COVERAGE of the elections to the European parliament today is such that you might barely notice that there is a debate to be had about the role of the European Central Bank and European Union in imposing austerity across the whole continent.

In reporting the presidential debate in Brussels, the BBC managed to completely ignore the fact that Greece’s Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras is a candidate. They only reported speeches from the other political groupings, all of whom appeared to be roughly on the same page.

The local and Euro elections today have been heavily trailed as an opportunity for Nigel Farage to lead Ukip to a political breakthrough.

Ukip has had a remarkably easy ride from the media and it is astonishing the amount of coverage Farage is given by BBC Newsnight and other programmes, including Question Time.

Too often he goes unchallenged, but his folksy image is merely the froth on top of a deeply nasty, racist message — as revealed in his remarks about not wanting to live next door to Romanians.

Equally unchallenged is his support for free-market economics, with his proposed restrictions on immigration interfering with free movement of labour but not free movement of capital.

In other words, he follows the Thatcher dream of a European Union made easy for capital and hard for labour and union organisation across national borders.

Digging a bit deeper into Ukip and its message, there are many statements made by Ukip councillors and European parliamentary candidates that are intolerant and racist.

We also discover that Farage’s public meetings are policed by uniformed guards helpfully provided by Britain First — a deeply racist organisation that proudly attacks mosques and systematically invaded every mosque in Bradford to plug its view that the Islamification of Britain is a looming threat.

Their vile intimidation of a whole community is a carbon copy of what Hitler’s Brownshirts were doing to synagogues in the late 1920s and early ’30s in Germany.

One silver lining is that the fascist BNP, who gained seats in the last European elections, should be further marginalised — this will require a high turnout in the North West region. Nick Griffin’s elimination from the European parliament would be a step forward for humanity.

Farage and the racist far right only thrive when we lack a political alternative from the left.

Racist rhetoric against hard-working immigrants from anywhere in the world does not build houses, train teachers or provide care work.

The alternative has to be ending austerity and being prepared to defend and advance the idea of real social security in our society — which should include full employment. 

THE Prime Minister got a very easy ride on the Today programme this week.

The questions skated deftly over housing, Europe, the economy and extradition, but his positions were barely challenged and he was able to give uninterrupted answers.

I’d like to say that this is unusual on the Today programme.

But it seems as though, like much of the media, Radio 4 lives in a bubble, ignorant of the issues facing ordinary people.

David Cameron was questioned on housing and answered with some barely credible guff about what it was like for him to buy his first flat and how he wanted that for everybody.

He was not challenged on the non-affordability of buying a home. Nor did the interviewer seem to think that housing issues went beyond prices — the shortage of council housing was not mentioned and there was no talk of regulating the private rented sector or the excessive rents and charges levied on tenants.

The PM praised himself for increasing the discount on Right to Buy and again was not challenged on the impact this will have on the supply of council housing in the future.

Ed Miliband did better this week. He was right to suggest that the national minimum wage should rise in line with living costs and he has often spoken publicly of his support for the living wage.

But it would surely be better if Labour committed to turning the living wage into the minimum wage. This would not only have the effect of increasing wages, but would also move us slightly away from the rotten principle that the state should subsidise employers who pay poverty wages.

The poverty problem in our society is absolutely huge. No decent human being could possibly be opposed to foodbanks, but I think we need to look at the wider question — why are they necessary at all?

The causes of poverty include low wages and a benefits system that has become increasingly punitive.

The Tory agenda is one of contracting out public services, privatisation and growing inequality as the tax burden is reduced for the wealthiest and increased for the poorest.

Miliband has taken some tentative steps in saying that Labour will regulate the private rented sector, raise the minimum wage and possibly support public ownership of train operating companies.

We need to go a lot further and challenge the whole austerity plan which is decimating public services, particularly those provided by local government. That’s why today’s local elections are so important.

Jeremy Corbyn is Labour MP for Islington North.