.
Police said they believed the lorry had come from Bulgaria and entered the UK at Holyhead, in Wales, on Saturday.
Essex Police said it had launched a murder investigation after its officers were called to Waterglade Industrial Park, in Grays, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
A 25-year-old-man from Northern Ireland has been arrested on suspicion of murder
PA
46/50 22 October 2019
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47/50 21 October 2019
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PA
48/50 20 October 2019
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Reuters
49/50 19 October 2019
People gather in London to join the Final Say march for a people's vote
Angela Christofilou/The Independent
50/50 18 October 2019
Protesters on Whitehall in London during an Extinction Rebellion climate change protest
PA
Mr Braine, the former chair of Ukip’s West London branch, has been widely ridiculed on social media since he was named as the party’s new leader on Saturday.
Liz McInnes, the Labour MP, said: “I see that Ukip, in their perpetual leadership contest that is rivalled only by the DFS sale in its longevity, have now elected a triumph of nominative determinism, a Mr Dick Braine.”
Her party colleague, David Lammy, tweeted: “I wish I could laugh at the fact that this man is literally called Dick Braine. But I can’t, because I know it will only mask the seriousness of his dangerous and vile Islamophobia. His predecessors would be proud.”
Mr Braine had earlier said he “often” confused Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, with the leader of the 7/7 terror attackers. His tweet was condemned by Labour as “unacceptable racism”.
The Ukip leader also told Sky News on Tuesday the UK should “look into” banning the distribution of the Quran.
Mr Braine's leadership bid was supported by his predecessor, Mr Batten, who steered his party to the far right and proposed Islamophobic policies before quitting last month in the wake of Ukip's EU election wipeout.
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