B.A.Ware

Everybody on this forum has an opinion on why we were unsuccessful at the election. Is it not time we asked the people. My thoughts are if people can run polls prior to the election is it not in our best interest to run one now and find out what your average Joe public think of ukip and then we can truly understand where we went wrong. What I would like to know of you people is what would be the questions and the multiple-choice answers be.

I.e.

Have you heard of the political group called the UK Independence Party?
If yes

Who do you think they represent

Lower class
Middle class
Upper class

Do you know any of their policies?

Yes
No

If yes which one did you agree with the most, and which one did you disagree with the most.

Which of the following topics do you think they represent.

European issues
Domestic issues
Both
Don’t know

If you agreed with the policies why did you not vote for them?

Because they could not win an election
Because I do not trusty them
Because they are not a serious party
Because they are just like the rest

The list is endless but I really think we need to get a real balanced view and it must not come from us we really need to know what the general public think of us. I know this will cost but the benefits would be astronomic.

arden forester

Um! Sounds like focus groups, what do you think, I'm Tony which way am I going :shock:

The real answers are these -

1. Get a leadership that is united in beliefs and is capable of putting them over vigorously.
2. Policies must center around giving back to people belief in country and a feeling of involvement
3. Europe needs to be the "envelope" not the "letter"!

I don't want to rain on your parade B.A.Ware, but surely this is the place to get answers.

This is exactly what you will get from an opinion poll. Loads of disparate opinions. But the members here do have an interest and can ask the people they know!

B.A.Ware

[quote="arden forester"]Maybe so but as we have seen in the Dispatches programme the Labour party used every trick in the book to get votes. Should we not use all available tools to try and increase our vote?

I totally agree but this is not the point I am addressing, I’m asking do we really know what the electorate think about ukip.

This is my entire point I have an opinion you have, everyone on here has an opinion, but we are all politically minded what do the general public know about ukip

If the members are anything like me they would have had conversations about ukip with people they know so they would hardly be in a position to give an unbiased view. The saying wood and trees comes to mind

I have asked some people I don’t know that well and some of them had not heard of ukip none of them could tell me one ukip policy most thought we were right winged or racist, I know this is not scientific but it tells me we were not getting our messages over and the ones we were are portraying us as right wing.
If we are to be treated as a serious party we should start acting professionally and use the tools that the other parties use the same applies to Voter profiling.
When will we ever learn?

lkelly

The problem with Labour was that they used focus groups to exploit the democratic process, rather than to explore how to communicate their ideology to people effectively. This could only lead to chaos, i.e. no direction.

The idea was to remain in power. Which they have! Tony Blair admitted as much, the day before the elcetion, I think it was, on TV! He said there were 'no votes' in stopping airport expansion/cheap flights!

Hopefully, the chaos can all at least be paid for.

If we want to get our politics/policies/ideology/etc. across effectively, I see no dishonesty or chaos in using focus groups. WE really DO want something. We do not blow with the democratic/populist wind! We respect it, and work with it!

B.A.Ware

All I can say is that if the tools are out there we should use them.
Unfortunately politics is like a business and you have to use all of the tools available to you to achieve successes. I really wish people would get on board with this, I don’t particularly like it but the ends justify the means.

lkelly

I agree.

B.A.Ware

Common sense at last, Thank You.

ukip

[quote="B.A.WareI have asked some people I don’t know that well and some of them had not heard of ukip none of them could tell me one ukip policy most thought we were right winged or racist, I know this is not scientific but it tells me we were not getting our messages over and the ones we were are portraying us as right wing.[/quote]

Couldnt agree more, everyone I have spoken to about UKIP share the same view which is they havent really heard much about UKIP and therefore dont count them as a proper party on par with the big three. Others have also said that they always though that UKIP was a racist party, I think this all led from Kilroy-Silks comments on muslims (spelling?) and other races.
Others simply feel that a vote for UKIP is a "wasted" vote.
Another reason ive been told is that people say our only goal is to pull the UK out of the EU and that UKIP dont really have any other policies that concern the British public.

I agree that we need to start doing something about it pronto, but we need action not words. UKIP members and supporters need to go out and do what they say in order to educate "joe public" on UKIP's polocies.

komerad

What, exactly do U propose we do :!:
"joe public" has just voted on which government they want for the next 4/5years. Whether we agree with their decision is immaterial.
The next time JP thinks about voting again will be in another 4/5 years,and personally, if someone came to my door trying to "educate me on any party's policies" I would politely tell them to F.O.
AsI have said before, most people I talk to & people I know, are not interested in politics. Some drag themselves out on Polling Day,some don't even bother, & that's it untill the next time. You cannot "educate " those who do not wish to be "educated". :cry: :cry:

John Carter

Sad but true.

However... Most people are interested in the contents of their wallets.

What about a leafleting campaign based around how UKIP would keep more cash in folks' pockets while perhaps simultaneously improving services?

i.e. front reading something like:

"Want more £ in your wallet?"

And then going on inside with a simple statement:

"Membership of the EU is costing us £210m per week - that's a fiver out of your wallet. What exactly do you have to show for it?"


And then perhaps go on to mention, in smaller print, how that fiver could be used to build hospitals, pay for more police... ...or even not taken in the first place (i.e. tax cut).

Keep it short and simple. Back it up with a web page explaining the facts in more detail for those who want to go and investigate.

Hit enough people with the message that they're each paying a fiver a week to be in Babel's little club and it'll stick. They'll start whining about it at work or at the pub. It'll snowball. Things like paying a fiver a week for nothing stick in people's minds.