Local Elections Thursday.

[lavrentis]

I've just tweeted her my delight and she's blocked me straight off. Clearly not a good day.

Brilliant stuff

[yorkie1999]

By putting their income tax up by 5%?

Not really, its a flat 25% from personal tax allowance up, for everyone and not 20% and 40% for earnings over 32000

[Carl the Llama]

Totally right. UKIP shockingly ill informed about the EU issue. Of course this isn't the same UKIP though whose main issue with the EU though so they actually have to be well informed?

You keep believing the other parties "talk" about the EU though, and all the Cameron talk about getting things done. UKIP say it like it is.

So you believe that because their biggest gripe is with the EU they must therefore be well-informed on the issue? I suppose you think the KKK were pretty clued in on the implications of black-skinned people having equal rights, or that the Nazis were well on top of the threat posed by the Jewish menace? For clarification I'm not saying UKIP are akin to either of those examples as a political movement, my point is that having an issue with something doesn't necessarily arise from enlightened comprehension but instead can be caused by clouded and sometimes scared, jealous, and hateful misconceptions.

I'm not denying the myriad faults that the EU's political processes demonstrate, but I'd really like to hear you reason out what your problems with the EU are and why you think UKIP's stance will answer them.

[lavrentis]

So you believe that because their biggest gripe is with the EU they must therefore be well-informed on the issue? I suppose you think the KKK were pretty clued in on the implications of black-skinned people having equal rights, or that the Nazis were well on top of the threat posed by the Jewish menace? For clarification I'm not saying UKIP are akin to either of those examples as a political movement, my point is that having an issue with something doesn't necessarily arise from enlightened comprehension but instead can be caused by clouded and sometimes scared, jealous, and hateful misconceptions.

I'm not denying the myriad faults that the EU's political processes demonstrate, but I'd really like to hear you reason out what your problems with the EU are and why you think UKIP's stance will answer them.

Ridiculous comparison with the KKK. UKIP are taken seriously which is the difference, and they are with 25% of the vote. If their policies on Europe were that bad, the media and the other parties would slate them for it. They are holding up to the inevitable criticism they are getting as they get bigger.

I have many problems with the EU, immigration(the fact we cannot fully control who comes in and who comes out of our country), the power they have, it is even acknowledged by Cameron that the EU have too much power and he is saying he wants to claw some back but in reality he knows he cannot do anything. It's all talk with Cameron.

I do have a more fundamental problem with the EU though, the EU as it currently is, as more or less about unifying us altogether as Europeans and bringing standardised law. Europe is unique in that we in such close proximity with eachother yet have such diverse and vibrant cultures. This is Europe. The boring grey men in charge at Brussels are bringing in this standardised legislation which helps takes away these differences. These laws in which we have to abide by above all else. Laws made by people we didn't vote for, inside a system we also didn't vote for.

I think the economic argument is still debatable, yet I would argue that going out from the EU would benefit us immensely. I have actually been told first hand about excessive EU regulation on businesses but as a country we need to be completely self governing, with our government having the potential to control everything they currently do not. (And I am for small government). And also, it is a simple argument Farage makes in that will European businesses really stop selling in our country because we are not in the EU.

When I think about the EU, did we really ask to be in this? How did it evolve to be how it is? This is why I am naturally skeptical, it's a juggernaut which is in a ****ing mess at the moment and I cannot see any reason why anyone might think we would need further integration. It is no wonder that the liberal democrats who support further integration are getting such low votes.

[Guest MattP]

I'm not denying the myriad faults that the EU's political processes demonstrate, but I'd really like to hear you reason out what your problems with the EU are and why you think UKIP's stance will answer them.

I want complete control over our borders and complete control over our laws. That cannot happen now without leaving the EU. UKIP is the only party commited to doing that who I would vote for.

As for 'knowing about Europe' - well maybe you should have been listening to Mr Farage a lot earlier, after all he's been spot on on pretty much everything over the last ten years.

He said in the early 2000's "a one-size-fits-all interest rate" cannot work for countries with structurally different economies and predicted the need for bailouts from the European central banks for nations that won't be able to come into line with Northern Europe, that's on the record.

I wonder how many more will go before folk realise buying your own debt with tax payers money isn't going to end well for anybody.

[Alf Bentley]

I want complete control over our borders and complete control over our laws. That cannot happen now without leaving the EU. UKIP is the only party commited to doing that who I would vote for.

As for 'knowing about Europe' - well maybe you should have been listening to Mr Farage a lot earlier, after all he's been spot on on pretty much everything over the last ten years.

He said in the early 2000's "a one-size-fits-all interest rate" cannot work for countries with structurally different economies and predicted the need for bailouts from the European central banks for nations that won't be able to come into line with Northern Europe, that's on the record.

I wonder how many more will go before folk realise buying your own debt with tax payers money isn't going to end well for anybody.

Always eager to please...

Complete Control and a Safe European Home...

Always happy to bring pleasure to MattP, especially with a French translation...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flc3j68TqXM&feature=related

[Guest MattP]

I love The Clash!!

[Alf Bentley]

I love The Clash!!

Vichy.......

[leicsmac]

I think this whole thing does highlight a real cultural clash.

 

Yeah, the EU has failed economically (I don't think anyone can say otherwise) because of the immense cultural differences between the different countries that make it up. Of course the easy answer to this (as Farage and co would purport) is not to get involved at all and isolate ourselves, which sounds good in principle. Economic independence? Yes please!

 

However...there is some stuff going on (and particularly to come) that is going to require a global effort to solve. Potential energy and other resource shortages, a changing climate, and billions of people in developing countries wanting a developed country quality of life leading to massive consumption of those resources (already seeing it in China) are just three. Such issues are so big that they will affect everyone, and so are going to require humanity acting with one agenda, not several.

 

Additionally, even if we have complete economic autonomy, what happens in other markets around the world will still affect us here in the UK - the recession we're still trying to climb out of, caused by the US, is evidence of that. 

 

But, at the same time, many individual nation-states have a rich and varied cultural history (normally revolved around killing people, but hey) and it'd be a sad day to throw that all away. We're all humans, but we're not all the same. It'd be a sad world if we were.

 

There's got to be some kind of compromise. Neither complete isolationism from or complete integration into the EU is going to be ideal. A way to maintain autonomy as a nation-state both economically and politically, but be able to deal with global issues without things descending into a massive talking shop.

[Alf Bentley]

I apologise unreservedly for my incoherent contributions to Foxes Talk last night, coming on like the new Bernie.

 

I'd like to think that it was excited anticipation of a stunning victory today.

Unfortunately, I fear that there is an alternative explanation...

 

[purpleronnie]

Loving the hatred in scotland for that UKIP moron.

[z-layrex]

I don't live in leicester at the moment (although I think I am still registered to vote in this) - but I'd be voting green.

 

The green's have ruined Brighton, just a warning.

[ADK]

I'd never vote Green.

[lavrentis]

Loving the hatred in scotland for that UKIP moron.

 

 

Typical for the left. If they don't like something they are the first to turn violent.

[sphericalfox]

Typical for the left. If they don't like something they are the first to turn violent.

 

Are you off the weed or something? 

[lavrentis]

Are you off the weed or something? 

 

What do you mean ?

[sphericalfox]

What do you mean ?

 

I liked the old you.

[lavrentis]

I liked the old you.

 

I know I am a right bore now.

[sphericalfox]

I know I am a right bore now.

hmmm, not the words I'd use.

[lavrentis]

hmmm, not the words I'd use.

 

I'm intrigued Or are you thinking along the lines of "tory boy". 

[Guest Bilo]

Typical for the left. If they don't like something they are the first to turn violent.

 

[lavrentis]

 

Not condoning the EDL but where there was an EDL there was the UAF just the same.

 

The guy in Scotland on newsnight said he wanted to have a debate, yeah really good debating calling them racist. Good old left and their tricks. People are waking up to the bullshit.

[Carl the Llama]

I hope the Scotland debacle has opened the eyes of some people to what a clown Nigel Farage is.  People don't like his views so it must be because they have a "total hatred of the English".  Just because you're racist, Nigel, doesn't mean everyone else is.

 

Listening to that BBC Scotland interview which he eventually hung up on I was reminded more of Dr Statham from Green Wing than a politician:

[lavrentis]

I hope the Scotland debacle has opened the eyes of some people to what a clown Nigel Farage is.  People don't like his views so it must be because they have a "total hatred of the English".  Just because you're racist, Nigel, doesn't mean everyone else is.

 

Listening to that BBC Scotland interview which he eventually hung up on I was reminded more of Dr Statham from Green Wing than a politician:

 

 

He said they were a small bunch of anti UKIP, and a few hard core anti-english.

 

They were saying UKIP is racist, which of course is bollocks and put out there by the ones that despise anything right wing. Irony isn't in these peoples dictionaries.

[Carl the Llama]

He said they were a small bunch of anti UKIP, and a few hard core anti-english.

 

They were saying UKIP is racist, which of course is bollocks and put out there by the ones that despise anything right wing. Irony isn't in these peoples dictionaries.

I'm going out on a limb here and saying you haven't actually listened to the interview, and are just regurgitating Nigel's official line on the issue.  

 

Here's your dear leader's description of a protest set up to say, in the words of its organiser, "immigrants are welcome in Scotland, but Mr Farage and his type with his type of politics are not":

"It was a demonstration dressed up as being anti-racism, but in fact in itself was deeply racist with a total hatred of the English and a desire for Scotland to be independent from Westminster".  "They wanted the Union Jack burned".