Peter Hitchens

Moving Target · 27-10-2006, 11:19 PM

I have similarly found myself gravitating rather rapidly away from the 'left' side of the fence as Peter Hitchens has (I'm in good company eh? :wink

.

I'm new - and so I'm not sure if Peter Hitchens has 'history' around here.

I've heard him talk recently of the end of left/right politics and of New Labour and the Conservative parties being bankrupt - both financially and politically. The much talked about 'centre ground' is self defined by them - and not where the centre ground of public opinion really is. For the first time since universal sufferage was introduced, the parties are unconcerned and unmotivated by the opinion of the 'ordinary' voter.

I agree with this and it's evident that those whom bother to vote many do so out of habit. The percentage of votes for each parties are fairly static election after election.

The time is ripe for a party to step into the vacuum - (and it certainly isn't the Liberal Democrats as they simply inhabit the false 'centre ground' also) but can UKIP do this?

Westcountryman · 27-10-2006, 11:26 PM

I have read his books and read his column. He comes out with some amazing stuff and goes places where others would balk. He has a lot of gravitas and his opinions carry a lot of weight, in my opinion. He is often misrepresented by the left as some kind of Quasi-BNP fanatic, which is unfortunate.

mkpdavies · 27-10-2006, 11:40 PM

He's almost always right of late.

My biggest beef with him, is he doesn't really provide a real solution and rubbishes any possible soultions that are out there.

John Carter · 27-10-2006, 11:54 PM

If it were up to me, I'd have him and Clarkson running the country.

kernow · 27-10-2006, 11:59 PM

Problem I have with him is he talks our language but doesn't appear to support us!

mkpdavies · 28-10-2006, 12:04 AM

To be fair to him, there is good reason for that. He's probably right with most of his critisisms.

But what is his solution?

If I was UKIP, I would has his advise on what does need to be done. A roadmap to recovery.

If he can't give one and just says we are all screwed, then that's fair enough and vallid, but no much use.

John Carter · 28-10-2006, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkpdavies

If he can't give one and just says we are all screwed, then that's fair enough and vallid, but no much use.

We're extremely close to being irretrievably screwed, for sure.

Bluemerle · 28-10-2006, 11:13 AM

Read Ashley Mote's solutions in Vogon Britain column. The Making and Meaning of Britishness. That is where we should start.

mkpdavies · 28-10-2006, 12:03 PM

Problem is, everyone has their own definition of what British is.

Billy Slag, I mean Bragg, thinks of himself as a true British patriot.

Yes I laughed too, but there are many British people like him (mainly in the Lib Dems) who think along the same lines.

Britannist · 28-10-2006, 06:07 PM

Peter Hitchens nearly won a debate earlier this week - I think it may have been organised by the Times - in which the motion was "The Conservative Party is no longer Conservative." It was a close vote but the motion was narrowly defeated.

The view of Mr. Peter Hitchens is that Lab/Cons/LD/BNP are the problem - not the solution. He has described voting Labour or Conservative as being like "propping up two corpses".

But Peter Hitchens - in his column in the Mail on Sunday - has also ridiculed UKIP despite he himself being totally in favour of EU withdrawal (he made a very good 'video' for Sky Television News just before the May 2005 General Election in which he said Brussels was now the centre of power and we had to quit the EU).

UKIP may need to make great efforts to get Peter Hichens to back the party - his open support would certainly be useful to UKIP. On the basis of what Peter Hitchens has written before, I would suggest that he would not support the Conservative Party even if it picked a eurosceptic leader. He appears to be 'done with them'. He has even criticised Lady Thatcher, saying her performance was over-rated.

It may be that he wants to see a new anti-EU party emerge from a split in the Conservative Party.

27-10-2006, 11:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
Moving Target Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 53	Peter Hitchens - Good or Bad? I have similarly found myself gravitating rather rapidly away from the 'left' side of the fence as Peter Hitchens has (I'm in good company eh? :wink. I'm new - and so I'm not sure if Peter Hitchens has 'history' around here. I've heard him talk recently of the end of left/right politics and of New Labour and the Conservative parties being bankrupt - both financially and politically. The much talked about 'centre ground' is self defined by them - and not where the centre ground of public opinion really is. For the first time since universal sufferage was introduced, the parties are unconcerned and unmotivated by the opinion of the 'ordinary' voter. I agree with this and it's evident that those whom bother to vote many do so out of habit. The percentage of votes for each parties are fairly static election after election. The time is ripe for a party to step into the vacuum - (and it certainly isn't the Liberal Democrats as they simply inhabit the false 'centre ground' also) but can UKIP do this?

27-10-2006, 11:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
Westcountryman Uber Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: The Westcountry. Posts: 5,922 Party: None	I have read his books and read his column. He comes out with some amazing stuff and goes places where others would balk. He has a lot of gravitas and his opinions carry a lot of weight, in my opinion. He is often misrepresented by the left as some kind of Quasi-BNP fanatic, which is unfortunate. __________________ Manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietam - "This hand of mine, which is hostile to tyrants, seeks by the sword quiet peace under liberty."

27-10-2006, 11:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,604	He's almost always right of late. My biggest beef with him, is he doesn't really provide a real solution and rubbishes any possible soultions that are out there. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

28-10-2006, 12:04 AM	#6 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,604	To be fair to him, there is good reason for that. He's probably right with most of his critisisms. But what is his solution? If I was UKIP, I would has his advise on what does need to be done. A roadmap to recovery. If he can't give one and just says we are all screwed, then that's fair enough and vallid, but no much use. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

28-10-2006, 12:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,604	Problem is, everyone has their own definition of what British is. Billy Slag, I mean Bragg, thinks of himself as a true British patriot. Yes I laughed too, but there are many British people like him (mainly in the Lib Dems) who think along the same lines. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

27-10-2006, 11:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
John Carter Uber Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: On Sabbatical Posts: 5,110	If it were up to me, I'd have him and Clarkson running the country.

27-10-2006, 11:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
kernow Uber Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 4,866	Problem I have with him is he talks our language but doesn't appear to support us!

28-10-2006, 11:13 AM	#8 (permalink)
Bluemerle Uber Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dorset. Posts: 3,248	Read Ashley Mote's solutions in Vogon Britain column. The Making and Meaning of Britishness. That is where we should start.

28-10-2006, 06:07 PM	#10 (permalink)
Britannist Uber Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: London Posts: 22,896	Peter Hitchens view of the present UK political parties Peter Hitchens nearly won a debate earlier this week - I think it may have been organised by the Times - in which the motion was "The Conservative Party is no longer Conservative." It was a close vote but the motion was narrowly defeated. The view of Mr. Peter Hitchens is that Lab/Cons/LD/BNP are the problem - not the solution. He has described voting Labour or Conservative as being like "propping up two corpses". But Peter Hitchens - in his column in the Mail on Sunday - has also ridiculed UKIP despite he himself being totally in favour of EU withdrawal (he made a very good 'video' for Sky Television News just before the May 2005 General Election in which he said Brussels was now the centre of power and we had to quit the EU). UKIP may need to make great efforts to get Peter Hichens to back the party - his open support would certainly be useful to UKIP. On the basis of what Peter Hitchens has written before, I would suggest that he would not support the Conservative Party even if it picked a eurosceptic leader. He appears to be 'done with them'. He has even criticised Lady Thatcher, saying her performance was over-rated. It may be that he wants to see a new anti-EU party emerge from a split in the Conservative Party.

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