Clapton By Election

Do you mean Clacton NanKate?

Thought perhaps Eric had embraced politics in his old age...

I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong with this title! I knew there was something.

Yes, I was wondering what Eric was up to!

Not sure , all the Scottish stuff has taken our eye off this.

I'm a Wally and an Eric Clapton fan so it must have been a Freudian slip.

So back to politics, it will be interesting to see how the voting goes next month.

I have added a link to this thread on GN Local Colchester, which covers Clacton-on-Sea.
I am not in Clacton, but would not be surprised to see the vote go to UKIP. I think that all the fallout after Scotland has affected how people see the Conservative and Labour parties - not in a good way!

How is it that voters are flocking (if they really are?) to UKIP when their leader is privately educated, has stood as Tory candidate in past elections, wants to privatise the NHS, charge £10 to visit your GP, wants to bring back grammar schools, will reduce taxes on the wealthy and while lambasting immigrants, is married to one. Lastly, he is enjoying the huge benefits of being an MEP while wanting to leave the EU. Hypocritical or what?

Playing devils advocate and knowing I will probably be on the receiving end for it, but here goes.

Privately educated: I don't think that matters only to those who use class warfare to hit somebody with and I don't think UKIP anymore than the other party leaders is any different.

Tory candidate: Defections happen from all parties don't they. How did the Liberal Democrats form?

Privatise the NHS: All parties have privatised parts of the NHS and this is emotive and I don't know to what extent this is policy.

£10 to visit your GP: A breath of honesty. This has been debated by all parties.

Grammer Schools: Liked by a lot of people and if you don't like them then you won't be voting UKIP. Again a decisive, honest policy.

Reduce taxes for the wealthy: If, as has been said, it brings in more taxes collected Why Not? That's economics and that should be the mandate not class warfare.

Lambasting Immigrants. They want a points system, not an end to immigration as is portrayed.

Married to one: Yes, so? Surely that makes the point better than anything.

MEP wanting to leave Europe. That is not being a hypocrite, he is a turkey voting for Xmas.

I watched the Labour Conference, absolutely dire, just doesn't add up. I watched the UKIP Conference and it was interesting. Waiting to see what the Conservative and Lib Dems are like.

Would I vote UKIP. No, It is however going to shock both left and right in the Westminster Bubble and I think it is gaining momentum and there are some in the party who are showing a good ability to debate and they are getting more and more coverage and inclusiveness in the media.

Very good points but they do need answering. It isn't class warfare to raise issues of justice and fairness.

Private education prepares its students for the top jobs in law, the civil service, business, the financial sector, TV, the arts bodies. Private education confers an attitude of being chosen for positions of responsibility (I would call it power) It is not an accident that most of Cameron's cabinet were educated in private schools. Yes, there are those in the Labour Party who send their kids to private schools and shame on them, I say, although it is tough for the kids of people in the public eye, especially if the press ridicules you.

Tory candidate - yes people do defect but it is a clue to their opinions.

Privatise the NHS - I didn't like Labour using the private sector but the previous Tory govt had left the NHS in such a mess that patients were dying on waiting lists. Deaths from heart disease and cancer both dropped after the massive injection of money.

Charging £10 - I sit on our Patient Participation Group and our GPs don't want it. I think charging for missed appts without good reason might be worth considering. We do not want to go back to the days when people couldn't afford to seek help.

Privatisation generally, why is it that our utilities eg railways, water, energy cannot be held in public ownership here, but we let foreign govts buy them up?

Immigration- Personally I would like to see a restriction on oligarchs who have stolen their compatriots' wealth and are now buying up large swathes of property in London.

Farage is not a turkey - he is wealthy in his own right and can afford to leave the EU. I didn't vote for the Common Market but there have been some social contract benefits on maternity rights, health and safety at work.

Labour conf - sadly I agree, no fire in the belly but some good policies. Dig deeper. You won't see it in the Mail, Telegraph etc

UKIP, oh he talks a good talk and there was one policy I agree with, but trust him? No way.

He has already changed one policy from yesterday to today, disagreeing with his finance spokesman. Do people in Clacton know what they are voting for?

Mogette

Thank you for a reasoned reply.

Two interesting posts POGs and Mogette1. I don't agree with all the thoughts but it really shows a lot of thinking is going on around UKIP. Like POGS I would never vote for them but I do like the stirring up of the old parties.

Mogette1, I belong to another forum where a group, mainly male, mainly long retired, believe that everyone must see the "sense" of voting UKIP. We have all probably read/heard the talk of "the left-behinds" (if not you may find www.thersa.org/events/video/vision-videos/ukip-and-the-left-behind interesting). I don't think this covers all the people who are attracted by the new party but it does give some insight into a section who may find them appealing.

https://fullfact.org/news/7_key_factchecks_nigel_farages_ukip_conference_speech-35493

A fact check on Farage's speech.