Thursday, September 25, 2014

UKIP and the Local Election in Hull 2015

UKIP and the Local Election in Hull 2015

UKIP achieved a sizeable vote in the city and many wards in 2014.

People voted UKIP not because of their programme but as a vote against the establishment be it the council, MPs or authority in general.

The working class are becoming alienated by the three mainstream political parties.

In many wards Drypool included many traditional Labour voters voted UKIP.

People voting UKIP have no idea of their programme.

UKIP were seen as breaking the mould of politics and the political class. “the're all the same”.

The traditional working class feel let down by Labour.

Whilst the Labour Party has moved to the right the working class are moving to the left.

The Labour Party is not seen as being a left party.

Working people feel alienated and protested by voting UKIP.

For many voting UKIP is a protest vote i.e. “non of the above.”

There is a real mood of anger looking to be expressed, looking for radical ideas, anger at the mainstream and the constant scandals, anger at capitalism and the visible greed of the 1%.

The neo liberal ideas coming from the Labour Party supporting counter reforms makes the Labour party and the Tory party sound the same.

We should not over estimate importance of UKIP. Far Far more people did not vote in the election than voted UKIP.

It will be much different when the General Election comes around.

UKIP is being hyped up by the media to create stories for journalists. It is getting publicity far beyond its strength or support. It has few full time staff and is incapable of running a large-scale campaign in a general election. Its councillors and MEP s do not have a whip and vote differently on issues. Councillors, MEP s and supporters are often quoted making daft or bizarre comments.

The more responsibility they get the more they can and will be exposed.

UKIP support is not just about immigration, it is about all the problems which people face immigration is being used as a scapegoat for other problems.

Ukips policies are often hidden, voters have no idea what programme UKIP stand on.

The real question is how should we fight UKIP.

The last thing we should do is mirror UKIP and start to put forward anti immigrant or racist views.

The correct way to expose UKIP and fight them from the left is to expose their policies and programme.
  1. Force the unemployed welfare claimants onto community schemes or workfare programmes.
  2. Scrap HS2, all green taxes and wind turbine subsidies.
  3. Develop shale gas and supports fracking.
  4. UKIP will abolish inheritance tax.
  5. Introduce charges into the NHS
  6. Make cuts to foreign aid.
  7. The party has the laziest MEP s in Europe
  8. UKIP’s attendance record in the European Parliament is worse than that of their counterparts from the three major parties.
  9. UKIP is largely funded by one individual Paul Sykes.


It is difficult for the Labour Party to attack the Tories austerity programme if the Labour Party programme is a watered down version. We need to campaign on a socialist programme.