Could UKIP win the General Election ?

[brighton fella]

They really are the worst eh? Reporting referendum votes etc.

yeh with a biased tongue.
this coming from a broadcasting company who claim to be neutral. I hope they are pleased with themselves.

 

[daveinprague]

A biased tongue reporting on a referendum result after the fact? ..ok... How do you want them to report it?

 

[Hastings gull]

I wouldn't disagree about your contention about the average punter, however there is a tangible link with immigration, big business and politicians, because only big business benefits from unrestricted markets.

Why else would mainstream politicians continue to ignore public concerns about immigration until the likes of UKIP have secured by-elections? It doesn't make any sense, politicians would normally court public opinion like flies are attracted to shit, yet for years public concerns have been derided (remember Gillian Duffy).

As for the Nobel peace prize, my point was that the EU and it's supporters have always been able to use economic growth and stability as the primary motive for the EU and integration.

That narrative is in tatters following the crisis in the euro zone and more pain is still to come. Yet, at the height of the crisis, when Merkel's visit to Greece descended into riots, the EU is awarded the Nobel peace prize for peace in Europe since the end of WW2.

So, now we have a new narrative for the reason for the EU, peace in Europe..........an argument that was never deployed by EU supporters before. As for whether deserved it I guess you need to look at the independence of the Committee...........here is the Chairman;

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorbjørn_Jagland

Independent enough for you?

Many thanks and good morning. I see your point about big business, though didn't the last government open the doors to put one over "racists"!! At least they have since admitted some such "policy" so the motivation was not just due to business, though I am sure you are right in that business benefits from low wages paid to immigrants.
It did also strike me as stupid to give the Peace Prize to a vast organisation made up of nations that might not always have peaceful intentions! To be fair, peace in Europe was an over-riding aim, when the EU was set up in the 50s and ease of trade and travel were seen as ways of promoting peace, after the devastation of the first 50 years. We don't hear this reasoning so much, if at all, nowadays, granted.

Thank you for the link, and yes, the Chairman has a strong left-wing affinity, but I am not sure what point you are making -what sort of independence should they have? Do we know anything about other members of this committee, which might counter-balance his inevitable slant? Who would be genuinely independent, and would an "independent" committee necessarily have voted any differently?

 

[Hastings gull]

Indeed

This idea was proposed by a bunch of loony left wingers/greens.

It was far too draconian and the Swiss didnt buy it.

Their right wing opponents the SVP had already won earlier in the year their referendum vote to have a return of quotas on immigrants. They had even lobbied against this latest proposal.

The way forward is an immigration policy with managed realistic numbers.

I read the link about the Swiss going to the polls, and wasn't actually sure what the person meant when he said that the Swiss are clued up. Did he mean that they voted in favour of less controls on immigration, and so should we? Did he mean that uncontrolled immigration is to be encouraged? Or just that we should have a similar plebiscite?
I did him/her the courtesy of reading the link and IMHO the crucial part was at the end when the reporter said that the Swiss economy needed skilled people to keep their economic momentum going, or some such wording. Most of their immigrants come from Italy and Germany and so it is highly likely that the workers will be well-trained and well-educated professionals in various capacities. It may also be that they commute and are not immigrants as we understand the expression. I have walked over a little wooden bridge over the Rhine from Southern Germany into Switzerland. Many, but not all, immigrants come here from poorer countries and are likely to be less well trained etc so to compare the countries (GB and CH) and the intentions of their citizens is very difficult. Would the Swiss have voted for relaxing controls if it meant a huge influx of people from poorer countries with relatively few skills?

 

[daveinprague]

The person was pastafarian, so you have the right bloke....it was a little bit of a strange comment that suggested to me that he was in agreement with this vote being held.

 

[Hastings gull]

The person was pastafarian, so you have the right bloke....it was a little bit of a strange comment that suggested to me that he was in agreement with this vote being held.

Many thanks. We shall see. I meant to respond yesterday.

 

[brighton fella]

A biased tongue reporting on a referendum result after the fact? ..ok... How do you want them to report it?

for starters they only choose to report those of that opinion so as to promote their ludicrous agenda, whenever do you hear from a person with a totally opposite view than that of their own just like any other well respected broadcasting company should operate ? BBC rhetoric is so predictable it has got to the point of being cringe worthy to say the very least

 

[daveinprague]

for starters they only choose to report those of that opinion so as to promote their ludicrous agenda, whenever do you hear from a person with a totally opposite view than that of their own just like any other well respected broadcasting company should operate ? BBC rhetoric is so predictable it has got to the point of being cringe worthy to say the very least

What agenda do they have in accurately reporting a referendum result in Switzerland?

 

[brighton fella]

Many thanks. We shall see. I meant to respond yesterday.

your far to courteous mate treat him with the contempt he deserves.

 

[brighton fella]

What agenda do they have in accurately reporting a referendum result in Switzerland?

an agenda to promote their ludicrous waffle...did you not read my post.

 

[Nibble]

I love the way Ukippers always accuse left leaning folks of "lambasting anyone wth a different opinion to us". It's a very unsophisticated get out of jail free card for right wingers, anyone offers a differing opinion you can cry that you are being shouted down. I imagine them putting their fingers in their ears and saying "blah blah blah".

 

[Soulman]

I see the BBC propaganda machine is hard at work again. what a load of b*llocks.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...BC-is-biased-toward-the-left-study-finds.html

 

[brighton fella]

I love the way Ukippers always accuse left leaning folks of "lambasting anyone wth a different opinion to us". It's a very unsophisticated get out of jail free card for right wingers, anyone offers a differing opinion you can cry that you are being shouted down. I imagine them putting their fingers in their ears and saying "blah blah blah".

pot kettle black or what, you don't then ?

 

[Nibble]

pot kettle black or what, you don't then ?

Nope.

 

[Hastings gull]

pot kettle black or what, you don't then ?

Hello Nibble,
To be fair these sort of generalisations are flung about by both sections - you obviously feel as you have written, then fair enough, and I am sure that there is truth in what you say. But I have also read that guardian readers are thinking people and others of a different political persuasion are not. Perhaps this is what happens when we are anonymous.

 

[brighton fella]

Nope.

course you don't that's why you are having a rant over it.

 

[Nibble]

Guardian readers care more about apricot recipes and barn conversions than anything else.

 

[Hastings gull]

Guardian readers care more about apricot recipes and barn conversions than anything else.

brilliant. Loved it.

 

[Nibble]

course you don't that's why you are having a rant over it.

Oh the other tiresome comeback. If you mention distaste for something you are ranting or furious or upset beyond words. It wasn't a rant it was an observation.

 

[daveinprague]

an agenda to promote their ludicrous waffle...did you not read my post.

Yes, I read your post, but your post is, well, mad?... what part of that report is 'their ludicrous waffle'