Alternatives to UKIP?

[SRMoore]

Ohh an alternative to UKIP... Yeah the Greens. Just as barmy

[steveL]

If you are obsessed with leaving the EU then there is a pretty compelling argument to vote Conservative at next May's election simply because of Cameron's promise to hold a referendum. If there is one thing we can certain about, come next May, UKIP will be able to deliver zit all.

Even Farage admits that UKIP will NOT be forming the next Government and, if his hope is that UKIP will hold 'the balance of power', what then will be his principle bargaining demand? - that the Government holds a referendum.

So what's the point? You'd have been better off voting Tory in the first place if a referendum on Europe is what you want and not run the risk of letting the none-referendum Labour crowd sneak in through the middle.

Unless, of course, you want the Government to start pulling out of the EU immediately which would prompt the question why UKIP was so afraid of putting the matter to a vote in a referendum and giving the British people a direct say on the matter - that's a bit undemocratic, isn't it?. Besides, neither the Tories or Labour are ever going to agree to that.

Now I know the UKIPPERS will all say that Cameron is a liar and can't be trusted (etc etc) but the same applies - if the Tories win the election you'll probably get a referendum - Vote UKIP and you'll get zit all on Europe. 

[Bimba1]

SRMoore I suggest you read Mican's question again!  'What is the alternative to UKIP''. Cameron is pro Europe so this would  rule the Tory's out. The  Greens are  the only Party with a policy  that would resonate with UKIP members.   

[steveL]

Ohh an alternative to UKIP... Yeah the Greens. Just as barmy

No 'barmy' would be to vote for a guy who promised to get net migration below 100,000 and then watched it rise to 238,000

[SRMoore]

Cameron has indeed stated that he is pro-European, he's made no secret of that. Though the majority of the party membership & therfore activists are not.

The Greens are more socialist than the Labour party (not hard these days I know) where as UKIP are, as Philip Broughton himself said at his party conference "NOT a centre right party". So I fail to see why you believe UKIP supporters would believe Green Policies resonate with them. I'm assuming you haven't seen their standing on renewable energy?

Welcome to the forum btw

[Hartlepudlion]

NO!

Balmy is voting for an MP who promised us a new hospital and that our hospital would not close until the new one built and operational

Now I wonder who that was!

[one direction]

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett said today that the Green Party stood for "Three Yeses - yes to a referendum, yes to major EU reform and yes to staying in a reformed Europe".

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2013/01/23/natalie-bennett-unveils-our-three-yeses-to-europe

So how exactly does that resonate with UKIP Members? Those three "yeses" are basically the Tory's policies. Pro Europe!

[mk1]

Hello to everyone who posts on here especially to mk1 who's posts  I find very witty, amusing & clever 

You will definitely get a Xmas card this year mam.
Can you just remind me which home  I put you in?

[mk1]

Cameron's problem is his 'bas*tards'. Right wing zealots who he had succesfully neutered with his Lib Pact. These dingbats have now gained more leverage because of the even  battier UKIP twonks. Cameron recognised that only a centre party can gain office. UKIP will never form a Government. Never. They are  just to far to the right.  Labour and Tories are going to be engaged in a bidding war up to the election. If it were up to me I would  make Lab/Con come to an understanding concerning Commons  votes and thus  shaft UKIPs plan to be the kingmakers.

[Mican]

At last answers to the origin of this thread, well as good, I believe, as we are going to get.

[one direction]

If it were up to me I would  make Lab/Con come to an understanding concerning Commons votes

and there in a nutshell is the problem with democracy in the UK today. If the two main parties "come to an understanding" then why not just become a one party state and be done with it?

Vibrant democracy requires a broad church approach, a range of views, dare I say it even views you personally don't agree with. Once all the views have been aired, discussed and debated then a vote is taken and the majority decision is victorious. If you  "come to an understanding" to silence views you don't like or deny a voice to people who are so misguided as to not agree with you then you are part of the problem, not the answer.

Democracy in this country is just about finished anyway. There isn't that much real difference between the parties any more, all run by upper class, privately educated, oxbridge, professional politicians who make decisions based on the affects on their careers rather than any real conviction or principles.

[mk1]

and there in a nutshell is the problem with democracy in the UK today. If the two main parties "come to an understanding" then why not just become a one party state and be done with it?

Reductio ad absurdum.
What I meant was to prevent a party with (say ) 20 seats  crippling one with 250 seats the party with less than 250 should not align itself with the wreckers just for the devilment. It prevents the tail from wagging the dog.
As for 'democracy' I am of the opinion most people would not give a toss who ruled them as long as the  regime was benign. The trouble is caused by those with strongly held views that (they believe) should not be compromised. People who wave big flags and talk about dying for their county but really mean killing for their country.
A better solution would not to allow any one party to keep power for more than (say) two terms.

[Bimba1]

Hi SteveL...  I agree with both your posts.

Hi Shane... thanks for the welcome In response to '' So I fail to see why you believe UKIP supporters would believe Green Policies resonate with them''   I hijacked a thread between Mican & mk1 and  my original post was a response to Mican's  question ''what is the "alternative to UKIP?"   So you have to take my respons within that context.
I responded ''I would say  if enough candidates could be mustered...The Green Party. They are the only party that opposes TTIP the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership which they consider a corporate power grab.''

Perhaps I should have stated in my next post... This singular Policy would resonate with SOME  UKIP members... in particular the disaffected voters who have left  the three main  Westminster  parties.

Hi Hartlepudlion .. exactly! Who would vote for our present MP now ?

Hi One direction I agree with you  however, I will refer you to my response above to Shane. Thanks for the link though ... a good read.

Hi mk1  ... You can post me an online Crimbo card here... nearer Xmas - after all  #openness & transparency is paramount
   Also your comment ''I would make Lab/Con come to an understanding concerning Commons  votes and thus  shaft UKIPs plan to be the kingmakers.''  is  indeed a good strategy... they will  have to make sure they keep some  real differences  though to appeal to their members. The back room boys would have to  work hard on this one without resorting to 'knee jerk' reactions/panic that we have been  seeing through our tv sets &  other media outlets.

[Mican]

I think this is one where there will be no definite answer. I certainly don't have one, as I see it we have a choice of 5 parties though some may disagree.

The Conservatives - Running scared of UKIP's gathering momentum - can they be trusted?

Labour - Under Milliband and Balls I believe they will be a disaster.

Lib Dems _ Under Clegg they are a disaster and the way they are going may become a thing of the past.

UKIP - Apart from wanting us out of the EU not sure what their policies are/will be.

Green Party - Although they have the best of intensions I believe their green policies will end up bringing this country to it's knees, dependant on foreign imported power.

I cannot understand why people in this country are determined to close our coal powered power stations, when other leading countries are building more.  At this moment in time we are struggling to keep the lights on and plans to bring power stations out of mothball are in the offing, what happens when they are de-commisioned?

[Stranger in a Strange ...]

It has been interesting reading most of the posts over the last few days.  Certainly there were some unusual offshoots!  Thanks to Steve L for starting me off on my UKIP research.  Frankly, I have been scared by some of the things I have read about UKIP's ideas and horrified by at least one person they accept money from.   I realise that every party has a lunatic fringe but UKIP appear to have more than their fair share at present.  Even if UKIP were elected in a protest vote against Mr Wright - they would see it as an endosement of their policies.  As a woman, I might as well vote for Sharia law to be brought in as let  UKIP take us back to a 'golden age' where women only worked if single and were there to serve the needs of their menfolk. 

My conclusion is that if there was a person in a monkey suit standing I might as well take a chance.  (I know we have been there before).  However, on the Today programme this morning they were interviewing a representative of a new old party - the Whigs.  So here I go again on my research to find an individual or party to represent me .....

I'm not sure if I got the link quite right:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/whats-the-whig-idea-meet-the-man-trying-to-revive-a-centuriesold-political-party-9824371.html