European Election Results

[Buce]

Tony Blair calling ukip 'unpleasant and nasty': that's like Gary Glitter calling Stuart Hall a pervert.

[Rincewind]

Takes one to know one.

[purpleronnie]

We can only hope that those voting ukip see sense when it comes to the GE after reading their other policies.  Vile stuff.

[lavrentis]

No more than in other countries. Take China for example, an economic (and socialist) powerhouse. In fact, as it's politics have moved further to the right in recent years, its unemployment has increased.

 

[lavrentis]

We can only hope that those voting ukip see sense when it comes to the GE after reading their other policies.  Vile stuff.

 

If the tories take an anti-EU stance and provide a referendum/leave within a year or before election they will gain votes.

 

As it stands, UKIP is the only anti EU party.

[MooseBreath]

We can only hope that those voting ukip see sense when it comes to the GE after reading their other policies. Vile stuff.

What other policies? They don't have any yet so how can you call them vile? How do you know they won't fall into line with your opinions. Are you just going to prejudge them, while talking about how other people need to "see sense"?

[Father Ted]

as it is slowly strangled by fascism.

 

 

I thought you had a right hard-on for the military - why then celebrate the success of what they've fought against for years?

There is a huge difference between fascism and being patriotist/nationalist. It's like me calling you a communist. 

[Father Ted]

Tony Blair calling ukip 'unpleasant and nasty': that's like Gary Glitter calling Stuart Hall a pervert.

The man who instigated many a war and murdered many millions of people around the world. I cling on to the minutest of hope that one day he'll be brought to trial.

[Feed The Yak!!]

Nice to see you can make an informed response.

[Tom17LCFC]

It pains me seeing the amount of support UKIP have.

[Bellend Sebastian]

Anyone got any thoughts on why no news agency has mentioned that UKIP's Scottish MEP who got elected is openly gay?

 

 

No, but my mum won't have a clue who to vote for now

[totbl]

I wonder how many of the UKIP voters have researched things the EU actually does well, the policies that have come out of it, or have just read the Express or Daily Mail and believed every word that Farage spouts? I'm not saying UKIP voters are neccessarily racist, but when pushed on why they agree with UKIP, it's usually some false xenophobic idea that is trotted out (Foreigners taking our money/jobs/schools). Look at the facts.

 

The idea that people believe Farage stands up for the everyday person is nonsense, he's as much a member of the political class as anyone else, and I have no idea why so many people voted for UKIP MEP's who will not attend EU meetings, have no impact on policy, yet take home their taxpayer funded salary for doing nothing.

 

The EU is far from perfect but can be reformed with our involvement. You look at other European countries, Germany, France etc, all seem more organised, cleaner streets, less crime, have better public transport, it seems we have more to learn from them than the other way round.

 

It genuinely feels like we're going backwards, having to fight the same old battles against small minded people with no vision for the future. Apart from leaving the EU, what other policies do UKIP support? What vision for the UK is there, apart from withdrawing into ourselves into some tinpot nation who willingly isolate ourselves from the rest of Europe? I think they support fracking, I assume if that came to Leicestershire, none of the UKIP voters would mind?

 

I'm far from a supporter of Blair, but the comments he made today are pretty much spot on.

[Buce]

I wonder how many of the UKIP voters have researched things the pEU actually does well, the policies that have come out of it, or have just read the Express or Daily Mail and believed every word that Farage spouts? I'm not saying UKIP voters are neccessarily racist, but when pushed on why they agree with UKIP, it's usually some false xenophobic idea that is trotted out (Foreigners taking our money/jobs/schools). Look at the facts.

The idea that people believe Farage stands up for the everyday person is nonsense, he's as much a member of the political class as anyone else, and I have no idea why so many people voted for UKIP MEP's who will not attend EU meetings, have no impact on policy, yet take home their taxpayer funded salary for doing nothing.

The EU is far from perfect but can be reformed with our involvement. You look at other European countries, Germany, France etc, all seem more organised, cleaner streets, less crime, have better public transport, it seems we have more to learn from them than the other way round.

It genuinely feels like we're going backwards, having to fight the same old battles against small minded people with no vision for the future. Apart from leaving the EU, what other policies do UKIP support? What vision for the UK is there, apart from withdrawing into ourselves into some tinpot nation who willingly isolate ourselves from the rest of Europe? I think they support fracking, I assume if that came to Leicestershire, none of the UKIP voters would mind?

I'm far from a supporter of Blair, but the comments he made today are pretty much spot on.

Blair's comments would be fine if they came from someone else.

[Guest MattP]

Black people can't be racist Matt?

 

Of course they can, but I'd imagine the numerous ethnic members of UKIP would have far more idea what goes on in the party to judge it, they have been portrayed as Racist, Sexist and Homophobic yet have numerous members of all three, it's more a point to say the people actually inside the party probably now a bit more than those on the outside of the tent spitting in.

UKIP sent more women and ethnic candidates to the EU parliament this week than the Lib Dems have done in twenty years, the Liberals clearly have far more of a problem with attracting minorites than UKIP at the minute.

I am terrified about the prospect of an EU In/Out referendum. I still think it's a fair way away but I genuinely think enough people are stupid enough to vote 'out' on the back of the promise of closing our borders alone.

The implications on our international trade would be fvcking disastrous. I'm no expert but starting to put up trade tariffs and restrictions with your biggest importer and exporter is asking for trouble, isn't it? Particularly when you have the biggest trade bloc in the world sat on your doorstep.

 

But it's also important people aren't stupid enough to believe this Clegg myth that the whole of Europe will stop trading with us if we come out, we are a pretty good country, we sell good things, people will still by those and this would allow ourselves to open up trade deals with the rest of the World on our own terms. The way people talk about trade and the EU you would think we didn't manage on our own for thousands of years before.

 

 

Once upon a time, Matt used to praise Clegg's self-sacrifice in forming the coalition to ensure national stability in difficult times. I partly agreed with that, as Labour didn't seem to want to do a deal after the election. On the other hand, Clegg, like Danny Alexander, has always been someone who's politically more comfortable hanging out with Tories - he's like a Tory wet in his politics, a Ken Clarke, if you like. Cable, Hughes and Farron would clearly be more at ease in coalition with Labour, being old-style social democrats (Cable, who was once a Labour member) or old-style Liberals (Hughes, Farron).

 

The Lib Dems are in a near impossible situation now. They surely can't change tack and put the coalition in peril at this stage - they'd lose all the little credit they've got for acting responsibly over the last 4 years. Would the Tories even accept Cable or Farron as Deputy PM at this stage if they ditched Clegg? If not, the Lib Dems would end up going into the election with a record of 4 years supporting the Tories and 1 year plunging the country into political chaos! I reckon their only option is for Clegg to stay, at least until the election, for them to stay in the coalition but to be more aggressive about differentiating themselves from the Tories: picking a few fights with the Tories without bringing down the govt, promoting distinctly Lib Dem policies.

 

After the election, if they do badly (very likely), then they'll have a leadership decision to take. If Labour are the biggest party, then I'm sure Clegg will go in favour of Cable or Farron (interesting that the Lib Dems topped the poll in Farron's seat, while Cable could lose his). If the Tories are the biggest party, but have no majority, would the Lib Dems be happy for Clegg to stay and form another coalition, even if they've lost loads of seats....doubtful. So, one of the results of the Euro elections could be that the Tories will need a majority (or an alliance with the Ulster Unionists) to form the next government, assuming that UKIP get very few seats next year, which I still do assume.

 

 

 

Sorry I cocked up the quote here and can't be bothered to go back so I'll write this in bold. I still do praise Clegg for his decision, it's also a tough but noble thing to do to sacrfice yourself for the bigger cause. Why Clegg hasn't been bigging up his part in the recovery and instead decided to focus on being pro-europe and blocking longer sentences for criminals is probably just as much to blame for their loss of support. They have done some good things, the 10k tax relief, the free childcard, he has done a nothing job of getting this out to the public.

 

You say Labour didn't want to a deal after the election? They didn;t have enough seats to do one or I'm sure Gordon Brown would have been absolutely clinging onto number 10 like the insane lunatic does. If Cleggs popularity has dropped now imagine what it would have been had he propped up Gordon Broon?

 

 

What is there to learn? Nobody likes them, they fvcked up massively in joining the coaltion and going back on a promise to never vote for a rise in tuition fees.

 

They can't go back in time and stop themselves becoming a laughing stock, they either need to throw Clegg to the wolves or those that still have some credibility left need to form their own party.

 

It is ridiculous how badly they messed it up so publicly, they had the power, they were king makers, a real chance to influence policy put their stamp on things and now they are at their lowest ebb for decades.

 

Again, I feel for him, he had to make these ridiculous promises to the students to keep them onside, I'm sure even in their heart of hearts they didn't really believe him that he could deliver this, they certainly weren't politics or economics students if they did!

 

Again though, they have influenced a lot of policy, huge changes in earnings to the low paid, less taxation for them, gay marriage legalised, an economic recovery they have been part of, why isn't the party actually as a whole getting this out to the public rather than just positioning themselves in the most unpopular place of the public viewpoint on pretty much everything?

 

Tony Blair calling ukip 'unpleasant and nasty': that's like Gary Glitter calling Stuart Hall a pervert.

 

Not really, it's like Jerry Lee Lewis calling Gary Glitter a peado. UKIP might be unpleasant in your view but let's not pretend they are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people no matter how much marxist fantasy some want to indulge in. As FT said, let's hope one day this man takes a trip to the Hague where he can answer his crimes.

 

We can only hope that those voting ukip see sense when it comes to the GE after reading their other policies.  Vile stuff.

 

That's a really strange post, they don't have a manifesto yet and I'm sure you'll see a very different one to 2010, unfortunately quite populist I'd imagine.

 

Though I suppose some people will still just assume the 2010 one is the truth.

 

I wonder how many of the UKIP voters have researched things the EU actually does well, the policies that have come out of it, or have just read the Express or Daily Mail and believed every word that Farage spouts? I'm not saying UKIP voters are neccessarily racist, but when pushed on why they agree with UKIP, it's usually some false xenophobic idea that is trotted out (Foreigners taking our money/jobs/schools). Look at the facts.

 

The idea that people believe Farage stands up for the everyday person is nonsense, he's as much a member of the political class as anyone else, and I have no idea why so many people voted for UKIP MEP's who will not attend EU meetings, have no impact on policy, yet take home their taxpayer funded salary for doing nothing.

 

The EU is far from perfect but can be reformed with our involvement. You look at other European countries, Germany, France etc, all seem more organised, cleaner streets, less crime, have better public transport, it seems we have more to learn from them than the other way round.

 

It genuinely feels like we're going backwards, having to fight the same old battles against small minded people with no vision for the future. Apart from leaving the EU, what other policies do UKIP support? What vision for the UK is there, apart from withdrawing into ourselves into some tinpot nation who willingly isolate ourselves from the rest of Europe? I think they support fracking, I assume if that came to Leicestershire, none of the UKIP voters would mind?

 

I'm far from a supporter of Blair, but the comments he made today are pretty much spot on.

 

Wahay! Another one on board the Daily Mail/Express bingo game!

 

Me, I read up on the decisions made in the parliament everyweek and every day I feel even more Eurosceptic. A series of laws that impinge on the people and continue to make the poor poorer and the rich richer, a littany of rules and regulations that effect business and I'd genuinely like to hear your own defence of why Britain as a country shouldn't be allowed to decide who comes into it's country and what laws it can and can't make.

 

If you think France looks cleaner than ten years ago then you have different eyes to me. I was in Paris last summer and to be quite the place has flown downhill faster than any other European city and I'd include London in that, when 25% are prepared to actually vote Front National I'd say that opinion holds some sway.

 

UKIP probably don't attend meetings and votes as they have a similar approach to the EU as the SNP do to Westminster.

 

Most people are clearly pro fracking, why would they mind?

 

You whole post looks like it's been written by Natalie Bennett.

[Manwell Pablo]

I wonder how many of the UKIP voters have researched things the EU actually does well, the policies that have come out of it, or have just read the Express or Daily Mail and believed every word that Farage spouts? I'm not saying UKIP voters are neccessarily racist, but when pushed on why they agree with UKIP, it's usually some false xenophobic idea that is trotted out (Foreigners taking our money/jobs/schools). Look at the facts.

 

The idea that people believe Farage stands up for the everyday person is nonsense, he's as much a member of the political class as anyone else, and I have no idea why so many people voted for UKIP MEP's who will not attend EU meetings, have no impact on policy, yet take home their taxpayer funded salary for doing nothing.

 

The EU is far from perfect but can be reformed with our involvement. You look at other European countries, Germany, France etc, all seem more organised, cleaner streets, less crime, have better public transport, it seems we have more to learn from them than the other way round.

 

It genuinely feels like we're going backwards, having to fight the same old battles against small minded people with no vision for the future. Apart from leaving the EU, what other policies do UKIP support? What vision for the UK is there, apart from withdrawing into ourselves into some tinpot nation who willingly isolate ourselves from the rest of Europe? I think they support fracking, I assume if that came to Leicestershire, none of the UKIP voters would mind?

 

I'm far from a supporter of Blair, but the comments he made today are pretty much spot on.

 

You say that, but Switzerland and Norway aren't in the EU and have some of the best living conditions in Europe. 

[Mark_w]

Of course they can, but I'd imagine the numerous ethnic members of UKIP would have far more idea what goes on in the party to judge it, they have been portrayed as Racist, Sexist and Homophobic yet have numerous members of all three, it's more a point to say the people actually inside the party probably now a bit more than those on the outside of the tent spitting in.

UKIP sent more women and ethnic candidates to the EU parliament this week than the Lib Dems have done in twenty years, the Liberals clearly have far more of a problem with attracting minorites than UKIP at the minute.

 

But as we've established already, black people, homosexuals and women can be racist, so their involvement in UKIP doesn't prove the party isn't racist or xenophobix. Those people within the party may well be racists and xenophobic, but I'm sure they're not stupid enough to come out and say it (some of them aren't anyway).

[Guest MattP]

But as we've established already, black people, homosexuals and women can be racist, so their involvement in UKIP doesn't prove the party isn't racist or xenophobix. Those people within the party may well be racists and xenophobic, but I'm sure they're not stupid enough to come out and say it (some of them aren't anyway).

 

But that's the point, for a supposed 'white party' to be racist you would assume that is to directed twards non-whites? The fact UKIP have black and asian candidates working on policy with them and standing for election would surely disprove that, they are also gaining more ethnic members than any other party apart from Labour as well.

 

Unless the accusation is that they are racist towards white Eastern Europeans, then it's not really standing up at all.

 

What is even racist or xenophobic about UKIP's policy anyway? Genuine question.

 

I can understand concerns over comments about Romania but they were being accused of this long before that country was being talked about in UK politics.

[Manwell Pablo]

No massive fan of UKIP but to call them racist is just uneducated lefty crap. 

[Guest MattP]

I've made a few jokes about Tower Hamlets in the past but this is actually getting beyond a joke now. This is supposed to be a democratic Great Britain.

http://news.sky.com/story/1269847/intimidation-claims-over-tower-hamlets-vote

 

 

The Tower Hamlets vote is to be investigated by the Electoral Commission amid fears over voter intimidation on polling day.

The east London council has yet to complete its count, days after the election, and councillors have claimed police failed to make sure people were allowed to vote without interference.

Sky News disclosed last week that officers would be based at polling stations because of concerns over electoral pressure and fraud.

Conservative councillor Peter Golds criticised "chaotic" procedures that had left the figures "in a mess".

He told the Radio 4 Today programme: "There were four people supporting one particular candidate standing outside and then, as I entered the school, there were 11 of his supporters in the playground.

"They were picking on certain residents and going up to them trying to persuade them to vote right up to the moment they entered the room to vote."

Labour councillor Rachael Saunders reported "huge crowds" at polling stations shouting at voters in an attempt to sway their decisions.

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said: "Everyone should be able to vote free from intimidation and be confident that their vote is safe.

"It is also important that elections produce results voters can have confidence in and that candidates know the outcome as soon as possible.

"Clearly there have been issues at the Tower Hamlets count and we need to make sure we understand what happened, and the reasons for it, before reaching any conclusions."

[lavrentis]

Tower Hamlets

[Guest MattP]

Tower Hamlets

 

I'm backing them to be the first constituency to be declared next year, big odds, polls close at 10pm and it's usually Sunderland at around 11.30pm who get in first.

 

In 2015 I think the result from the Boko Haram Mosque in Tower Hamlets could be announced as an increased Labour majority by 10.01pm, with a turnout of 185%.

[davieG]

Haven't there always been party representatives outside polling stations asking you who you're going to vote for, I've found a few of them intimidating and have had to tell them strongly to 'go away' 

[lavrentis]

I'm backing them to be the first constituency to be declared next year, big odds, polls close at 10pm and it's usually Sunderland at around 11.30pm who get in first.

 

In 2015 I think the result from the Boko Haram Mosque in Tower Hamlets could be announced as an increased Labour majority by 10.01pm, with a turnout of 185%.

 

lol

[Guest MattP]

Haven't there always been party representatives outside polling stations asking you who you're going to vote for, I've found a few of them intimidating and have had to tell them strongly to 'go away' 

 

Goes a bit deeper than that in Tower Hamlets, we are talking third World banana republic stuff and it seems to happen ever year.

 

This was posted in a few rags over the last few days from an councillor at the elections.

 

‘I was, for obvious reasons, at both omnishambles. We were asked to attend the Mile End Leisure centre at 2pm, Sunday for the council counts with the European count commencing at 4pm. We were let in at 3pm and then the chaos started.

‘Any checks on people attending soon collapsed, particularly when the Supreme Ruler, Mayor Lutfur, was instructing his fan club from across London to walk in and enjoy the panto.

‘However, ex Councillor Kabir Ahmed (Tower Hamlets First, Weavers ward) was barred from entering the count as he had revealed details of the first figures on his Facebook page. Presumably he stayed at home in Gants Hill, Redbridge.

‘There were arguments, threats, and chaos at the counting tables. Tower Hamlets First supporters were challenging vote after vote, forcing supporters of other candidates away from the tables. They often made their points ( excuse the pun) with pencils and pens, against ballot papers. The supreme ruler smiled, whilst checking town hall staff were not stopping his supporters from doing exactly what they wanted.

‘Former Cllr Mohammed Shahid Ali (defeated Mile End) was bawling in Bangla down a mobile phone at a counting table. He was asked by a (female) officer to stop and he shouted that she ( emphasise she) had no right to tell him to stop doing anything and that she (emphasise she) should go away. I drew this to the attention of the returning officer and Shahid Ali then needed to be restrained from attacking me.

‘Tower Hamlets has interesting rules on the media at counts. Mainstream journalists can only be on the counting floor if they are escorted by a member of the town hall staff at all times.

‘The special media, that supports the supreme ruler, is excluded from this, so , far example everywhere I went I was stalked by a weird old trot who kept taking flash photographs of me in my face and then grinning. He declined to say what organ he reported for.

‘He was not afraid of expressing his views as he shouted the short version of “see you next Tuesdayâ€, during one of the declarations.

‘Despite everything we had been told, the count was a shocker. There was a 21% discrepancy in the votes in Island Gardens between the first two counts.

‘Issues regarding our count process that I raised as far back as 2009 were ignored and there was no change at all; despite the fine words of the electoral commission.

‘I will be writing to them on Tuesday, with more details and will make my letter public.’

 

[The God Emperor]

No more than in other countries. Take China for example, an economic (and socialist) powerhouse. In fact, as it's politics have moved further to the right in recent years, its unemployment has increased.

of course before it's minor shift to the right China was a veritable eden. It's easy to have full employment when the state owns everything, subsidies mean you can give people jobs whether they are productive or not. Nationalisation made our industries very unproductive, exports from  these industries had to be heavily subsidised to make anyone want to buy them. The state they where in was only realised when they were privatised and the curtain hiding the inefficiency and waste was lifted. It takes time to recover from this.

China's minor shift to the right has given birth to a growing middle class and now Chinese people can enjoy innumerable luxuries that could not be imagined a generation ago. If China shifts further from Marx to Mises we'll see a real super power and with a large middle class pressuring for political reform it could even be a benevolent one.