UKIP are lucky that no one takes them seriously

[Tintinnabulate]

UKIP MEP Nigel Farage and Lord Pearson of Rannoch

The launch of the UKIP manifesto was somewhere between the student union and the saloon bar. An air of jocular unreality hangs about UKIP – you can tell from the way the political hacks pitched their questions this morning that they can’t take the party too seriously. And you can see why: Lord Pearson, the party leader, blasted the EU as a “dangerous and misguided project” but then acknowledged that Britain should follow the example of France and Belgium (last time I looked, both were in the EU) when it came to banning the Burka from public buildings. Nigel Farage, flexing his muscles to take on John Bercow, the Speaker, in Buckingham, alluded to Bercow’s strange political journey – conveniently ignoring his own colourful journey from Thatcherite to founding member of UKIP (and a 2004 visit to a lap-dancing bar during the French presidential campaign, and a 2006 incident when a Latvian woman claimed the two had a night of unbridled passion – NB: he said the story was entirely made up by the woman).

The problem with the joshing is that it lets off this party from serious scrutiny just as Lord Pearson is happy to let off Paul Wiffen despite his recent tirade against Muslims, Africans and Romanian gypsies. Wiffen’s despicable comments, claims M’Lord, “were less than wholly polite”, but apparently he should still be allowed to stand as UKIP candidate in Ilford South. Someone among the hard-bitten hacks should have jeered and booed the condoning of racist behaviour. But it is symptomatic of UKIP’s role in our national politics that they are allowed to dodge all responsibility for comments and actions: Pearson and especially Farage have perfected an act of phoney bonhomie that makes any serious investigation of their party as improbable as putting Sir Tufton Bufton under the microscope. (I should say that I once shared a BBC taxi with Farage: he was charming, self-deprecating and thoroughly good company.)

And what of the manifesto? Predictably, it groans with populist pledges: Britain out of Europe of course, but also a freeze, over five years, of permanent immigration, council tax slashed by 40 percent, a flat tax at 30 percent. All this plus power to the people in the shape of local control of everything from the police to the schools.

Sounds good. Until you ask two questions: where will the money come from to implement half these policies? And more important, how can we hold our head high if we elect representatives who say all Muslims are out to kill us and all Africans are guilty of selling their brothers into slavery? The idea of pulling out of the EU is one thing; but with UKIP at the helm we will be pulling out of a culture that prizes tolerance and mutual respect. No amount of boozy bonhomie, Mr Farage, can hide that.

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Source

[-:Undertaker:-]

I spotted this article also and its posted by a woman whos been attacking them all week, however lets get down to her points.

She says;

And you can see why: Lord Pearson, the party leader, blasted the EU as a “dangerous and misguided project” but then acknowledged that Britain should follow the example of France and Belgium (last time I looked, both were in the EU) when it came to banning the Burka from public buildings.

Now I am sorry, but does being against the European Union mean you are against everything that is European?

[Swastika]

To be fair, im getting more and more interested in this UKIP, labour has done nothing good as far as i can see.
If anybody would like to have a go at changing my opinion, go for it haha.

[Tintinnabulate]

To be fair, im getting more and more interested in this UKIP, labour has done nothing good as far as i can see.
If anybody would like to have a go at changing my opinion, go for it haha.

Minimum wage is nothing good eh?

[-:Undertaker:-]

Minimum wage is nothing good eh?

A minimum wage makes little difference when you have a government which taxes you upto your eyeballs.

[Tintinnabulate]

A minimum wage makes little difference when you have a government which taxes you upto your eyeballs.

Ohhh my God! Anything Labour does, you will criticise.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Not really, it would of been a good move had they not raised taxes on everything else (petrol, taxation and so on) and I agree with Labours policy on Trident and i'm glad they did not decide to scrap it as its a vital part of national security.

[Tintinnabulate]

Not really, it would of been a good move had they not raised taxes on everything else (petrol, taxation and so on) and I agree with Labours policy on Trident and i'm glad they did not decide to scrap it as its a vital part of national security.

You do realise that Labour want to raise the minimum wage?

[Swastika]

I highly doubt people are going to vote labour just because they want to raise the minimum wage?
Why do you support labour, what have they done for you?
They've raised taxes, put soliders in a warzone with the in-correct equipment and joined a union which makes Britain not able to change its own law without consulting them first.

[-:Undertaker:-]

You do realise that Labour want to raise the minimum wage?

That is just taking more money out of peoples pockets, the better solution and more economical solution is to slash taxes to get spending moving and that way everybody benefits as well as business. If you keep raising taxes to fund solutions like raising the minimum wage then you take more money out of the economy and all you are doing is creating artifical growth which will ultimately lead to a stagnated economy.