Ist UKIP MP

How much do elections cost, I wonder?

Nigel Farage abolished their last manifesto. He abolished the one before that too. They actually gained all those Euroseats without a manifesto.
Perhaps that's where the other parties can score, by asking him about his manifesto.
On the other hand, the Tories went completely against their manifesto within weeks of coming into government so it hardly matters.
But if nobody has a manifesto, why should we vote at all?

The Lib/Dems were always the voice of reason; the Jiminy Crickets of British politics. They were always a nice safe way to vote if wanting to show discontent about things. I miss that [I know they're still with us but it's not the same now ].

Saw a bit of the Andrew Neil interview with NF at home today. Old Nick seemed very uneasy under fire from the big guns about his specific policies. What a sad state British politics is in these days!

get about

I hope no one took my post the wrong way. I did put an eye rolling emoticon.

Jendurham I meant he may be even more "anti-immigration" than he says he is. Just a feeling. Like you do about some people.

It sounds very much a pick n mix of policies Eloethan, designed to have the most appeal to the greatest number of people. i wonder what on earth was the thinking behind some of these policies - smoking rooms in pubs, when the whole of Europe and America has done away with these, and there is overwhelming evidence of the damage that smoking - and second hand smoking does? I think this is a cynical move to appeal to "the working man".

While there may not be a finalised UKIP manifesto, their recent conference made several policy announcements. Their stance re the EU and immigration is well known, but there are a large number of other policies - amongst them:

Abolish inheritance tax.

Introduce a 35% income tax rate for those earning between £44,000 and 55,000. Abolish the 45% income tax rate for those earning £150,000 and above.

Protect the Green Belt, encourage development of brownfield sites, together with lowering planning regulations for such sites, and introduce a mechanism whereby referenda can be held for local people to oppose large scale housing developments.

Cut foreign aid.

Scrap HS2.

Abolish the Department for Energy and Climate Change, subsidies for wind farms and solar power and "green" taxes, and support the development of fracking.

Abolish the Department for Energy, Media and Sport.

Support "free" schools and the re-introduction of grammar schools.

Introduce a "simplified, streamlined welfare system" and abolish the bedroom tax (which appears to have been a disaster anyway).

Oppose the proposal for plain packaging for tobacco products and minimum pricing restrictions for alcohol, and introduce "smoking rooms" into pubs.

Review BBC licence fee, with a view to reducing it.

Oppose proposals to charge for GP visits (which they previously supported)

No doubt certain of these policies will appeal to a number of voters, whatever their political leanings.

My feeling is that the tax cuts they propose would be just the opening round of their previously expressed wish to introduce a flat rate income tax of around 25%. People would, as UKIP said, retain "more of their own money" but would inevitably have to use that money to pay for privatised services since a 25% flat rate income tax would lead to a very significant shrinkage of the state (again, a previously stated UKIP goal, about which they're now keeping a very low profile).

Their intention to abolish inheritance tax - at an estimated cost of £3 billion per annum - may well appeal to many people who, I believe, frequently over-estimate the proportion of estates that will become liable for it. The threshold is set at £325,000 per person or £650,000 per couple and in 2010/11 6% of estates paid inheritance tax. Apparently half of the yield for inheritance tax comes from the south east and, in particular, London. Its abolition would mean an acceleration of the acquisition of wealth (and power) by a very small percentage of the population.

Also, even if one does not go along with the notion of "man made climate change", it seems dangerous to me to not invest in the development of more sustainable and less polluting energy sources.

My feeling is that it's a dangerous party that probably carries enough support in the Conservative party to enable it to form a coalition with them. Heaven forbid.

Unfortunately a lot of people agree with jing and agree with her! The Angel next door is one! She resents the immigrants and is bitter about the fact that she and her oh have minimal pensions.

I do not understand, jingle. Farage believes strongly in what he doesn't verbalise? If he doesn't verbalise it, how can you know what it is?

NF (now where I have seen those initials before?) has all the appeal of a Home Counties saloon bar bore of the sort I hoped was dying out: the sort who says "What we need is a benevolent dictator". Oh no, that was a colleague at lunch in the City back in the seventies. NF is more clever than that; that's the danger.

That's one of the scary things, jing, he does appeal to many people. I'm not criticising those people, because he does seem at first glance to be 'more like the average person'. He appears to answer questions more directly than other party leaders. I don't trust him at all, but I do accept he has an appeal. As so many posts state, we don't know Ukips policies. I hope NF is put under more pressure now they begin to appear like a potential threat. (to the country in my view)

I think Farage believes strongly in what he says. And in what he doesn't verbalise. He also think he speaks for the masses. Perhaps he does.

Support from me for Tegan and papaoscar, as well as whenim64 for their contributions.

Petallus, I accept your wish to have a proper debate about Mr F, but I don't see any rhetoric in the comments that question his integrity, motivation or morality. I believe he is a very clever politician, but other than his stance on the EU, I don't know what Ukip stands for.

I heard the Ukip spokesman on Any Questions. He was the worst kind of shouting, bullying, ill-informed young bloke, who believes in shouting the loudest. I was amused by David Cameron's description of Ukip, though his language was strong.

I also share BoredPanda's concern about the rise of the right in Europe. Many of our friends in other European countries feel the same. Austerity seems to lead to a swing to the right, for reasons that aren't difficult to understand, if not agree with.

I wouldn't buy a secondhand car from NF - would you?
He smiles too much.....

It is a great pity that so many folk are disillusioned with mainstream politics, but no surprise. What with all the expenses frauds, unhealthy media involvement, political duplicity etc.etc., there just does not seem to be much difference between the major parties. Even the Liberals have done themselves no good by dumping manifesto promises purely to get their hands on a little bit of power. So what happens? Along comes UKIP with simple solutions to all problems and no track record of failure (yet!). Fortunately, their presentations are so paper-thin that they unravelling before our eyes as fast as they are trying to cobble them together. They have the staying-power of a burst of flatulence in a football-stadium!

I was wondering what you based your opinion on, that's all

I would like to have a proper discussion about UKIP and NF sometime and somewhere but it's diffiicult to get past the rhetoric.

I think people who vote UKIP should have their reasons at least considered with respect, otherwise it's more of the same for them and attitudes will become hardened and the situation will get worse.

As for confidence, i am guessing that many of us struggle with that one, even if we are not confident enough to say so.

It seems to me that UKIP are a single issue party - anti EU, in much the same way that people run for parliament on a local issue, such as saving the local hospital. As such, they haven't really got any policies that relate to real day to day life. Farage has flounced out of interviews in the past if he doesn't like the line of questioning, and recently got very upset when comments he made about people who are HIV were repeated back to him.

Y'know; I'm not the most confident of people and usually question my own opinion. However, in this case I will state that, yes, I am right in my opinion of him but that some politicians do actually enter politics for the right reason. He isn't one of them. I even think [as a lifelong Labour supporter] that David Cameron has good intentions.

How do you know Tegan?

Even if you are right, does that make him different to other politicians?

There seems to be a school of thought that Farage wants this country to be a better place and wants to show up other politicians/parties for what they are but the actual truth is that he has seen a niche in the market and can smell power through it. He's not doing it for us; he's doing it for himself. He's very, very clever.

This came up on Radio 4 question time today and UKIP was represented by its Deputy Chairman, Paul Nuttall. A very loud, aggressive and ill-informed young man, I thought, who continually tried to shout-down his fellow panelists, but is quite willing to take his MEPs salary, expenses and benefits for doing nothing but criticise the EU. What an utter hypocrite! I suggest that if UKIP wishes to prosper they will have to recruit much more reasonable leaders. Bar-room bullies with no proper plans will not solve the nation's problems, neither will ranting neo-nationalists. They are a very dangerous breed indeed and should be locked up securely in the dustbin of political obscurity.

So what do you expect us to vote for, Holly?
UKIP do not have a manifesto yet. I've just checked on their website.

I can't say I've noticed the BBC lurching to the right over the past couple of years

I don't think anyone has accused them of 'lurching' anywhere Ana but they do have a tendency to go for sensationalism now (if it bleeds it leads) and very definitely biased reporting in some areas. I prefer the BBC that gave impartial news reporting and left the decision of what to make of it to the viewing public but just like the tabloids, they've developed a tendency to tell you what you should be thinking.

I hope Nigel Farage and his party do well in the elections - I can't say that I see much reason for any of you to vote Labour or Tory, they haven't exactly improved your lot have they (in fact, over the past 20-30 years it seems to have definitely declined).

Watching the public being interviewed about Nigel Farage, the one comment that seems to get repeated is that he actually answers questions instead of fudging around the question like nearly all MPs do. Like it or not, people relate to him.

Every political party will have trade-offs in their manifesto so it's up to voters what they are prepared to trade (no manifesto is going to be full of everything you approve of).

I'm glad they are doing so well - I hope it continues. It's about time a rocket was put up the complacent rear-ends of the Westmister gang.