Nigel Farage

A bit oblique for me I'm afraid. Is the boy meaning to be a bit racist? He tells racist jokes? I was thinking headless chicken but then he's a cock not a hen, and it's only his head that's shown, is that the clue?
Off to read the news.

I get it now I think! He's a chicken because he's not running in the Newark bye election? I wouldn't say that I agree with that statement if that is what you are saying?

There's been 3 catastrophically poor decisions made by party leaders in recent years.

The first was Gordon Brown's decision not to go for an early election when he assumed leadership of the Labour Party (and hence became an "unelected" PM). He would probably have won an election at that time.

The second was Nick Clegg's pledge signing regarding the abolition of tuition fees. With one stroke of a pen he scuppered any looming success and has destroyed any credibility his party might ever have had claim to permanently.

The third is Farage's decision not to stand at Newark. UKIP are likely to do well in the Euro elections and fielding a strong candidate would maintain momentum for him/UKIP. Even with a 16000 majority the Tories would be scared to death and he wouldn't even need to win the seat (due to that huge majority) to drive a wedge through the Tories that might never be healed - with him and his party being the obvious main beneficiary in the long run. So "chicken" is the main import of the picture. Farage has completely bottled it even though he couldn't really lose even if he didn't win.

Gordon Brown as leader, that was a poor decision.

It maybe a sensible decision by Farage but I think there will be attempts to slaughter him for it.

So far he and UKIP are weathering quite a nasty and personally spiteful storm from both the left and the right that I think show up huge weaknesses, concerns and fears in those sections of politics. I wouldn't have given UKIP much of a chance when it comes to actually putting that little cross on the ballot paper but every slur and non political comment has given UKIP tremendous advertising and I think it is now actually working in UKIP's favour.

As someone that is still undecided and floating I have been trying to follow the politics, ie H&S, budgeting, employment rights and the share of markets etc. l but the only ones willing to answer a question seem to be UKIP, the others just want to dig the dirt and that tactic I think, will back-fire enormously because it seems to Jo Average Public that they have a lot to hide.

And there's the rub, Gob. As if it wasn't enough that Farridge and his mates pander to the lowest common denominator in terms of race and immigration, they're also likely to pick up a sizeable sympathy vote - we're supposed to be the nation that loves the underdog, and it looks as if the big boys are bullying them in the playground.

Pity the main parties can't concentrate on picking their nasty little policies apart. But then mainstream politics stopped being about much other than personalities about twenty years ago.

Farage just needs a Hans Litten to poke and probe intelligently without getting "shouty" to show him and his "party" up for what they really are.

I'm wasting my "protest" vote on the Greens.

There was a time when politics could be debated openly and constructively and when elections were won on policy and not slur. Admittedly, slur has always played a part in politics but it never prevented the debate as it does today.

Every leaflet that I have had through my door has had literally nothing in it about 'policy', only innuendo and slur directed against UKIP. The race card has been dealt so many times in an attempt to slur UKIP that it has completely undermined not only the the election, but also cheapened the genuine fight against racism. That's not to say that 'race' doesn't have a part to play in UKIP because I am sure that it does, but I am equally sure that it plays a part in Labour and I know that it plays a part in the Conservatives. Whenever I read that racism is used to score political points I only see a bigger bigot than the racist.

Yes, I do want to know if a racist pops up in UKIP or any other party. Yes, I do want to know what Farage's German wife earns working for her husband. Yes, I do want to know what company Conservative MEP's are selling their voice for this week and, Yes, I do want to here all about 'Baron' Kinnock's ride up the property market since becoming a MEP as well as the convenient and highly paid jobs that members of his family have been provided with. BUT, more than this, I want to here what the fekin policies are!

seadog wrote:

Gordon Brown as leader, that was a poor decision.

This piece displays Brown's achievements and failings. Don't think he's ever received any real credit for rising to the occasion when the shit was hitting the fan worlwide.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

he's laughing his head off with all this press... his 'party' dont even have an elected rep at westminster, yet they are front page news every feckin day. nowt like a bit of free advertising.

as for clegg ruining his partys chances, we all know that cameron was behind that little gem, if clegg hadnt 'uturned', the tories would have brought in the fees anyway.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

LCD indeed.

Firstly worrying about immigration could mean that you are a builder and not a racist. Immigration affects the manual labourers of the country, funnily enough they arent looking to have Eastern European MPs for less money than we are paying ours. There are a lot of UKIP posters around Tavvy, on the whole (without knowing all of them but a good percentage) they are anti Europe, anti MEP fat cats, anti paying more to Europe than we get out, anti the expensive secondary level of beaurocrats it brings. I am anti Europe, I would have us out yesterday never mind tomorrow.
As for Farage he's got all the major politicians in this country worried as fook, I don't think he needs any advice from ATD.

Strange thing about my view of Mr Farage is that, as a confirmed Eurosceptic,i agree with most of the statements that he makes in public,thought he made mincemeat of Clegg on TV a few weeks ago.But at the same time,i have an uneasy feeling that underneath it all the man is a complete bampot who,if given an ounce of power,could easily lead Britain into a very rapid nuclear war.A very uncomfortable schism actually,really would like to vote for UKIP but...........

When a newish party like UKIP grows as quickly as they have....it's bound to pick up rogue people whose true views aren't always obvious at first.....all part of expanding quickly....just needs some good candidates to rise to the fore and Cameron,Clegg and Milaband will be panicking all the way to the next election.

Farage not standing for that by-election is certainly not a chicken act....there will be more winnable seats next year....maybe he can do to parliament what Guy Fawkes failed to do....it's about time someone woke the place up.

His reason for not standing in Newark was that his focus was on the European elections. That seems to imply he wants to change it from within. If that's the case, he & his fellow MEPs should actually start turning up for the EU Parliament.

Remember, this is a party whose previous manifestos included a commitment to bring "proper dress" back to hotels, theatres etc. This is a party who wanted to give more freedom to MPs over their expenses. They wanted to increase the swearing of allegiance to the Queen. Ban "European Studies" as a university subject. They would scrap 'equality & discrimination' legislation. They would "put an end to most legislation regarding matters such as weekly working hours, holidays and holiday, overtime, redundancy or sick pay etc. and provide a statutory, standard, very short employment contract template" - all the things that the Unions fought for for many years (and some of which have been strengthened by the EU). All this whilst he & his fellow UKIP MEPs have been pocketing £800,000 (I think) a year in expenses. And I haven't even started on the extremists (& fruitcakes) who seem attracted to UKIP. They have banned anyone with links to assholes such as BNP or EDL. But ask yourself why would any party make a big thing of that unless their message was appealing to such fellow-travellers?

There may be some of his concerns that have value. All parties are in that position. My understanding, though, is that UKIP haven't replaced their awful 2010 manifesto yet so anyone voting for them in the elections will be doing so without any substance being put onto their headline populist views. It's his party's appeal to the basest instincts that make me puke. There is dross being attracted to their xenophobic message and that dross is dangerous. Their message has, at most, two prongs - anti-immigration & anti-Europe. You can't build a government or even a share in power on that.

I'm not voting for any of them, non of them represent me.

Right on cue - almost - yet another slug crawls out from under UKIP's stone.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

And Farage, yet again, chooses to deflect. The 'party that speaks the truth?' - no chance.

At the end of the day UKIP are the new Lib Dem, Green type protest vote party. When we all voted Green in the eighties it suddenly made Maggie care fore the environment, they have their uses.

If I want to protest vote, I vote but spoil my ballot paper; I don't vote for a bunch of utter cretins. UKIP aren't the Yoga Flying Party, they're horrid, white-middle class, elderly male-centric wankers and I personally cannot stomach them.
They make me cringe so much, my upper lips start peeling themselves backwards over my head.

knecht wrote:

Right on cue - almost - yet another slug crawls out from under UKIP's stone.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

And Farage, yet again, chooses to deflect. The 'party that speaks the truth?' - no chance.

Slug indeed Knecht but I cannot help wonder what the media would dig up against members of other parties if they had the desire to?

We have been very critical of the Herald's pro Brent stance on almost everything, but we seem to be accepting of this UKIP smear campaign in what seems to be a 100% pro European media, because it fits our hypocritical agenda. It's hardly healthy to have such an influenced media in a democracy, is it?

Today UKIP, tomorrow it could be Labour!

I will await the next smear, but I will be taking it with a pinch of salt because I think it will be just the latest attempt to divert attention from the policies that will in turn attract a larger vote for UKIP.

To be fair the Mail, Sun, Express, Times and Telegraphs (have I missed anybody?) and their Sundays have been regularly smearing Labour for years. Decades in fact. Ever heard of the Zinoviev letter?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The main parties, the BBC & the left wing press must have armies of researchers trawling through social media looking for these indiscretions of UKIP candidates.
It doesn't take too much intelligence to recognize this as smear & desperation tactics.
It only serves to back up the perception that the mainstream parties have no real policies of their own other than spin & mud slinging. It's really pathetic.

How much left wing press is there?

Mirror, Guardian (which supported the Lib Dems in the last election) and the Independent (which almost nobody buys).

And the BBC gives Farage a platform nearly every day! How often do you see or hear anybody from the Greens (who actually have an MP whereas UKIP don't) in comparison?

The BBC is hardly lefty. Far from it. Which party was Chairman of the BBC Trust Chris Patten an MP for again?