The Guardian this morning reports that the Guardian/ICM survey shows UKIP gaining as support as that for three main parties falls.
For me, this is good news, with UKIP support rising to 7%. I know that this level of support is unlikely to win them any parliamentary seats, particularly as the poll shows the LibDems having support of about 13% of those polled. Various other polls gave UKIP somewhat greater support of between 8% and 10%. But with Labour on 40% and the Conservatives on 32%, the UKIP support could mean the difference between the Tories winning or losing the next general election although David Cameron seems happy to ignore this possibility.
I feel that the Corby by-election will give UKIP substantial momentum. People have seen that they can beat the LibDems by a significant margin and now are beginning to accept that a vote for UKIP is not just a protest vote but that UKIP is going somewhere worthwhile. Unlike John Redwood MP, I don't believe that UKIP's poor showing in the PCC elections is of any significance as probably people thought UKIP's main aim, that of getting out of the EU, was totally irrelevant when it came to the PCC elections.
Meanwhile, I believe that UKIP will pick up more support when the details of the changes to our planning system become more widely known. Also, next year there is likely to be a surge in immigrants from the eastern European countries following the end of the EU period of limited immigration, and this will obviously be blamed on the Tories as the party in power.
UKIP is now becoming seen as the protector of British values and its views on immigration appear to have the broad support of large part of the electorate; attempts by their left wing opponents to brand them as "racist" have generally failed. As the European crisis deepens, and the likelihood that Britain will somehow be dragged into the mess, more and more people will realise that being a member of the EU will not be our salvation but our downfall. With the next European elections in 2014 and a General Election in 2015 (if parliament runs the full term), UKIP is making the right sort of progress to ensure that they have a say in the future. Cameron beware!
Showing posts with label John Redwood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Redwood. Show all posts
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Sunday, 18 November 2012
Why Vote UKIP?
In his blog today, John Redwood appears to argue that there is very little point in voting UKIP as there is no possibility of them getting a majority in Parliament. He argues that they didn't even manage to come second in any of the Police & Crime Commissioner elections and this shows that they don't have the support that they claim.
I tend to agree with the facts that he puts forward, but not with the conclusions that he draws from them. I support UKIP because I want Britain to withdraw from the EU and to become an independent nation once again. I have reached the conclusion that the present Tory leadership is extremely unlikely even to attempt to withdraw and are talking of a "revised agreement". I suspect that the only referendum we are likely to be offered is whether we prefer the status quo or would prefer the revised agreement.
But another reason that I will vote UKIP is because I have yet to discover what are the policies of the present Conservative Party under David Cameron & George Osborne. When Mrs Thatcher was leader it was very clear what the party’s policies were but now, I haven’t a clue when it comes to the issues that really matter.
We were promised lots of things but so far zilch! On the other hand, things that weren’t mentioned such as gay marriage are gaining prominence, and whilst they are perhaps worthy of discussion, they are of little importance in the present crisis.
“Improvements” to the NHS seem to have resulted in the closure of the A&E department at our nearest hospital requiring a journey of at least twice the distance. My GP has just retired early because, as he said to me, “I went into medicine to treat patients, now I’m expected to spend much of my time doing paperwork and the changes will make things worse. Enough is Enough”. The only Minister who appears to be doing anything is Michael Gove, but I imagine he will be ground down by the forces opposed to change and elitism.
The public finances show no signs of being brought under control, the number of quangos abolished can be counted on the fingers of one hand, others having been merged and are still effectively there. Money is being wasted in foreign aid and ending up in dictators’ Swiss bank accounts whilst the EU demands, and will no doubt get in some devious way, even bigger sums.
Now I'm not stupid enough to think that UKIP will cure all these issues, nor do I believe that they will get a majority in Parliament in the foreseeable future. But what choice do I have? I would like a true blue Tory government, and if I thought there was any chance of getting one I would vote Tory. But in the present situation where all the old parties seem to be trying to claim the leftward-moving middle ground, there is very little difference between any of them. The LibDems appear to be opportunists and like blackmailers, the more that get, the more they want. In practice, I feel in many issues they are further left than Labour.
UKIP did well in the Corby by-election, getting well ahead of the LibDems and their vote was almost equal to the Labour majority. Clearly if the Tories and UKIP had been able to agree on a suitable Eurosceptic candidate and pulled together in the constituency, Labour could have been beaten. It illustrates what could happen to the Tories at the next election if they don't reach an accommodation with UKIP. The trouble is that Nigel Farrage has made it clear that he would not trust Cameron (after his "cast iron" guarantees) and that would present the Tories with a problem.
However, under the present circumstances I think that if UKIP wasn’t there, I’d either not bother to vote, or I would vote Labour. There is no way I can support the present wishy-washy turquoise Tories.
I tend to agree with the facts that he puts forward, but not with the conclusions that he draws from them. I support UKIP because I want Britain to withdraw from the EU and to become an independent nation once again. I have reached the conclusion that the present Tory leadership is extremely unlikely even to attempt to withdraw and are talking of a "revised agreement". I suspect that the only referendum we are likely to be offered is whether we prefer the status quo or would prefer the revised agreement.
But another reason that I will vote UKIP is because I have yet to discover what are the policies of the present Conservative Party under David Cameron & George Osborne. When Mrs Thatcher was leader it was very clear what the party’s policies were but now, I haven’t a clue when it comes to the issues that really matter.
We were promised lots of things but so far zilch! On the other hand, things that weren’t mentioned such as gay marriage are gaining prominence, and whilst they are perhaps worthy of discussion, they are of little importance in the present crisis.
“Improvements” to the NHS seem to have resulted in the closure of the A&E department at our nearest hospital requiring a journey of at least twice the distance. My GP has just retired early because, as he said to me, “I went into medicine to treat patients, now I’m expected to spend much of my time doing paperwork and the changes will make things worse. Enough is Enough”. The only Minister who appears to be doing anything is Michael Gove, but I imagine he will be ground down by the forces opposed to change and elitism.
The public finances show no signs of being brought under control, the number of quangos abolished can be counted on the fingers of one hand, others having been merged and are still effectively there. Money is being wasted in foreign aid and ending up in dictators’ Swiss bank accounts whilst the EU demands, and will no doubt get in some devious way, even bigger sums.
Now I'm not stupid enough to think that UKIP will cure all these issues, nor do I believe that they will get a majority in Parliament in the foreseeable future. But what choice do I have? I would like a true blue Tory government, and if I thought there was any chance of getting one I would vote Tory. But in the present situation where all the old parties seem to be trying to claim the leftward-moving middle ground, there is very little difference between any of them. The LibDems appear to be opportunists and like blackmailers, the more that get, the more they want. In practice, I feel in many issues they are further left than Labour.
UKIP did well in the Corby by-election, getting well ahead of the LibDems and their vote was almost equal to the Labour majority. Clearly if the Tories and UKIP had been able to agree on a suitable Eurosceptic candidate and pulled together in the constituency, Labour could have been beaten. It illustrates what could happen to the Tories at the next election if they don't reach an accommodation with UKIP. The trouble is that Nigel Farrage has made it clear that he would not trust Cameron (after his "cast iron" guarantees) and that would present the Tories with a problem.
However, under the present circumstances I think that if UKIP wasn’t there, I’d either not bother to vote, or I would vote Labour. There is no way I can support the present wishy-washy turquoise Tories.
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Totally meaningless statement by Cameron!
Apparently, in an interview to be shown on ITV tomorrow, David Cameron has said that he would sack George Osborne from the post of shadow chancellor if necessary.
What are the probabilities of him never finding it necessary?
This sort of statement is typical of Cameron; it sounds good but is totally meaningless. I might easily say that I would divorce Mrs EP if necessary, but this hardly seems likely after more than 40 years.
In the remote eventuality of Cameron sacking Osborne, my choice as a replacement would be John Redwood, at least he writes sense in his blog which I always find worth reading.
What are the probabilities of him never finding it necessary?
This sort of statement is typical of Cameron; it sounds good but is totally meaningless. I might easily say that I would divorce Mrs EP if necessary, but this hardly seems likely after more than 40 years.
In the remote eventuality of Cameron sacking Osborne, my choice as a replacement would be John Redwood, at least he writes sense in his blog which I always find worth reading.
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