Should we be worried about right-wing populism?

But to go back to the thread- yes we really should be very concerned- I fear for our granchildren. It's happening all over- the vote in Austria was so so close.

petra I wonder what would happen to the price of fruit and veg if they were not picked by EU labour at low rates.

TAs in Essex have been paid for term times only for as long as I can remember (30 years?) The job contract often states that they will be paid over 52 weeks, but it's actually £X for a 32 and a half hour week divided by 52. I'm not saying it's right, but that's how it's been.

Don't get me started on unqualified staff taking whole classes! It's an absolute disgrace and I wish more parents would kick up a fuss. The trouble is that many of them don't know.

TAs are often employed on annual contracts, especially if they are to work with a specific child, and their hours can be changed annually. They are an exploited group of workers.

But - and crucially for this thread - absolutely nothing to do with the EU!!

You're wrong, as usual, Petra. It's got nothing to do with cheap EU labour. It's because the Tory government is cutting council money and making them think of how they can save by reducing pay for those who applied for the jobs, some years ago, on an annual contract, not an hourly rate.
If they work part time, they are paid pro-rata anyway.

Most TAs I know, daphne, are not admin staff. They are used as supply teachers, and often have to teach whole classes.
Just because other authorities caved in earlier does not make it right.

Anyway, like you say, nothing to do with the EU. Definitely something to do with right wing ideology, though.

But really this thread is about the spread f a particular nasty authoritarian conservative form of politics.

An example of which and the type of strategy they adopt in scapegoating. The Leave EU campaign retweeted a video that included a representation of a woman who was clothed in an EU flag. She was being raped by a dark skinned man.

Compare this to the Nazi posters of Jews doing just that to a fair skinned woman and you get the point.

I most certainly do not dismiss all concerns about immigration as racist, there is a difference between being concerned about immigration, and the inadequate way in which it is being dealt with, and the campaign whose central objective is to demonise foreigners.
UKIP and its central message of poisonous rhetoric about such people as the Romanians has rendered UKIP toxic for much of the population.

Trumps message with regard to the Muslim population follows the same rhetoric, he is successful so far because he plays on people's fears. In the US case it is terrorism.
This is reiterated in all the right wing propaganda throughout Europe, whether they are a member of the EU or not.

The teaching assistants are being re-employed on a lower wage - this is nothing at all to do with the EU. It's to do with changing the contract of existing employees. I have to admit, after reading a bit about this, that the TAs in Durham are having the same contracts imposed as TAs and other school admin staff in other parts of the country already have.

Whatever the rights and wrongs, this has nothing at all to do with the EU. It has more to do with education budgets being squeezed.

No that is not what is happening petra. It is unscrupulous employers doing what unscrupulous employers do. They are looking at the bottom line and getting rid of employees being paid a fair days pay. This is happening all over the country. In 5 cases I have first hand knowledge of the employees -5 nursery managers -have been replaced with cheaper UK labour.
Don't blame anyone other than the unscrupulous employer. No one is forcing them to force wages/salaries down.

We need stricter employment laws that prevent companies from exploiting there employees.

Well put Varian.

dj. Your post Re the teaching assistants being sacked and re-employed on a lower wage. These employers know that there are plenty of eu workers who will work for the lower rate. So yes, it is the eu's fault that local people could loose their jobs. If we didn't have open borders this huge pool of cheap labour wouldn't be available.

immogrant=immigrant 9typo)

Sorry, Granyy2016, but I disagree with most of your post. I'll come back later and take it apart. At the moment I'm too tired.

The majority of those with far right views are very happy to be anti-immogrant and anti-EU (saddos that they they are).

All teaching assistants in County Durham are having their wages cut. They are to be sacked, then given new contratcs on lower pay. That is nothing to do with the EU, nothing to do with foreign workers. Most of them are British born and bred.

Why do you assume that those who want to stay in the EU are not making a stand for their children's future?

I am affected by it. Both my sons partners are from the EU. Both came here to study and stayed. Both are teaching in this country, perhaps even teaching your children or your grandchildren, who knows.
I am a supporter of the free movement of migrants.

The only reason immigrants are cheap labour is if UK bosses exploit them and undercut the minimum wage. You should focus your anger on that, rather than the immigrants.

The majority of people are not anti immigration,but anti uncontrolled immigration.Open borders and free movement is causing an upsurge of far right groups.Many are racist,but the majority of those joining recent protests across Europe are ordinary people who are feeling weighed down by the sheer numbers they are having to contend with.
I find it annoying to read press headlines re mass right wing protests,when we can clearly see non-aggressive attendees.
Patriotism is not Fascism.
I would suspect that a good number of people who are supporters of free movement of migrants are unlikely to be affected personally by it,or may benefit from it as cheap labour ,and that many of those against it are the very ones whose areas/schools/jobs etc will be ruined by it.
While those such as Merkel encourage wholesale immigration,there will be dissatisfaction.
I object to ordinary people making a stand for their childrens future,being labelled fascists and far right.
The press of course need headlines.

I agree with you once again. Globally, the situation is very unstable. I won't write a novel to outline all the potential conflicts and difficulties, because I think most people are aware of them.

In the UK, we have a corrupt government, which is blatantly supporting the rich at the expense of the poor (and not so poor). Not only that, but it's inept. People are looking for alternatives and the right wing is feeding people's prejudices and sense of disillusion. Sadly, some people have disengaged from the whole process and they're about to become cannon fodder.

Yes and I am fearful that if our politicians continue to be second rate, lacking integrity and historical perspective it will go the same way, because the refugee problem is not going away.

We have the Middle East and all its attendant problems and now potential famine in various countries in Africa because of climate change. Climate change is probably more of a threat and will affect millions more people than war.

I agree with you, ww. The history of the political right wing in Europe is far more complex than the EU or even unwanted immigrants. It's an ideology - or rather a group of ideologies - which involves nationalism, racism, authoritarianism (or its polar opposite, libertarianism), etc. The right wing is bitterly opposed to the more egalitarian and liberal (with a small 'l') social policies of the EU.

Right wing politics hasn't been caused by the EU or immigrants, but its leaders have latched on to popular discontent, which hasn't been honestly addressed by politicians of any mainstream party. We're only experiencing the tip of the iceberg in the UK.

It's frightening, because this is exactly what happened in the early 1930s. People fell for it then and they don't seem to have learnt very much.

Oh ana this has nothing to do with the EU vote, it goes much further than that. If only it was just the EU!!!!

And the Remains aren't?

Exactly dj they are feeding on people's fears.

Has anyone else seen the photo of the woman handing out leaflets for Brexit in Leeds? She has a rather large swastika for a tattoo on her breast.

I haven't read much about Clinton but sort of speed listened to some remarks about her on the radio(is that possible)? -and they were saying her foreign policy has been pretty dreadful and she is extremely hawkish - oh joy.

pertra I don't think my reply was fair or adequate. I do think that people's day to day experiences count for a large part of the way they see the world. These worries are not being addressed properly by the politicians, which results as you rightly said in voters turning to the extreme right wing.

I think that we can certainly blame the politicians for this inadequacy, and some of the press for stoking up hysteria.

I would not agree however that it is because of the extreme left wing. There has been no extreme left wing in power in any country except perhaps Russia?

Can't see Sanders getting in WW in fact, I hope it will be Clinton, but think Trump is looking likely to win.?