UKIP (AGAIN?)
I am afraid this is another rant against the UK Independence Party. Actually I am not sure that I really want to do this. I am caught in a no man's land of finding their political agenda woefully thin (or at least completely unrealistic), and enjoying the way they are destroying the Conservative vote.
OK so where to start. Don't say "at the beginning" because, as the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy so rightfully points out, we would end up at the Big Bang and I would have a lot of explaining to do until we got round to the county council elections of England and Wales!
Some time ago I visited the UKIP website to see if I could find out what if anything they stood for. I was not impressed. At that time they only espoused a get out of Europe approach. The website pointed at various academic papers that suggested we could walk back into the old Commonwealth and take up where the Empire left off. Never mind the Chinese and Far East are already there doing what we did but at a fraction of the cost. With no demands on their fiscal or political life.
So point one of their campaign is lost on me. It would be much harder to do business outside of Europe.
Secondly to have an arrangement like Norway, where there is a free trade agreement only, risks us being dictated to by Europe but with no representation. reports suggest that Norway does not find this an altogether easy situation to live with. They have no influence over the market but still have to live with it.
Third point is this, in a recent article on BBC online it listed the latest policies from UKIP. The article described it as a right wing wish list. I am liable to agree.
So where are we now? A political commentator on BBC radio 4's Today programme was of the opinion that this was a protest vote but in the mould of the Social Democrats of the 1980's. This was a party largely formed of old guard Labour MP's who did not believe the left wing policies of the Labour party at that time were the correct way to go. The complete lack of success in shifting one Lady Thatcher from number 10 would rather prove their point. However what they did was to split the non Conservative vote. There were a significant proportion of voters out there who could not vote Conservative but found Liberals also un-vote able. However the last chance left to them was the "Loony left" and that didn't do it for them either. So they went Social Democrat. To win back it's popular vote Labour had to reject it's most left wing ideals (and Idealists) and head more for the centre ground.
The assertion on the Today programme was that UKIP was going to do the same thing for the conservatives only push it further to right.
Which leads me to my problem. I have little time for so called right wing politics. To put it simplistically, whilst claiming to allow greater freedoms for the individuals it ensures an abdication of the state from enabling a fair and just society. Should the state be ensuring such a society? I have no faith that there is any kind of philanthropic vein in the world at large. Such as there is is largely there to assuage guilt rather than serve a useful function. So that is a big Yes.
I am concerned about the short term future of this country. The rise of right wing policies, whilst probably being a swing rather than a lurch, demonstrates that there is a mood of selfishness around the country. I guess I should expect it. There is usually a rise in such ideas during extended periods of hardship.
Of concern to me also is that the current Labour shadow cabinet do not inspire me with great confidence. They have nothing to prove as such right now. As things stand UKIP will split the Conservative vote and allow Labour in by default. So why should they stand up and make themselves heard? Better people only think they are stupid rather than speak up and prove it!
The assertion on the Today programme was that UKIP was going to do the same thing for the conservatives only push it further to right.
Which leads me to my problem. I have little time for so called right wing politics. To put it simplistically, whilst claiming to allow greater freedoms for the individuals it ensures an abdication of the state from enabling a fair and just society. Should the state be ensuring such a society? I have no faith that there is any kind of philanthropic vein in the world at large. Such as there is is largely there to assuage guilt rather than serve a useful function. So that is a big Yes.
I am concerned about the short term future of this country. The rise of right wing policies, whilst probably being a swing rather than a lurch, demonstrates that there is a mood of selfishness around the country. I guess I should expect it. There is usually a rise in such ideas during extended periods of hardship.
Of concern to me also is that the current Labour shadow cabinet do not inspire me with great confidence. They have nothing to prove as such right now. As things stand UKIP will split the Conservative vote and allow Labour in by default. So why should they stand up and make themselves heard? Better people only think they are stupid rather than speak up and prove it!
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