Vote Zippy!

Listening to the Today programme this morning, I might have been forgiven for thinking that UKIP had just won the General Election. Granted, UKIP have made significant gains in a lot of councils but they have failed to gain control in any. The result of these council elections was never in reasonable doubt. In my last post, I expressed my fear that UKIP would do well but hoped they wouldn't.

In the middle of a financial depression, we shouldn't be overly surprised to see some people turning to more extreme parties. Such trends are not without precedent in political life. A political analyst revealed that the majority of those who had propelled the UKIP vote were over the age of 50 and less well educated. I would expect the over 50s to have sympathy with a party which opposes immigration. Having said that, it was a relief to learn that the BNP had lost their existing seat.

To understand the appeal of UKIP, it is instructive to consider what they stand for. They want low tax and seek to oppose all wind farms and the proposed HS2 train project. They aspire to have more police on the streets and favour a crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour.They want to cut the number of highly paid council executives and want to claw money back from the EU for local communities. They also wish to devolve decision making to local communities. This is more of a bucket list than a manifesto!

Clearly, everyone would like a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour. What is less clear is how they propose to deal with it. Perhaps they are unaware that the prisons are full to bursting as it is. While we would all like to see a more obvious police presence on our streets, that would cost a lot of money which we don't currently have. It goes without saying that low tax is a nailed on vote winner. It always will be if it can be afforded. It is clear that there are far too many people at the top of the pay scale in local government and UKIP is brave to take this on. Devolving decision making to local communites is absolutely the right way forward provided they are left to get on with it without interference from local government. Opposing wind farms per se is all very well but turning your back on green energy is no longer optional.

In other words, UKIP tick a lot of boxes for a lot of people who yearn for a return to the way things used to be. The reality though is that they are, at best, a protest vote. On one issue above all else, they have exposed weakness in all the other parties. They are crystal clear on European membership. They want us out of Europe and free from the shackles of Brussels. Davis Cameron has already said that he will grant a straight in or out referendum should a Conservative majority form a government on May 7th 2015. Up until today, that promise would have been sufficient to see him returned as PM. He has now been trumped by a party who has no chance of even winning a seat in Westminster. Because of our first past the post system, the 25% vote share achieved by UKIP this time around won't be enough to take any seats. What he has done though is to put European membership right at the heart of British politics. This is ironic given that EU memebrship was the elephant in the room during the latter years of Margaret Thatcher. Well, the phoney war is now over. If Cameron doesn't respond by calling a referendum before the next General Election, we are in for another hung parliament. In the event of the latter, you can all but make up your coalition. I very much doubt UKIP will continue to garner such a high percentage of the vote but they may well exert a significant effect on the outcome of a great many seats. It is clear that they are now taking votes away from all and sundry - not just Cameron.

The mannerisms of Nigel Farage put me in mind of Zippy, the loud, opinionated member of the children's show Rainbow. If he is to be believed, there will be up to half a million Romanians and Bulgarians coming here shortly when the current restrictions are lifted. The point is that you can't be a multi-cultural society when it suits you. We are undeniably a multi-cultural society. Recently, a series of small groups have been averted from carrying out bombings on our population. This has been for a number of reasons. To have multiple cultures living in your country is one thing. To have all these different cultures mixing with and tolerating each other is quite another. To go to war with countries for whom many of your citizens now have great sympathies is a risky business.

Nigel Farage will enjoy his day in the headlines today but his message is a dangerous one and will divide rather than unify. At times, his bigotry is cringeworthy. The one good thing about him is that his mere presence should spur Cameron in to action and start to address the issues which can longer be swept under the carpet. Whether we remain a part of the EU or not is not up to UKIP or the Conservatives. It is up to the British people and the sooner they are afforded that choice the better. Once the people have made their decision, UKIP will be a spent force one way or the other.

It was proposed as early as this week to emulate the voting system currently used by the Australians. Under the new change, all young voters will be fined £10 if they don't vote. To validate such a move, a box must be available on the voting form marked "none of the above". Aside from the fact that such a move would be blatantly undemocratic, I rather fear "none of the above" entering Downing Street two years hence. Now that really would be newsworthy!