UKIP not ready for an election

Anthony Butcher · 05-10-2007, 05:13 PM

New Statesman - UKIP not ready for an election

Quote:

You can tell a UKIP member (that's UK Independence Party) from 20 paces, the un-reconstituted Right marching towards their encampment in this un-reconstituted corner of Docklands for their annual conference.
With their shiny white hair and rolled up copies of the Daily Telegraph; with their tweed suits and self-righteously upright posture. Four rosetted pensioners edge out of Limehouse station in a strict formation. The two couples ignore the handmade sign pointing right towards the ‘UKIP Conference’ and head left. So far, so predictable.

The PR lady ushers me into the hall. “A lot of old men!” she says. “But they’re alright - just don’t tell them you’re from the BBC, they have a thing about that.” The 800-odd delegates are almost universally white and overwhelmingly over 60. I spot one Asian gentleman and three black men. Two of them are servicing the toilets, however.

But UKIP has heard all of this before. To pack hunt their particularities from the security of the mainstream, as is so often done, seems weak and cowardly when you are sitting amongst them. For in this age of spin, spin about spin, and spin about substance, what actually strikes you most here is the sincerity of the activists. Perhaps Gordon Brown would admire their “conviction”.

And they are angry. Angry about the “tyrannical nightmare” of the EU, to which it seems almost every evil in the world can be traced. And apocalyptic about the “Westminster hen-coup” to whom they attribute not only continued EU membership, but also the silencing of debate on the subject.

Sure, these people were Thatcher’s cheerleaders and it is hard to sympathise now their nationalistic stance has fallen on hard times. But on the EU and immigration, it is hard to dispute that they have a point about the denial of debate, even if their fervour is bombastic and their solutions extreme. Its other policies are simply Old Tory – a complete freeze on immigration, doubling the number of prisons, the reintroduction of corporeal punishment and so on.

But there’s something about UKIP which you simply can’t take too seriously. Following their surprise success in the 2004 European Elections, their support has declined and leader Nigel Farage admits that it has been “a tough year” and says his party is not in a state to fight a snap general election. The party has faced a “debilitating” investigation by the Electoral Commission and is rumoured to be in dire financial stakes. Certainly it seems that way, with speaking after speaker appealing for delegates to offer the party financial support to an, at best, lukewarm response.
And given the sheer age of the delegates, it seems hard to see too much of a future. As they squeeze into a cramped bathroom during a break in the proceedings, one man hits his head whilst entering a low toilet cubicle. An old, grey man tuts knowingly. “That’s modernisation,” he tells anyone who’ll listen. “There’s no need for that to be there. That’s modernisation, that is.”

Anthony Butcher · 05-10-2007, 05:26 PM

I think that is the first report from inside the conference. Good to see that the New Statesman can put out something before UKIP...

It's not a very useful article for UKIP - essentially saying that the party is sincere, but easily dismissed as a bunch of grumpy old men scared by modern society.

I think that the author meant 'apoplectic' not 'apocalyptic' and 'corporal' not 'corporeal'.

Britannist · 05-10-2007, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

It's not a very useful article for UKIP - essentially saying that the party is sincere, but easily dismissed as a bunch of grumpy old men scared by modern society.

I don't suppose the author of the article was much of a fan of UKIP before he arrived at the conference venue. This is a lefty pro-EU publication we are talking about after all.

Few reading that article have ever voted UKIP and I doubt many of them would do so unless UKIP became a socialistic-type party.

Anthony Butcher · 05-10-2007, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Britannist

I don't suppose the author of the article was much of a fan of UKIP before he arrived at the conference venue. This is a lefty pro-EU publication we are talking about after all.

I used to read the New Statesman and the Spectator to get a balanced political view. That has no particular bearing on this though

Quote:

Originally Posted by Britannist

Few reading that article have ever voted UKIP and I doubt many of them would do so unless UKIP became a socialistic-type party.

True, but the article is on the web where anyone can read it. People reading it will have friends and the next time someone mentions UKIP they might joke "that bunch of old crusties" and so it spreads.

Branding is difficult at the best of times, even without your PR Lady (Bellatrix?) calling them 'a lot of old men'.

Hartlepool · 05-10-2007, 08:13 PM

AB was it your head that wouldn't fit through the door in the Khaazi stall then?

Once again AB,the bitter repeating of anti UKIP material just to get double exposure for the Spec tattle.

Me thinks its time to declare true affiliations to all here.

Anthony Butcher · 05-10-2007, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hartlepool

Once again AB,the bitter repeating of anti UKIP material just to get double exposure for the Spec tattle.

You have been a member of this forum long enough to know that everything about UKIP gets posted here, good and bad. Note that I have also posted the positive articles as well.

Britannist · 05-10-2007, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

Britannist wrote:
Few reading that article have ever voted UKIP and I doubt many of them would do so unless UKIP became a socialistic-type party.

Mr. Anthony Butcher wrote:
True, but the article is on the web where anyone can read it. People reading it will have friends and the next time someone mentions UKIP they might joke "that bunch of old crusties" and so it spreads.

Many of these political magazines have small circulations of under 50, 000 (as I am sure you know, Anthony). It is clearly not a very helpful article for UKIP but I would be far more concerned about it had appeared in the mass circulation Daily Mirror for instance - where a couple of million people might have read it.

Britannist · 05-10-2007, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

....the next time someone mentions UKIP they might joke "that bunch of old crusties" and so it spreads.

I am not politically correct - but am very much against the mocking of any party if it is perceived that its members are in the older age group.

The section of our population comprising those in the older age groups is growing and their views and opinions are important.

Anthony Butcher · 05-10-2007, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Britannist

I am not politically correct - but am very much against the mocking of any party if it is perceived that its members are in the older age group.

I completely agree. I wasn't stating that it was a valid criticism, merely providing an example of how a critical article like that can spread its influence beyond its limited readership.

UKIP's problem is that it doesn't project enough of its positive brand into the media, so the public has relatively few points of contact with it. The result is that it makes it much easier for opinion to be swayed one way or the other. With the bigger parties there is so much written about them that it is only the mass effect of the media bias that has an impact, rather than individual articles.

This is why so many of us here cried out for proper use of the Internet for so long to push the message constantly. As we have seen from the first day of the conference though - nothing has changed.

Britannist · 05-10-2007, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

I completely agree. I wasn't stating that it was a valid criticism, merely providing an example of how a critical article like that can spread its influence beyond its limited readership.

I think some of the comments I have heard on the radio/television or read about the age of Sir Menzies Campbell (the 65 year-old leader of the Liberal Dim Party) are a disgrace. I have got no time for that party at all - but the reasons for opposing Sir Menzies Campbell most definitely do not include his age.

05-10-2007, 05:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
Anthony Butcher Administrator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Long Ashton, Bristol Posts: 9,823 Party: None	I think that is the first report from inside the conference. Good to see that the New Statesman can put out something before UKIP... It's not a very useful article for UKIP - essentially saying that the party is sincere, but easily dismissed as a bunch of grumpy old men scared by modern society. I think that the author meant 'apoplectic' not 'apocalyptic' and 'corporal' not 'corporeal'. __________________ If you care about what's in your food and where it comes from, then get it labelled! Label My Food - http://www.labelmyfood.org.uk

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05-10-2007, 08:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
Hartlepool Uber Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: North East England Posts: 6,660 Party: Free England Party	AB was it your head that wouldn't fit through the door in the Khaazi stall then? Once again AB,the bitter repeating of anti UKIP material just to get double exposure for the Spec tattle. Me thinks its time to declare true affiliations to all here.