Sunday, April 27, 2014

A response to Craig Murray

"A win for UKIP will not only remind Scots that England remains in thrall to very right wing politics tinged with racism. It will also make plain to Scots that the only way to be sure to stay in the EU is to be part of an independent Scotland.. 

"A massively greater risk is the crazed Little Englanders dragging the UK into leaving the EU. UKIP are rampant. The Tories are terrified of them, and have a risible position that after the next election they will renegotiate Britain’s membership, then have an in-out referendum. In fact there really is no chance that all the other member states will unanimously agree to Cameron’s demand for changes in treaties that were excruciatingly difficult to gain unanimity for in the first place. In several instances EU states would be unable to agree without a referendum, a can of worms nobody wants to open. Cameron’s renegotiated settlement can never happen, so the Tories’ European figleaf only has a couple more years to go before expiry date. Then the English will want to leave. A majority of English voters already do want to leave."

http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2014/04/farage-boost-to-yes/

Granted, UKIP has its Looneytune element, but it's not alone and as I said in an earlier post*, outsiders who have little in common will group together simply because they are excluded; it's one of the challenges for a fringe party trying to become mainstream.

In the meantime, I don't care to be tarred with Mr Murray's carelessly-swung brush, so I say:

"Little Englander" - if readers would kindly look up the origin of this phrase, there would be more LEs, since it was used to label those who opposed empire-building and colonialism.

I am not a racist. Besides, there are and have been racists in the Labour and Conservative parties also; as to Liberals, I don't know, though they have to contend with other historic shames, as we now see.

Nor would I describe myself as remotely "right wing".

I am in favour of an EU referendum on democratic grounds. So were Margaret Thatcher, Douglas Jay, Tony Benn and Lord Blake; so was Lord Rees-Mogg, who challenged the legality of Maastricht in the courts. Ask Dennis Skinner what he thinks of the EU, though with his heart condition it would be better not to.

A little nuancing in your thoughts re UKIP would be most welcome. If Prof Alan Sked's New Deal Party gathered momentum I'd certainly be prepared to consider; until then, when the three largest parties in the UK have agreed a stitch-up on EU membership, which appears to be more in the interests of big business, bureaucracy and careerist politicians like Tony Blair who want to sell their contact book for millions after public office, don't be surprised by the popularity of an underfunded and heavily top-directed newbie like UKIP. Among the ruins of democracy in Britain, si monumentum requiris, circumspice.
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* See the section  headed "The madness of minorities" in "Stretching the Rainbow" (April 23rd)

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3 comments:

Sobers said...

A vote for UKIP is not so much a vote for whatever they may or may not stand for, its more of a 'none of the above' vote. Thats why all the mud slinging in the MSM against UKIP isn't working - anyone contemplating voting for them doesn't care about scandals, he or she has just had enough of the Big Three, anyone else who isn't a Neo Nazi will do. I mean take the recent 'racist tweets' spat, and compare it to the Harriet Harman PIE scandal. The deputy leader of the main opposition party is linked directly to a paedophile group - does anyone suggest that anyone in the Labour party, or considering voting Labour is a kiddie fiddler? Vs one random nobody UKIP candidate being a complete tw@t, and being drummed out of the party in short order resulting in all UKIP members and voters being painted as closet racists.

The main parties are scared - they realise than any given party is hated by way more than half the population - all the people who vote for other parties hate them, plus the 40% who don't vote at all hate ALL the main parties. They all know that if anyone can mobilise the 40% who hate all current parties, they are all toast. So they use every tool in the establishment book to make sure any upstarts get painted as beyond the pale to marginalise them.

Sackerson said...

Think you've nailed it, Sobers. It's gone beyond wanting to sack the government.

Wolfie said...

Craig Murray lost all credibility some time ago now, after a brief flirtation with talking some sense early on in his media career.

Ignore the buffoon.