UKIP Claim First MP

[chiprafp]

http://news.sky.com/story/1350491/ukip-vote-soars-as-party-claims-first-elected-mp

Is this the thin edge of the wedge? Have they done what other MP's failed to do and properly gauged the feelings of the UK population? Or are they using the fears of the population?

 

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

Interestingly, Farage has just said on R4 that the real acid test will be the Mark Reckless forced by-election and I agree with him. Carswell was a shoe in and the Middleton result flatters to deceive due to a paltry 36% turnout - so he is probably correct in that assumption.

Is it a cataclysmic change in the English political landscape? (Let's be honest UKIP have no more chance than the Tories of getting anywhere in Scotland/NI and only a very slim chance in Wales). I suspect that it is far too early to call and no matter what anyone thinks or how UKIP do in by-elections and polls, it is entirely dependent on how the big 3 take on the threat.

Tories - massive swing to the right to keep their anti everything except tax cuts for the rich and hammer anything except big business policy. Their mantra of go to bed with UKIP, wake up with Labour is looking very likely.

Labour - Head in the sand coupled with unfunded social reform and then whine like whipped children when they get another five years on the opposition benches. They would grab a coalition like a tramp would chips in a bin and that may mean a place at the table for any UKIP MP post May 2015.

That leaves the Lib Dems. They will occupy the centre ground of politics, which is currently a vacuum and the favourite place for the political landscape to reside. If they position the message right they could repair much of the self inflicted damage of cosying up to the Tories and hold the balance of the next coalition government.

All this means is that after the General Election probably 2 of the 3 big party leaders will be out of a job due to the backlash from their party faithful. It is too early to predict which it will be but I know who I would like to see go....

Jimps

 

[FOMz]

It was inevetable at some point I think.... not good, but inevetable.

 

[Kryten]

It will either provide the massive punch in the face the Big 3 need to get them to start engaging with the public on key issues, or it will be ignored as a blip and they'll carry on as before, oblivious to what the electorate really want.

I know which one I'm going for......

 

[Max Reheat]

It was inevetable at some point I think.... not good, but inevetable.

Not good? Depends on your point of view. Personally I think the lot of them are worthless but UKIP at least get the majority of the population and we can relate to them. If Labour get in I reckon it will be a disaster, LibDems? not a chance this time round.

 

[Realist78]

I personally hope UKIP get a hatful of MPs, if not only to give the 2 (forget Lib Dems) main parties a wake up call. All I say to folks is if you're happy with the status quo, then for vote for the main parties (hardly a fag paper between them anyway). If you're not happy, vote for an alternative but at least vote.

 

[FOMz]

UKIP get a hateful of MPs.

Fixed that for you..... DT_Xtremez_28:

 

[briggfairy]

I've long been of the opinion that ukip will present themselves as an alternative right up until the point that they get enough mp's to become an actual threat to the main parties then, as all career politicians do, they will change tack almost by the hour to keep what power they have.

 

[Gord]

I reckon UKIP will simply become a slightly more to the right Conservative Party who when confronted by the fact that being too right wing is off putting to the electorate, will mellow out to the position I mentioned above.

We had a party in Canada similar to UKIP, it was called The Reform Party but even though it had a solid following in the western provinces, they could never convince the eastern more populace provinces to back them. their future therefore was that they would have spent eternity sitting as the opposition party to the Liberals.

The conservative party by this time had been decimated to the point where they did not have sufficient members to be recognised as an official party, thanks to the total f*ck up made by their leader, a certain Brian Mulroney. End result, The Reform Party toned down some of it's rhetoric and wooed the Conservative Party into joining them then took on the name of the Conservative Party and after a couple of minority governments, they finally got themselves a majority the last time around.

They are still a bunch of Reform wankers in my book and may or may not be successful in the next election but hey, if it's the will of the people then that's what you get.

I believe UKIP will do something similar should they manage to grow but not to the point where they have a chance in a General Election, I think you'll find there will be some compromises made in return for their support of the Conservatives.

 

[Realist78]

Regardless of what folks think about UKIP, there needs to be a massive change in the politics of this country and if UKIP facilitate this then all to the good. The main parties are ignoring the electorate and that needs to be fixed by whatever means IMO.

 

[busby1971]

To paraphrase an old quote, they didn't get where they are today by listening to the electorate.

When I look around the world at other political systems I don't see anything that is dramatically different to ours.

What changes would you want, whilst still attracting top level talent.

 

[vim_fuego]

People keep mentioning change here an d on previous threads of this ilk...would it make our segment of society feel better about voting if a few more ex-forces people stood for seats? Would it matter what party they choose as long as they demonstrated a few good service qualities like honesty and integrity?

Also what background rank wise would I still confidence or interest from a voter base like ours? Plucky ex-cpl? Solid ex-SNCO?, ex-winged God or ex air ranker used to rubbing shoulders at parliamentary level?

 

[busby1971]

I think Army Majors might not be the best type.

 

[briggfairy]

People keep mentioning change here an d on previous threads of this ilk...would it make our segment of society feel better about voting if a few more ex-forces people stood for seats? Would it matter what party they choose as long as they demonstrated a few good service qualities like honesty and integrity?

Also what background rank wise would I still confidence or interest from a voter base like ours? Plucky ex-cpl? Solid ex-SNCO?, ex-winged God or ex air ranker used to rubbing shoulders at parliamentary level?

I'm still missing the overwhelming evidence that we need a massive change, yes a few things may not be going totally the way we would like but a wholesale swing to the right could be very damaging.

I do like the idea of ministers having some kind of background in the department they are running in which case I'd say that the minster for defence should be ex-forces preferably with real leadership experience so i'd be looking at WO / sqn leader level as a minimum, germany tried putting a former cpl in charge once it didn't go well DT_Xtremez_35:

 

[Was Baldrick]

People keep mentioning change here an d on previous threads of this ilk...would it make our segment of society feel better about voting if a few more ex-forces people stood for seats? Would it matter what party they choose as long as they demonstrated a few good service qualities like honesty and integrity?

Also what background rank wise would I still confidence or interest from a voter base like ours? Plucky ex-cpl? Solid ex-SNCO?, ex-winged God or ex air ranker used to rubbing shoulders at parliamentary level?

I know of two Ex Rankers, a Sgt and a J/T, who went into local politics, both becoming leaders of their local councils. one getting a bravery award for tackling the pi55ed Matlot. so we do seem to have some would be political leaders in our ranks.

 

[Flybynight]

I can think of an RAF corporal (John MacStevens) who went on to become "chief of staff" of the "provisional IRA" in 1970 (as "Sean Mac Stiofan"). He was one of two robbers of arms from the REME guardroom in Aborfield in the 50s in an Austin A35 van, but got caught by an unarmed copper on his own in Ascot when he investigated why it was so low on the springs.

And of course also in the 70s there was a certain prominent member of the National Front, an AVM (rtd) of Pathfinder fame, noted for his over-zealous inspections when he was an AOC.

But I don't think that either is quite what you meant...


I hope you're not fishing for "dashing NCO aircrew". Still, it's an idea.

 

[Rigga]

As a serviceman, I used to be a solid conservative voter. Since leaving the RAF I've grown more and more tired of their lack of performance and buddying up to the big businesses. I've been voting for UKIP for 6 years now in the hope of giving a bloody nose into the big 3. Hopefully, they'll start listening now and sack these 'professional politicians' in favour of real people who've had real jobs and know about real life. People who will stop toadying to Europe and make decisions that are good for UK (not just England, though I am becoming rather tired of devolution being just for the other home nations too)

and all this without the aid of wine....

 

[vim_fuego]

Ukip mapped: Nigel Farage is most popular in areas where immigration is lowest




The latest Euro-arguments must be playing into Farages hands nicely...


http://www.cityam.com/1414419679/uk...-popular-in-areas-with-the-fewest-immigrants?

 

[Kryten]

Regardless of what folks think about UKIP, there needs to be a massive change in the politics of this country and if UKIP facilitate this then all to the good. The main parties are ignoring the electorate and that needs to be fixed by whatever means IMO.

This is an excellent point - the general public are fed up with politics because they don't seem to be listened to. Go back to GWII and the "Not in my name" protests - millions of ordinary people turned up to voice their opposition tot he war in Iraw and yet we wnet in anyway. The Millenium Dome, HS2 - just a couple of examples of where the Govt of the day thinks it knows best. Add into the mix the fact that people are genuinely hacked off with the immigration issue, and are really riled about being told to pay an extra £1.7Bn into the EU ('cause we have that amount of money just lying around)..if they felt they could be listened to then I am sure we would see it reflected at the polls...

 

[Johned]

UKIP Claim First MP

The late RH Fred Mulley MP was Defence Minister in a previous Wilson Labour government. Fred was embodied, I believe, in the TA on the outbreak of WW2 and was captured at Dunkirk as a Cpl. The first post war Labour administration under Attlee had Fred Bellenger as War Minister, a wartime Captain followed by Mr A.V.Alexander, a pacifist. Perhaps the first two gentlemen may have known something about defence matters.