This is the only way to make the politicians actually listen and take notice of what the electorate is saying! By not voting you simply give them licence to carry on regardless. This is a democracy as far as I know so all opinions are valid irrespective of whether you agree with them or not!
Fair enough. Just to clarify, I have never done it. I have been tempted once or twice though, and in the upcoming General, I will definitely consider it.
I don't usually get involved with politics on here as it has gotten "heated" in the past, but this seems like a good discussion at present. UKIP did more than just nick some protest votes, they united most of the right wing parties into voting for them. As demonstrated by this graph: http://ramblingsofapr.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/euro14veuro09.png Of course we'll never know exactly who voted for whom considering someone who votes BNP isn't going to suddenly vote for Labour or a left wing party its a fairly safe assumption that they went for UKIP...
I have little faith in any party "getting it all right" but immigration is the biggest bone to bear with a lot of people. I think some of the biggest issues revolve around money. As a scenario, One of the biggest employers in Swindon employees foreigners, I assume they are paid the same as British. However, these forgeiners in question, were housed by the local council. They paid their rent, but had no gas or electric connected. They went to work and used the work facilities for hot showers, they ate all their meals in the staff restaurant and used the house to pretty much sleep in only. Come pay day, they paid what bills they had (ie rent), and the rest of the money was sent back to their families in Goa. Now I'm not an economist, but to me, that means money is leaving our economy and NOT coming back in by way of spending. This is not helpful to get us out of any recession but must happen in the hundreds of thousands around the country. My second issue is that if I want to live in Australia, I can't. I don't have any skills they require over there, so I'm not allowed in for anything other than a visit. Why can we not have the same laws here. Got something we need, welcome to England, want to bring your family, fine, but you support them. Thirdly, this is England, if you want to live in England, you must embrace our way of life. Not demand we change our way of life to suit you. If I lived in the Middle East and wanted to drink alcohol and get drunk as I do over here. I would be arrested and probably be stoned. It would not be allowed nor tolerated. So why does this country tolerated them, shouting abouse and spitting at our soldiers when they return from Duty. These guys are putting their lives on the line for me, and I don't appreciate them being treated in that way. You can not tar everyone with the same brush I know. But restrictions on immigration would reduce the number of lunatics and drains on our economy. We have enough of our own religious fanatics, and knobheads. We dont need anyone elses. I'm willing to be educated otherwise, but I do believe what i say. i also beelive that religion (all of it) has a lot to answer for. But thats another debate.
Indeed, and the BNP lost both their EU Parliamentary seats as a result - possibly a (small) crumb of comfort to be taken from the rise of UKIP... or possibly not given some UKIP's questionable opinions on policy.
Possibly dependent on exactly whereabouts you go in the Middle East, but I'm willing to bet you wouldn't. EDIT: Anyway, sorry, that probably didn't add very much to the general debate.
So if it is purely a protest vote against the 'big three' then why not vote for another alternative, perhaps a party like the Greens who actually show themselves to be the most considerate, caring option rather than the narrow-minded, bigoted and extremely venomous UKIP lot? Oh, silly me, I forgot you're a dyed in the wool, right-wing capitalist scumbag who has made it pretty clear you don't care about the little people or good causes that exist in our society. Carry on
Because unskilled labour is what we desperately need, we are largely a successful nation in the grand scheme with high education, very high numbers attend university for example. What we struggle with is unskilled labour, such a people harvesting on farms. For a number of reasons from people being too educated to being too lazy to do "that" either way the jobs need doing and nationals largely won't do it
How dare they come over here and work themselves into the ground to attempt to better themselves and drag their friends and families out of squalidness, who are stuck in a country run by an incredibly questionable government/system.
Yes Rich - bang on. Blighty has often needed unskilled labour (Jamaicans in the 1950s for example when we looked overseas to our colonies for cheap labour). We're just too lazy to get our mitts dirty for low pay these days. Too much celebrity/who wants to be/ XXX got talent/ star gazing. Massive problem IMO. BTW Swindon - some ME countries have special booze shops for foreigners ( you get a pass) and there are bars a plenty, e.g. in Dubai, Bahrain, some of the Emirates. People even get stoned, though not with masonry
I know this is not a fashionable thing to say but shouldn't all benefit scroungers be made to get a job or face losing their benefits? Why should we tolerate these people who cant be arsed to get a job and are happy to sponge off the rest of us! We are just too bloody soft!
I don't think you needed that opening caveat - when have you ever said anything remotely "fashionable"?
Is everyone on unemployment 'benefit' a 'scrounger', Warky? Should they ALL have their benefits cancelled if they don't get a job within a certain time? If not ALL, then how do you distinguish the 'scroungers' from the 'non-scroungers'? NB: I have no idea why I'm getting into this debate... why do I do this!?
I think if your out of work for more than six months you should have to be at the job centre at eight every morning where you will have a place on a coach to take you to do a days work be that fruit picking,litter picking or bare knuckle fighting 8 hours a day 3 days a week leaving 2days to carry on the job hunting.
Furthermore Warky, would you say it is more imperative to significantly increase resources into assessing benefit fraud, or into tax-evasion and the dealings of people earning salaries in the highest tax bracket?
OK so what about those that are physically able to work but not physically able to do such things (like me) dock them their benefit money? Ship them off to esa? I think something needs to be done but if say you're an IT professional how is working 7 days a week 12 hour days for jsa going to help them find a job? What about people who then have to be home for children? The thing is no one answer is the right one, for some 3 weeks on a work scheme might be appropriate, for others gaining new skills and others something like the moped scheme where you get an insured moped, warranty and cbt for a weekly payment. For example, if I was to attend a jc every day that's a 25 mile round trip, who pays? Go by car that's fuel & parking or by bus that's about a 4 hour trip Inc waiting for the hourly or 2 hourly bus plus £5 or so return ticket again, could be job hunting in that time. Tough nut to crack it really is
