Could Nigel Farage end up a great British political leader?

[Westdene Seagull]

Can you remind me which local paramilitary units the EU used in these takeovers.

As well you know, it was forced using political and financial pressure not military pressure. Either way the electorate didn't have a say.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

As well you know, it was forced using political and financial pressure not military pressure. Either way the electorate didn't have a say.

So it is a ridiculous comparison to make in the first place then.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

So it is a ridiculous comparison to make in the first place then.

Sorry, I didn't realise that forcing a change of government via financial means rather than voting methods was better than changing it via military means.

 

[The Spanish]

I very much agree with this.

Although the flip side is that Farage will never appeal to anyone other than disaffected Tory voters who are either xenophobic or Eurosceptic. For example, Bob Crowe has his ilk were fiercely anti-EU, but would never vote for Farage and his little party.

thats not actually true, there may be a significant percentage that tick all those, but not all by any means.

who exactly are 'bob crow and his ilk' as a constituency - thats far too vague a definition to be useful in any sense.

 

[Hotchilidog]

There is no way garage could be considered a great political leader as there as absolutely no substance to him whatsoever. There is one issue on which he strikes a chord with people because he conveniently scapegoats foreigners for all the ills of of our country and his message gets lapped up by those looking for an easy answer to everything.

 

[Simster]

thats not actually true, there may be a significant percentage that tick all those, but not all by any means.

who exactly are 'bob crow and his ilk' as a constituency - thats far too vague a definition to be useful in any sense.

I think it is true. I've not met a single person who would consider voting for UKIP who isn't either a complete xenophobe or sees fit to blame the EU for all this country's ills.

As for Bob Crow types, I refer to fiercely market-interventionalist socialists who consider that the EU only benefits the well-off and does nothing for the working man. And to re-iterate, many of these people are staunchly anti-EU yet would never vote for UKIP.

 

[Simster]

There is no way garage could be considered a great political leader as there as absolutely no substance to him whatsoever. There is one issue on which he strikes a chord with people because he conveniently scapegoats foreigners for all the ills of of our country and his message gets lapped up by those looking for an easy answer to everything.

My biggest problem with him is the fact that even on Question Time, he blames absolutely everything on the EU. All that does is water down the impact on issues where he has a point.

 

[Hotchilidog]

My biggest problem with him is the fact that even on Question Time, he blames absolutely everything on the EU. All that does is water down the impact on issues where he has a point.

Exactly he's a one trick pony. Blaming the EU is a populist position that resonates with the general public so in essence he is very good at telling people what they want to hear, regardless of whether what he says is true or not. The wisecrack about 459million people being eligible to come to the UK being particularly disingenuous. After all 60million Brits are free to move to Belgium should they so desire, doesn't mean they will though. it is lazy scaremongering not backed up by any facts.

 

[severnside gull]

I like Nigel Farage's overcoat although given the size of his salary I would think he could afford more than one coat.

I would vote for Farage's coat.


I would not vote for the person occupying it.

 

[Landgull]

Benefits...Which are what ?
First two Labour politicians were against being in the EU, a certain Hugh Gaitskell party leader was dead against joining the EU as was Lord Healey in 2002.
Face facts...we joined the EU as a trading nation,now it is becoming political...we pay the second largest contribution to the EU and yet are one of the lowest recipients of money back...do you honestly believe that the European nations will not buy our exports if we left the EU.
If the EU was so good how come they have never ratified their accounts and still want the UK to stump up another 3 billion to EU funds.
Many nations get on quite well out of the EU...I have nothing against trading with other nations but draw a line when unelected bodies in Europe start telling us how to run our country,what laws we should use,telling us that we cannot deport foreign crimminals.

The only correct reply so far. Clearly someone who knows a little about the farce that is the EU.
However, the question is could Nigel Farage end up as a great Brit leader? Well given all the media attention and all the attention on this site and many others I would think he is going in the right direction.
One thing is clear if UKIP are to move more quickly forward then they will need a similar financial backing that the "main" parties get.

 

[Blue3]

Nigel Farage is a blip in History twenty years from now he will be as alien to the voters of the future as Enoch Powell is the the voters of today

 

[The Spanish]

Nigel Farage is a blip in History twenty years from now he will be as alien to the voters of the future as Enoch Powell is the the voters of today

yeah no one remembers enoch powell nowadays do they.

 

[Landgull]

And therein lies the problem. Instead of dealing with the EU challenge the other parties just name call. It's rather prevalent on here as well - note that anyone who has used the words racist and xenophobia haven't actually put up a coherent argument against UKIP. For me personally UKIP represent the chance of a proper referendum on our membership of the EU - something I want a say on as the Common Market we voted to join has morphed into a political beast that we have never been consulted on. The three main parties just pay lip service to those voters who want out of the EU.

Labour - can't be trusted on the EU. Promised a referendum and then broke that promise.
Tories - have offered a referendum with the condition we put them back in government ( very unlikely to happen ).
Lib Dems - would vote for complete political and fiscal union if they could.

This.

 

[Blue3]

yeah no one remembers enoch powell nowadays do they.

Not those under thirty

 

[East Preston Gull]

No we didn't , we fought the first world war in response to German and austro hungarian territorial ambitions, the Nazi party didn't even exist in 1914, and I'd say the same about the second world war when you really analyse the lead up, the British people may not have been big fans of fascism but memories of the horrors of the western front were far too fresh in the nations mind for them to want to go to war against it, your rhetoric , whilst also being factually incorrect , is the kind of empty headed repetition of the lies of career politicians that stifle any meaningful debate on the benefits of being part of the EU, there are certainly some economic benefits , but political ? Don't make me laugh, you only have to look at that nonentity baroness Ashton to how seriously EU foreign policy is NOT taken.

This!! Political post of the week.

 

[beorhthelm]

For me personally UKIP represent the chance of a proper referendum on our membership of the EU

they offer no chance of a referendum. they stand little chance of even a single seat but in some cases may cause Tory seats to be lost. so voting UKIP would delay any chance of referendum. which is a shames as we really need to address the matter.

 

[Soulman]

And therein lies the problem. Instead of dealing with the EU challenge the other parties just name call. It's rather prevalent on here as well - note that anyone who has used the words racist and xenophobia haven't actually put up a coherent argument against UKIP. For me personally UKIP represent the chance of a proper referendum on our membership of the EU - something I want a say on as the Common Market we voted to join has morphed into a political beast that we have never been consulted on. The three main parties just pay lip service to those voters who want out of the EU.

Labour - can't be trusted on the EU. Promised a referendum and then broke that promise.
Tories - have offered a referendum with the condition we put them back in government ( very unlikely to happen ).
Lib Dems - would vote for complete political and fiscal union if they could.

Seems that those that will lose if we come out of Europe are doing the scaremongering. Many influential people in politics will lose out if they come out of the EU gravy train.
This fellow did this article in Nov 2013.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/44...sh-jobs-says-former-CBI-boss-Lord-Digby-Jones

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

But there lies the crux of the debate.

He is pushing for example a system like Australia where people are allowed in with skills that we lack.

You say thats wrong.



The debate will be never ending!

I didn't say that's wrong, I just said he's wrong, just because he's well, sort of, wrong.

But joking aside, I think it would clearly be sensible to try and target skills that we need. I am just not going to get upset about the immigration question. I always thought it was ridiculous the claims that were being made about the entire population of Bulgaria and Romania coming here when the borders were opened. And lo and behold - it didn't happen.

I am a convinced European and have been for 40 years or more.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

EU is good for business, trade, freedom of movement, it certainly helps exporters like me.

Bad for the working man, as wages forced down. Bad for pressure on housing, hospitals, schools.

Labour admitted they hugely underestimated the numbers of Eastern Europeans that would come here, and with the rules as they are, the Tories can do nothing about European immigration. Do we really want a population of 80 million?

 

[RexCathedra]

Do we really want a population of 80 million?

If they're all paying into NI, and taxes, you do.

The aging population in all the mature western industrial nations requires either working-age people with constantly rising incomes, or a steady supply of immigrants, or both, to pay for the increased costs of future social provision.

The numerator is growing -- old people. The denominator -- the number of working-age people supporting each of those olds, or their income, or both -- has to grow to maintain a given level of social provision.