Uk By-Elections

[Guest flumax]

Can't see one on here.

Ukip won in the southeast and pushed labour close to a majority of 617 (2.2 % majority) from in over 40% in 2010, the northwest. Oddly Libdem vote shifting to ukip apparently.

Likely protests vote, but really could be a collapse of labour and move to ukip come may.

[thplinth]

Very interesting seeing the easy ride and enormous publicity given to UKIP versus the SNP. Especially considering how ridiculous they and Fararge appear at every turn. Someone on here posted something about the media forces backing UKIP and how it revealed they are not the true new force for change they like to paint themselves as.

[Guest flumax]

I don't care tbh. Hoping it leads to the perfect Storm that wakes 55% up for another indy push.

[tomtscotland]

UKIP's rise has been accelerated by their disproportionate media coverage and particularly on BBC's current affairs programmes.

Pre the last General Election BNP and other English nationalist groups were on the rise. I think the Establishment have given extra publicity to UKIP to marginalise more extreme right wing groups that were gathering momentum in England.

Now that independence has been thwarted by the Establishment we can only expect the UKIP cancer to make further inroads into Scottish politics.

[Fred_Zeppelin]

We could have made this all irrelevant, I hope some people realise what they've done

[Maq]

[Armchair Bob]

Very interesting seeing the easy ride and enormous publicity given to UKIP versus the SNP. Especially considering how ridiculous they and Fararge appear at every turn. Someone on here posted something about the media forces backing UKIP and how it revealed they are not the true new force for change they like to paint themselves as.

Yep. UKIP are painted as the alternative to politics as usual and the voice of common sense. But they want to abolish maternity leave, the ECHR, and tax the rich less. They are the most reactionary party out there and a brief perusal of their policies shows they are the worst option for the common man. I can only conclude that they get so much publicity because the media and establishment know this. Far from being a threat to the establishment, UKIP would entrench it.

[giblet]

In the lead up to the general election, UKIP will continue to get disproportionate coverage from the media. We'll see Farage alongside the other 3 leaders in a debate which will increase the democratic deficit we have in this Country.

[thplinth]

Yep. UKIP are painted as the alternative to politics as usual and the voice of common sense. But they want to abolish maternity leave, the ECHR, and tax the rich less. They are the most reactionary party out there and a brief perusal of their policies shows they are the worst option for the common man. I can only conclude that they get so much publicity because the media and establishment know this. Far from being a threat to the establishment, UKIP would entrench it.

"Oh no, not Nigel again!" groaned some Question Time viewers last week as they sat down for the fourth time this year to hear the views of the leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP). Nigel Farage has appeared on the show no less than 25 times, 15 of which have come since 2009, while in the past four years, a further six slots have gone to other Ukippers like Paul Nuttall, Diane James and Patrick O'Flynn. This means that since 2009, UKIP spokespersons have sat on the panel on 21 occasions, almost double the number for the Greens (11) and more than double the number for Respect (10).

Unsurprisingly, these figures have led some to argue that Farage receives a level of publicity that is not only disproportionate to his party’s actual strength, but also exceeds that given to other insurgents who have achieved what UKIP has not: a seat in Westminster. Some go further, suggesting that parts of the media have a vested interest in supplying UKIP with the 'oxygen of publicity' so as to pile pressure on David Cameron and trigger a rightward turn on issues like the EU, immigration and gay marriage.

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/11/just-how-much-media-coverage-does-ukip-get

[thplinth]

As UKIP's victory became apparent, Scotland's first minister, Alex Salmond - the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) government in Edinburgh - spoke to the BBC of his then-fading hope to "freeze UKIP out of Scotland". Although the UKIP only came in fourth place in Scotland, the party's achievement was, suggested Salmond, largely the BBC's fault.

"We've been doing an analysis of BBC broadcasting in Scotland over this month, and there've been four times as many broadcasts about UKIP as about the SNP," he told the BBC's election night programme. "Star Trek the original series used to have a phrase, 'Beam me up, Scotty!' UKIP is a party that gets beamed into Scotland courtesy of the BBC."

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/06/did-british-media-help-ukip-win-eu-poll-20146313346918679.html

Strange the BBC should be campaigning for right wing extremists...oh no wait, not strange, they are scum.

Edited October 10, 2014 by thplinth

[Armchair Bob]

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/06/did-british-media-help-ukip-win-eu-poll-20146313346918679.html

Strange the BBC should be campaigning for right wing extremists...oh no wait, not strange, they are scum.

They aren't right wing extremists. They are just affable, common sense blokes down the pub who hate immigrants, gays, women, foreigners, and progressive taxation.

[jailender]

And that is the worrying thing. The perception of them.

[Toepoke]

Oddly Libdem vote shifting to ukip apparently.

Heard Dougie Alexander saying the same as that on GMS. Similar Labour in denial stage as in 2011 "the LibDem vote went to the SNP".

Oh no it didn't!!!

Given that the Tory vote may have cost UKIP victory in Heywood, is there a chance the Tories won't stand in supposedly safe English Labour seats next year?...

[ZoltanBuchan]

Given that the Tory vote may have cost UKIP victory in Heywood, is there a chance the Tories won't stand in supposedly safe English Labour seats next year?...

I think there could well be such a deal, with UKIP in return standing aside in some seats in the south of England so as not to split the Tory vote.

[Bristolhibby]

And that is the worrying thing. The perception of them.

Indeed, they (UKIP) and the primarly right wing media have pulled off a coup. They have moved what is acceptable to the right. Instead of us all agreeing that they are a bunch of nasty bigots and racists, the population see them as normal. Worrying times indeed. I mean, no maternity leave, leaving the EU (which is casuing big business especially exporting business, to shit itself), no human rights guarantees.

I despair.

J

[Hertsscot]

And if you were a Lib Dem you wouldn't get any comfort out of either vote. As likely to be Farage than Clegg holding the balance of power.

[HIGHTOWER 1314]

Tommy sheridan

[Guest Extreme0]

http://www.lbc.co.uk/this-ukip-voter-is-skillfully-dispatched-by-james-obrien-98492

The average 'Working Class' voter who votes UKIP.

[HIGHTOWER 1314]

You know what has been pissing me off recently not just with the recent by elections but also the party conferences that each of them had.Is the fact that all these twats joined forces to threaten and cajole the scottish people especially those undecided into voting to stay in the union.Then after they succeed they go to their conferences and have their by elections whilst doing so they slag each other off.Shower of 2 faced lying barstewards and the sooner we boot them out of the country the better.They even had sly digs at alex salmond,the referendum and the snp in the process which makes it worse.F##K THE ESTABLISHMENT.