What can we do to change the minds of decision makers and people in general to actually do something about preparing for the forthcoming economic/energy crises (the ones after this one!)?
Support for Britain's established parties is splintering, as Ukip appears poised to break the political mould by doubling its support within a single month, according to a Guardian/ICM poll.
Nigel Farage's party has surged from its previous record best with ICM, the 9% it notched up in April, to 18% after its council election victories last week.
Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have been left reeling, with all shedding four points on the month to 34%, 28% and 11% respectively.
For all three established parties to be falling substantially at the same time is unprecedented in the 29-year history of the Guardian/ICM series.
The "none of the above" disillusionment is also evident in a surge in support for other minor parties, especially the neo-fascist BNP. It stands on 4%, up three on the month, while the Greens are on 2% and the combined Welsh and Scottish nationalists stand at 3%.
Add in Ukip, and the assorted parties formerly lumped together as "others" have a combined 27%, only one point less than the Conservatives and seven less than Labour. The score is also up on last month's combined "others" total of 16%, the highest these assorted parties had scored with ICM.
There is no doubt that popular contempt for the political class and the traditional parties is at a all time high. I don't think that the rise of UKIP is a blip and that it attests to a broader shift to the Right among the population. This of course is something that I have been predicting for a number of years, in contract to the idea among the Left that the financial crisis would lead to a revival of left-wing politics. Quite the contrary.
The economic crisis has accelerated the rise of the populist Right throughout Europe.
Peace always has been and always will be an intermittent flash of light in a dark history of warfare, violence, and destruction
This of course is something that I have been predicting for a number of years
I knew you'd say that
Anyway it's not entirely a shift to the right. It's a shift, in all directions, away from the centre. Because the centre 3 parties all have the same policies, and the said policies aren't doing the average voter much good.
This of course is something that I have been predicting for a number of years
I knew you'd say that
Anyway it's not entirely a shift to the right. It's a shift, in all directions, away from the centre. Because the centre 3 parties all have the same policies, and the said policies aren't doing the average voter much good.
Funny enough, I do think there is space for a genuinely left-wing socialist party which could attract a decent chunk of the existing Labour voting bloc.
I do sense that the UKIP factor is a game-changer, but how things will evolve going forward is a big unknown. Surprised the Greens haven't prospered more but that I think is that they have become a slightly more greenish ting of Labour.
A real radical and alternative vision based on Transition Town in the long-term might provide a better chance for the Greens.
Peace always has been and always will be an intermittent flash of light in a dark history of warfare, violence, and destruction
biffvernon wrote:When things go wrong people look for scapegoats.
Scapegoating is central to right wing politics.
It has history.
This is complacent. Of course pandering to the instinct to look for scapegoats is a right wing tactic. Of course UKIP are exploiting that tactic. However, if you really think that the above is all that is going on, then you are mistaken.
JavaScriptDonkey wrote:I'm glad you have so much faith in the democratic choice of your fellow citizens Biff.
I don't think Biff really believes in his fellow citizen's democratic rights. Especially, I suspect, if they are urban, ill-educated and a bit...you know.....chavvy. I think Biff believes that all of the really big decisions should be made by nice, sensitive, educated people. People like....you know....Biff.
stevecook172001 wrote:I don't think Biff really believes in his fellow citizen's democratic rights. Especially, I suspect, if they are urban, ill-educated and a bit...you know.....chavvy. I think Biff believes that all of the really big decisions should be made by nice, sensitive, educated people. People like....you know....Biff.
Steve, you really do manage to have an absolutely wrong view of how I think. The truth is the diametric opposite of your statement.
Last edited by biffvernon on 14 May 2013, 08:30, edited 1 time in total.
Referring to a couple of posts up, here is another case of someone presuming on thoughts of others. If you have a point to make, by all means make it, but second guessing on possibly hidden meanings of someone elses post just leads to difficulllties. I agree with some points and disagree with other points made by several posters, just as they probably do with mine. No one of us knows the absolute facts.
To become an extremist, hang around with people you agree with. Cass Sunstein
biffvernon wrote:
Scapegoating is central to right wing politics.
Scapegoating is central to politics.
Certainly present day politics. I am sick and tired of the "my dad's stronger than your dad, nah-nah-na-nah-nah" exchanges in prime (misnomer if ever there was one) minister's question time. They don't realise how puerile they look, and how untrustworthy they look.
To become an extremist, hang around with people you agree with. Cass Sunstein
