General Discussion

Vote UKIP.

To make sure the main parties understand how fed up we all are with the stupidity coming from Brussels.

Also a vote for UKIP will send a strong message that we want an In/Out referendum on Europe ASAP.

Its the illegality of the common market that infuriates me, they have not signed off on the accounts for over 16 years because of corruption, millions go missing every year. So lets get out and concentrate on our own corrupt politicians (not all are corrupt or maybe they have not been found out yet)

For the first  time ever I will not be voting, they are all as bad as each other, and as I do not want to be in the EU what is the point of voting for a Euro MEP

My ancestors fought and died to give women like you the right to vote. You don't want to be in the EU? Fair enough that's your opinion. Based on what though?

roberta You are so wrong for those who are against the EU this is the time to cause havoc, far right and far left parties are on the increase in Europe and it is more than likely they could soon hold 30 or 40% of the power in the EU Parliment.  If this happens then it will be virtualy impossible for Brussels to function because nothing will ever be agreed and then the  EU could destroy itself from the inside out democracy at its best.

Ah! I smell the same air of despondency from the electorate that circled around 2009/2010 and the g.e of its day. So many people end up not using their vote. Whether it be for local councillors, m.e.p's or m.p's. 

The veil of democracy maybe thin in this country, but it is still democracy. Everyone who has a vote should vote. The problem is that there is not a box on the voting sheets to place a cross in to say 'despair of all the above, we need more accountability of those we vote in' you get my drift, I hope.

As it happened with the hung parliament of 2010 and the coalition of the current government. The electorate, the few that do vote, have shown their feelings again with UKIP over the local and e.u. elections this week.

In my own opinion a population of varying cultures, etc requires a governemnt based on proportional representation. It can't be any worse than the current system. 

Over to you Mrs C.

@roberta - it's a shame you do not wish to vote as you see no one worthy to lead. if you were to play the long game with your vote you may actually see a positive change, although it may be several decades away for our little country.

Or, if Cameron lives up to his promise of an EU referendum, we could get out of the whole stinking corrupt organistation much more quickly.  Sadly, I don't think Cameron has any intention of being true to his word.

@burnside - I tend to agree with you. How many times have we heard those desperate words from those in power. 'If I get in for another term I will do this and that'. When will those in power realise that if they actually pulled their fingers out of their @@@@'@ during their term in office. More people would vote them back in, without the need for them to hold empty promises above their heads, but then that seems to be the metal that makes many an elected official.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20448450

ALLEMS (SMELLA backwards) mentions a veil of democracy. Funnily enough, if your racist homophobic UKIP lot were ever to get into power at Westminster (not that they ever will), they'd want veils banned...

Didn't thery do well.

What % of the electorate bothered to vote? And what % of that voted UKIP?

They certainly did. The party that won the most seats in France was the National Front. Say no more. 

Well done though to the Green Party here in the UK. 

Apparently 34% of the UK electorate voted (so that's basically two-thirds that didn't bother voting at all).

Of that 34% what % voted UKIP?

From the BBC website

VOTE 2014 Europe: Great Britain

Results in full: UK EU wide

There should be legislation in place to make it a legal requirment to vote for all UK citizens with a provision for online voting.

@leatash - 'legal requirement', 'legislation'. darling, this is not north korea!

The primary reason for people voting UKIP is to wake up the mainstream parties to the fact that many people in the UK want control of policies taken away from Brussels and returned to Westminster.

Primary among these policies is immigration (which is totally and wholey divorced from racism). Last year NET immigration to the UK was 212,000 people - the Govt. was happy with this because it had stayed constant from the previous period.

The fact remains however, that to keep up with this influx of people (and bear in mind this does not include any increase in birth rate but just people coming to live here from other countries) the UK will need to build more than 16 new towns each the size of Dawlish EVERY YEAR.

Personally I don't think that is sustainable in a country of this size (does that make me a Racist or a Realist?) and I'm surprised that the Greens appear not to recognise this.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/26/ukip-founder-alan-sked-party-become-frankensteins-monster?CMP=fb_gu                                                                                                  INTERESTING article

ALLEMS, SMELLA,     29 democracies around the world have legislation in place that requires there citizens to vote many in Europe, and Australia so why not here you would at least get a true picture of who should run the country.  HuwMathews2  You are spot on the pressure on housing, Health care, education, crime, etc etc is affected by immigration and at long last we have a party who have the guts to say so.  Now i have been a active member of the labour party for as long as i can remember yet i voted for UKIP why because the rest have there head in the sand over immigration.  Our immigration policy should be along the lines of that operating in Australia we only take those who have particular skills and already have a job offer and put two fingers up to the EU.  And if things don't change and fairly soon i will vote for UKIP in the general election and so will many others untill the mainstream parties wake up and smell the coffee enough is enough.

and if that ever happened and I was forced to vote, I would merely spoil my paper. Im sorry I am not getting carried away on this BNP/NF/UKIP Party

It will be very interesting to see what UKIP have in their general election manifesto.

At the moment all I know about UKIP is that they want out of the EU and whilst not anti immigration as such, they wish that who can come to this country and who cannot should be determined by this country and this country alone.   

Try this:

uk.isidewith.com/political-quiz

I think some may be surprised where their policy preferences lie.

Whilst I have never failed to vote, I don't understand why people complain about non-voters. Our Govt has abstained many times in votes at the U.N.

If it is acceptable for a Govt to abstain on matters of international importance at the UN, yet still make speeches and express opinons about the motion that they refuse to vote on, then it should also be a 'legitimate' option for the electorate of this country.

@leatash - I do not have an issue with all citizens voting, but to put laws in place to enforce this is wrong on so many levels. I can see, in the future, if this was implemented it would be another cashcow for those on high to fine those who did not vote. Possibly a jack boot assault on your front door at 6am amd imprisionment for not paying the fine.

All you would be doing is forcing someone against their will to place a X on a voting sheet.  If this did happen the outcome could be around 20% to 30% for a G.E., up to  50% to 60% for  E.U.  and Locals. Plus these voters could vote for the rank outsider, just because they can!

I believe the first step, to quantifying how many of the voters who currently don't, would vote, if their was something worth putting your X against. Would be an option that stated 'NONE OF THE ABOVE'. Although no one in government wishes to face the fact the the majority of voters have had enough.

Source: House of Commons Research Papers 01/37, 01/54, 05/33 & 10/36.

@Lynne - are the numbers percentages?  if so they look surprisingly high for election turnouts.

@neilh - i believe so http://www.ukpolitical.info/Turnout45.htm

If you do the maths, UKIP's vote as a share of the voting population was:

34% (voting population who cast papers) * 27.5% (UKIP) = 9.35%

i.e. Less than 10% actually felt strongly enough against the EU to register a 'protest vote'!!

Hardly an earthquake except it was nevertheless the largest share. 

Make of that what you will.