Let's Get Political!

[horlock07]

The left/right divide is only useful up to a point, so for example today's Exitinction Rebellion demo in London.... what many might see as a left position has the aim of saving the planet for future generations of homo sapiens. Does that mean the those on the right, don't share that aim 

There is a (I am sure entirely coincidental) relationship between the far right and a refusal to accept green issues,



Translated "Give us diesel over green madness", an example of European parliament electioneering by German neo-fascist AfD party.

See also Trump (D) and his opinions on global warming.....

[Reg Smeeton]

 At least the use of Archimboldo shows some hint of civilisation.... progress in German fascism.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Good article this

https://news.sky.com/story/labour-and-the-tiggers-need-to-get-real-11695821

[chalkies_shorts]

He's got my vote. Hopefully if we have the euro elections pro EU parties will tell us why it's a good thing rather than taking cheap shots at those who want to leave.
If there were a general election he'd also win a lot of votes

[Abrahammer]

If there were a general election he'd also win a lot of votes

Unlike his previous 5 failed attempts to get elected

[Batch]

Unsurprisingly Farage isn't getting my vote. I think he'll do rather well in the MEP elections if it comes to it. Brexiteers and protest voters.

No clear equivalent for those less anti-EU. Change party I suppose.
-------------------
Not much choice in the local elections for our ward

Tories with Reynard
Labour
Green
UKIP

Suppose green or spoilt paper it is. Though Labour would be the tactical vote they got less than half the Tory vote last time out.

[chalkies_shorts]

Unlike his previous 5 failed attempts to get elected

I think the climate is a bit different now. Wasn't there some controversy over Tories undeclared spending which helped keep him out.

[horlock07]

I think the climate is a bit different now. Wasn't there some controversy over Tories undeclared spending which helped keep him out.

One has to admire the £75k of funding he has managed to raise in a couple of days, all sources conveniently sitting below the £500 limit at which the source has to be declared....

Handy that... 

[jutty274]

I have seen Farage talk to a group of military officers on leadership and management, he is very engaging and quite likeable on stage but he turned the speech around to anti Tories/Teresa May, needless to say that wasn't very well received and he won't be asked back; but before that he had them eating out of his hand.
He wasn't as good as Eddie Jones or even Clarissa Dick of the Met, but still quite interesting to watch on stage.

[horlock07]

I have seen Farage talk to a group of military officers on leadership and management, he is very engaging and quite likeable on stage but he turned the speech around to anti Tories/Teresa May, needless to say that wasn't very well received and he won't be asked back; but before that he had them eating out of his hand.
He wasn't as good as Eddie Jones or even Clarissa Dick of the Met, but still quite interesting to watch on stage.

He is charismatic and knows how to appeal to and then pray upon peoples fears, in that way he is no different from centuries of fraudsters and charlatans. Like many such historical figures, its only when the need for detail is exposed that the house of cards collapses as Brexit has shown.

This is a good example of how he works....

https://www.channel4.com/news/revealed-how-leave-eu-faked-migrant-footage

[Ardiles]

He's got my vote. Hopefully if we have the euro elections pro EU parties will tell us why it's a good thing rather than taking cheap shots at those who want to leave.
If there were a general election he'd also win a lot of votes

The impression I have is that his message resonates very strongly with his supporters, but that his supporter base is not particularly wide.  His radio show on LBC demonstrates this quite well.  Callers to the show are almost exclusively supportive of him.  (Sycophantic wouldn't be an exaggeration in most cases.)  And a significant majority of callers are middle aged/older and male.  I think this accounts for his repeated failure to get elected under the FPTP system we're shackled with in this country.  It would take a collapse of the Tory vote to get him in...which could, I suppose, happen very soon.

[chalkies_shorts]

He is charismatic and knows how to appeal to and then pray upon peoples fears

It looks like both remainers and leavers use the same tactics then - the charismatic part is subjective.

[Wobbly Bob]

I suspect that the next GE will give Farage plenty of opportunity to win a seat somewhere, e.g. leave voting, possibly Labour, minimal student population where the sitting MP is perceived as having 'betrayed' the constituents.

I'm not a fan, far from it, but a Farage in Parliament might not be a bad thing in terms of  adding a bit of 'tone' to proceedings.

Anyway, the Palace of Westminster is a huge fire risk and will burn down in the not too distant.
Can Euclid Street accommodate 600+ cunts when the Westminster road show comes to town.

[horlock07]

It would take a collapse of the Tory vote to get him in...which could, I suppose, happen very soon.

I suspect that the next GE will give Farage plenty of opportunity to win a seat somewhere, e.g. leave voting, possibly Labour, minimal student population where the sitting MP is perceived as having 'betrayed' the constituents.

I think looking at the polling and reading comments from people way more intelligent on such matters than me, Farage is riding on the coattails of the 'betrayed' Tory and Labour voters, whether this would be repeated in a GE is anyone's guess. He is also being helped by the hourly Party Political Broadcasts the BBC are facilitating, whilst the infighting on the remain side is in danger of just splitting their vote down to nothing!

Edit - Dunt says it better than me and I know Chalkies loves a bit of Dunt! https://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2019/04/17/remainers-are-making-a-pig-s-ear-of-the-european-elections

Listening to Carole Cadwalladr's Ted talk earlier, I am inclined to agree that democracy is well and truly buggered until they sort the electronic campaigning issues out, I note that FullFact (who even Brexiteers like to quote as unbiased) are saying the same thing which says a lot really.  

[RobertT]

Farage is the poster child of the negatives the first past the past system brings us.  He stands very little chance of getting a seat in Parliament, or causing any great influence on that system through a party.  That creates a sense of disenfranchisement for people who simply see no way of having their voices heard - even if they (in my opinion) have bad ideas and policy.  That perpetuates the space within which someone like Farage can operate - make it seem like "they" are out to get you and "they" will not let you in.  He doesn't even need to be FOR anything, he can exist by simply being against the status quo.