UKIP MP number 2 coming up.

[Uncle C]

I suppose some people are stupid enough to compare the Greens and UKIP.

Both minority parties that can make outrageous unsupported claims to suck in gullible voters. Do you have a problem with that correlation?

 

[daveinprague]

Maybe one day, ill see an UKIP voter, when interviewed on TV, claim its the EU they dont like rather than the 'immigration' issue. Not sure why people would try to even deny the parties main appeal to its voting base.

 

[Uncle C]

Answered above.

Please feel free to bounce this thread when the Greens get re-elected.

 

[glasfryn]

I thought better of you Lord B. Firstly supporting controlled immigration doesn't mean someone 'doesn't like foreigners', unless of course you're suggesting that the US, Canada, Australia, China, Singapore, South Africa, Russia, most the Caribbean nations and most the South American nations 'don't like foreigners' as they have controlled immigration ?

Many people are attracted to UKIP because they don't like the EU rather than foreigne.

rs

exactly this, Reckless says something against foreigners and the EU and no matter how the other candidates whinge about that and get all precious about it the electorate like what he is saying.
personally it has never bothered me, but Kent , Sussex East has a large community of Eastern Europeans.
we were in the Arndale this morning and that is all you hear people speaking either Russia or a language from some where exotic or eastern European.
and now I believe that Stephen Loyd might even lose his seat here in Eastbourne, especially after the 9 Eastern Europeans that were caught at the local harbour (how many have got in already through there already).
off the boat, on the loop to the station, train to London and the worlds their oyster.....and how the hell does anyone know exactly who they are?.
I can see many MP's from all parties defecting to UKIP to hold on to their seats and stay on the gravy train.
next election might be a hung Parliament ..............by hung do they mean from the nearest lamppost

 

[Guinness Boy]

I suppose some people are stupid enough to compare the Greens and UKIP.

They are very, very similar. Once small parties, one with a media savvy, charismatic leader and the other with a media savvy, charismatic Westminster MP who have greatly increased their visibility in recent years. Both Farage and Lucas also genuinely believe in what they are peddling and have had the guts to move away from the professional centre ground that is killing British politics. Unfortunately, when you dig under the surface, this means that one party is mainly staffed by inexperienced, ideology driven, well meaning loony lefties and hippies and the other is mainly staffed by inexperienced, ideology driven, well meaning reactionary ex-Nazis. And the odd Tory defector.

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

Some protest vote, electing a defector from the largest party in the governing coalition.

This all day long. It's make me laugh that people go on and on about UKIP being "alternative" and "shaking up British politics" when they are just made up of defected or disgraced Tory MPs and funded by ex-Tory donors to boot. Some "alternative".

 

[Hastings gull]

Most potential UKIP voters know nothing about the best way to run the economy. They are attracted to UKIP because they don't like foreigners.

With respect, this is dreadfully simplistic -what evidence have you got for such a sweeping statement? I suspect that many voters of all parties are not sure of something so complex -why do economists themselves disagree? The two recent by elections saw 12,000 vote UKIP in a Tory stronghold and 11,000 in a labour equivalent -are they all foreigner haters? There might just be something else.

 

[Hastings gull]

I absolutely agree, which is why we need more immigrants from within the EU. Studies have shown that they pay more in tax than they claim in benefits, hence adding to the economy.

Much better than those workshy Brits.

"Studies" may have shown that, but I would be aware of "studies" - didn't the chap who was responsible for a "study" also say all those years ago, that there would only ever be 13.000 Poles who would want to come -in the event, 700,000 turned up! This is not to say that immigrants do not make a positive impact - I am sure that many do, but the "study" also conveniently ignored the other questions of infrastructure ie pressure on schools etc. And of course the "study" also ignored the question of non EU immigration - they are less likely to have skills of use to the economy, they tend to have bigger families, with its consequent effect on the schools, and are less likely to want to integrate, with its dangers for social cohesion.

 

[Hastings gull]

This all day long. It's make me laugh that people go on and on about UKIP being "alternative" and "shaking up British politics" when they are just made up of defected or disgraced Tory MPs and funded by ex-Tory donors to boot. Some "alternative".

I think the idea of them shaking up politics come from the sheer scale of the swing that we have seen - this is what is quite unique. We have of course only seen two examples of what you are saying,ie defected MPs, so it is rather too early to tell. There could be more. I think you are trying to make a point that they are primarily tory rebels. and whilst that may be for those standing for election at present, that might not necessarily apply to the electorate. They ran labour a very close second in Rochdale a few weeks ago.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

With respect, this is dreadfully simplistic -what evidence have you got for such a sweeping statement? I suspect that many voters of all parties are not sure of something so complex -why do economists themselves disagree? The two recent by elections saw 12,000 vote UKIP in a Tory stronghold and 11,000 in a labour equivalent -are they all foreigner haters? There might just be something else.

I'm not arguing that voters should understand how the economy works (I don't). I'll concede that disliking foreigners isn't the defining characteristic of all UKIP voters (and I never said "hating foreigners"). But I am prepared to hazard a guess that UKIP's core electoral strategy is to target voters who either dislike foreigners or dislike the EU, or both.

 

[GT49er]

Most potential UKIP voters know nothing about the best way to run the economy. They are attracted to UKIP because they don't like foreigners.

There are three possible justifications for making this statement - please tick the relevant one.

1). I personally know most potential UKIP voters, well enough to know what they're thinking;
2). I don't like UKIP so I'll spout any old guff which I think might discredit them;
3). I just believe I always know best.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

It could do. Check out Utrecht (4th largest Dutch city) where over 30% of journeys in the city are made by bicycle. The infrastructure is safe for vehicles, pedestrians and bikes. No helmets because there are so few accidents. Look how easy the traffic is moving in the centre of a city at rush hour! Amazing, healthy and cheap too. If you had this level of safety and ease of getting about for the residents and those working and travelling in Brighton, imagine how easy it is for those where a car or van is essential to get around. Just seems such a win win. Really do hope our attitudes to cycling change. This has to be a way forward rather than the battle and conflict we're experiencing on the roads at the moment?

One small problem

Utrecht (indeed pretty much all of The Netherlands) is somewhat flatter than Brighton.

 

[Peteinblack]

This all day long. It's make me laugh that people go on and on about UKIP being "alternative" and "shaking up British politics" when they are just made up of defected or disgraced Tory MPs and funded by ex-Tory donors to boot. Some "alternative".

And led by an ex-public school City trader who worships Thatcherite economics (more tax cuts for the rich, more power for employers to sack workers, more privatisation, more intense competition - leading to the 'relentless change' and 'modernisation' that UKIP voters hate).

And would UKIP renationalise our privatised industries and utilities - now that many, if not most, are foreign-owned due to globalisation?!!

That so many people think Farage is genuine anti-establishment or a man of the people is both laughable, but desperately sad too; the masses are just so gullible.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

There are three possible justifications for making this statement - please tick the relevant one.

1). I personally know most potential UKIP voters, well enough to know what they're thinking;
2). I don't like UKIP so I'll spout any old guff which I think might discredit them;
3). I just believe I always know best.

Where's the option for:-
4). UKIP representatives make enough public statements (admittedly some of them are rather confused) and it is easy enough to work out who they are trying to attract as voters ?

 

[pb21]

There are three possible justifications for making this statement - please tick the relevant one.

1). I personally know most potential UKIP voters, well enough to know what they're thinking;
2). I don't like UKIP so I'll spout any old guff which I think might discredit them;
3). I just believe I always know best.

That's rubbish. I can say most labour supporters have left wing preferences and don't know how to run the economy, it's obvious and I don't know most labour supporters!

 

[pastafarian]

Tories are offering a referendum. So there must be another reason you'd vote UKIP given the greatest chance of leaving the EU will be a vote for the Conservatives.

I suspect many people are sceptical about the Tories actually delivering on this promise.People still remember the Labour lie/promise of a referendum before they decided to move the goalposts.

 

[Soulman]

Maybe, just maybe much of the public are sick to death of the main parties. Labour completely wrecked the economy, by their own admission cocked up on immigration, and the Tories have had a few shots at it as well. Fed up with parties ignoring the public opinions. ..then as you were for voting.

 

[Hastings gull]

I'm not arguing that voters should understand how the economy works (I don't). I'll concede that disliking foreigners isn't the defining characteristic of all UKIP voters (and I never said "hating foreigners"). But I am prepared to hazard a guess that UKIP's core electoral strategy is to target voters who either dislike foreigners or dislike the EU, or both.

This of course is conjecture -you may be right, of course. I realise that you are not arguing that voters should understand the intricacies of the economy but your rather dismissive point was that UKIP voters don't - this is no different to supporters of all parties, and myself! True, their strategy might be to target those who dislike EU and/or foreigners, but of course it doesn't follow that if you dislike our membership of the EU, as it stands, you necessarily dislike foreigners. I am not saying you said that, by the way.

 

[Hastings gull]

Maybe, just maybe much of the public are sick to death of the main parties. Labour completely wrecked the economy, by their own admission cocked up on immigration, and the Tories have had a few shots at it as well. Fed up with parties ignoring the public opinions. ..then as you were for voting.

I am sure that there is huge frustration with the main parties. Might I take one example? A tory Lord uses insensitive language about the employment prospects of the disabled (whatever the truths may or may not be), and is then laying himself open to criticism of being a Tory toff and a member of the nasty party etc. To be fair, he did apologise. Cameron then uses the desperately unfortunate death of his disabled son, again, to hammer home his support of the NHS, assuming that this will give him political upmanship. And what of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition - they knew of the story for 2 weeks and let it out when politically convenient, thus showing their care for the disabled comes second to the opportunity of also making cheap gains. This is what cheeses people off - to put it crudely, they see no difference between Eton Toffs and Champagne Socialists.
Now, of course if UKIP ever get to power, they may well turn out to be the same, but as yet we do not know that.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Every party has good and bad in it. It is my belief that the current larger parties are of the belief that they can do what they want with impunity. UKIP are an up and coming party who are evolving fast and if people actually gave them some time to explain their policies, it is my belief that a lot of them are logical although uncomfortable for the PC brigade.

I don't see what either PC or logic has to do with it.

In my view, anybody who votes UKIP and seriously means it - i.e. not just a protest vote - is seriously uninformed and unthinking.


But