Protest votes

[therealjr]

Ok so rightly or wrongly millions of people voted Ukip last Thursday. They have in the main been dismissed by the 2/3 other main parties as protest votes.
But here's the thing.
When in the past people have cast a 'protest vote' it's almost always aimed at the government of the day. But this time it looks like that isn't true and that all the major parties have suffered.
So the question is what were people protesting against?
Europe itself? Are ukip seriously just a one issue party?
The political system?
Personality politics? (And then vote for Farage??)
Because here's the question. If you can't figure out what the protest was about then do they have to stop calling it a protest vote and start doing what they should have done in the first place and present their own policies rather than just decry others?

[Slacker]

I predict that with a bigger turnout they will do lest well next year

[Fly]

Honest. I have looked. Where are, and what are, the UKIP policies ?
I do believe I posted in another thread, the URL to their website. But that was a bit naff policy related too !

[therealjr]

Slacker: so if you are willing to write them off as one hit wonders so to speak why are you and other labour activists still briefing against them?

[therealjr]

Fly: exactly my point. They have only one policy. So is that what everyone is protesting about?

[Slacker]

Certainly won't write them off, I think Labour underestimated their support and didn't do enough to expose their policies.

On taxation they want to combine Income Tax and N.I at 31%. Unless I've got that wrong everyone at basic rate pays more but those on 40% pay less.

[therealjr]

Have they said anything about the threshold for starting to pay tax? If they raise it to say £16k a lot will be better of?

[Slacker]

Chesterfield results are now in:

An Independence from Europe - 400

BNP - 439

Conservatives - 3183

English Democrats - 292

Greens - 1292

Harmony - 49

Labour - 9138

Liberal Democrats - 2440

UKIP - 7537

[Slacker]

Thought it was £11.5K, not done all the maths to go with it

[Slacker]

Bad result here:

North East Derbyshire results are in:

An Independence from Europe - 525

BNP - 451

Conservatives - 5350

English Democrats - 256

Greens - 1218

Harmony - 50

Labour - 7603

Liberal Democrats - 910

UKIP - 8583

[Slacker]

"Rock-solid" BDC is no more, Labour would have been beaten into 2nd place by a combination of UKIP & BNP

The results for Bolsover are now in:

An Independence from Europe - 400

BNP - 442

Conservatives - 2067

English Democrats - 195

Greens - 613

Harmony - 27

Labour - 5816

Liberal Democrats - 353

UKIP - 5657

[Old Cruser]

It's being said that people are just fed up with the UK and the main politicians hence the UKIP win.

Mate of hubbies told him it was a poor turn out in Derby.

How many have understood what they have voted for though?

[Fly]

Don't think 99% of them have a clue OC 

[Stuart]

It's being said that people are just fed up with the UK and the main politicians hence the UKIP win.

Mate of hubbies told him it was a poor turn out in Derby.

How many have understood what they have voted for though?

Farage is ex-tory, of course, and has himself behaved like yer traditional politician by furiously milking his own "political expenses" cow, so he could be considered to be part of the "establishment" problem, rather than its solution. As far as understanding UKIP policies go, I'd say none do, since they haven't been forced to say much beyond the basic "bash the foreigners" guff.

[Slacker]

New Tory MEP Andrew Lewer plans to carry on as both district and county councillor (latter still having 3 years to run). Says it's to save costs of by-elections. think this is a poor reason and that his constituents cant be properly represented. Can only assume he's (or the party) are worried about the by-election results.