Thread: Is UKIP Relevant Anymore ?

With crisis in EU and in the news, a referendum vote in parliament , EU scepticism becoming mainstream and a new cross political organisation " People's Pledge" now leading the demand for EU referendum democracy, has UKIP any real relevance now ?

On the downside as a domestic party UKIP has no shadow cabinet MEPs . It has no structure interest or credibility re local government legislation issues and campaigns or objectives. ( though despite the UKIP label some councillors achieved a win by their own effort but UKIP has no idea what it wants them to do ) . On national domestic politics it has pubs and motorbikes but position campaigns impact and plans on what ? A search on quality press shows UKIP almost non existent and irelevant on domestics ( but Nigel's plane crash dominant) .The UKIP website shows how miniumalist its ambitions and objectives are beyong a macro policy statement. UKIP is into hand wringing ( eg the current scandal on EU propaganda in schools) but refuses to do anything about it ( no plan or campaigns) despite the vast £ available for MEP researchers to produce counter school education packs/seminars and take legal cases to schools for parity with pro EU education.


On the downside as single issue party again the non user friendly website shows how meagre it is in vision ambition and campaigns ( compare with other party sites like the Green party) UKIP lost relevance by refusing to campaign on Lisbon or Parish Polls and refuses to have any plan to educate the public on why the EU is bad for them and why we should leave. Incredibly the public/members/press etc have no website to go to which user friendly explains for each public concern on life impact ( schooling NHS post office food cost etc etc etc ) what the EU costs their pocket and how it makes them suffer and why how and what happens if we get out. As a result despite the EU crisis the latest poll shows only 34% want to leave the EU and 44% DONT and ( as a UKIP education success indicator) only 3% consider it is a key political issue relevant to their lives.

UKIP has not failed; it has deliberately not tried. There is still widespread media/political propaganda and public assumption that the UK economy will collapse if UK left the EU yet UKIP has no website countering this or clarifying what whole vision it has if any for UK after pull out from EU. The referendum in parliament was not achieved by UKIP but by ( blown out) Nikki Sinclair . Most talent has been driven out from UKIP with paid mediocre or non proactive " dont rock the boat" timeservers and loyal but mediocre aide de camps in place. Notably, politician defectors to UKIP are from has beens . The current talent in other parties dare not risk their credibility by joining UKIP no matter how EU sceptic they are. Many branches have collapsed in despair at lack of progress . The increase in UKIP votes over the years has been paltry in context with year after year no plan for election impact then a last minute scamper round with poor election material and no research/press office back up to candidates and no real resource/strategic impact plan.

On the plus side , ( apart from the media exposure due to winning enough MEPs) , though there is zero chance of it winning an MP under its present leadership, UKIP has just about achieved enough vote % in parliamentary elections for other parties to have a glance at it to assess what threat it has if any to them winning and whether they should alter policies on EU etc accordingly.

For the 3% who consider the EU their most important issue UKIP is the only game in town at election time . For the rest who are angry at the big 3 UKIP is the largest party alternative to go to for a protest vote . Hence the polls showing ( despite what UKIP's lacks) a rise in election intention for UKIP to 6% from 3.1% 2010. This should start to get the other parties uneasy ( but not yet uneasy enough to not flaunt contempt of the public in 3 parties having 3 line whips on the referendum)

So the answer is that UKIP IS still relevant as a vehicle on other parties to do the right thing. Its a pity that it could be so much more and become a credible political party, instead of a fun and game vehicle for MEPs and pressure group that happens to use elections as its pressure. Also UKIP is now attracting the young voter and support in the Midlands has risen significantly ( regional action ?)

UKIP could start taking seriously a plan needed to address what the other 97% of voters consider important to their lives. Then UKIP could really become relevant as a 4th domestic party.

Originally Posted by ron

Spot on with this line. UKIP do not put a coherent case for quitting the EU preferring to tap into emotional areas like saving the pound. That is only any good for people already on your side and won't convince anyone else.

They have got Lord Hesketh now. He's the sort that is capable of convincing intelligent people, and especially those in the Tory Party. If I were a europhile Tory I would be worried that he has joined up.

No! No! No!

Er yes M3 but there aint going to be a referendum. The only thing on the table so far is elections ( the chosen vehicle for UKIP's pressure group role) in which UKIP might well get 20% plus next time and more MEPs ( who dont take domestic portfolios and hence most are media invisible) but so what ? But the crunch is Westminster elections where UKIP got 3.1% and Nigel got humiliated at Buckingham because 4% of the public see the EU as "important" to their domestic issue vote. ( and NF's public profile puts off many voters) . There is zero prospect of an elected UKIP MP under its present pathway of assuming the public are converted and just need pointing where to vote.

So to get anywhere UKIP has to establish credibility with the public on the 15 megaissues rated more important than EU AND convince the public the EU is central to bad things preventing goodies on these 15 issues.... so achieving "EU" concern rising from 4% to 10% plus.

Actually there are slight signs of UKIP waking from slumber. There is now a "Truth about the EU" front page link on the UKIP website leading to the beginnings of trying to make the case of relevance of EU to domestics.

As the website is UKIP's shop window, UKIP needs to elevate the status of a top grade website content controller to a leading marketing role in its press/media/"face of UKIP organisation ( with subordinate techos advising on how to achieve reader friendly layouts) .