Do you know anyone in real life who votes for UKIP?

[puddingsforsandy]

And if so, do you judge them?

If you're a UKIP supporter yourself, are you happy to declare it in public/at work?

I haven't yet (well I think!) meet anyone who votes for this party. Someone from FB linked something from UKIP FB page disagreeing with it. This lead me to their page. The supporters of this party come across as thick (going by the FB page)

I can't believe this is the same party that was lead by that talk show host. Silk something.

Anyway that's my opinion but my questions above still stand.
Thanks.

Do those of you who vote UKIP (or who agree with their policies) live in areas of high immigration?

I do. There is only one child in my ds's class who has 2 white English born parents. The rest are all from immigrant families, mostly first generation.

My experience is that immigrants improve the country, not take from it. Maybe because even going through the process of immigration and attempting to learn a new language, which must be incredibly hard for people without good economic means, is a way of sorting the wheat from the chaff. In other words, the ones who manage to get here and make a go of it are already, in terms of human potential, pretty high up the food chain. The immigrants I come into contact with daily are often, IME, harder working, brighter and better educated than the indigenous born people whose jobs they admittedly may be taking. It's a survival of the fittest thing, and sadly a lot of UK born individuals aren't fit for purpose any more.

I think this is evidenced by the fact that white working class boys are now near the bottom of the educational league tables.

My dc's school is now at the top of the borough league tables for end of KS2 SATS results, despite being in one of the three poorest wards in the borough.

As for the overcrowding and housing thing - yes, I can see this is a problem. We are very overcrowded in the SE, not so much in the rest of the country, but then we also have the most vibrant economy.

I live in an area that is UKIP stronghold so I must know a fair few, but they don't talk about it. I loathe their stances on environmental and education issues so yes I would judge.

Oh so as long as they've hidden the less palatable stuff it's ok to vote for them then?

know who you vote for

lljjkk but luckily it isn't really a stronghold is it? It may be a place where their nutters are a bit more vocal, but they are still a fronge party.

Come the next general election UKIP will have exactly the same number of MPs as they have now: 0

Lots of UKIP councillors on county council, they are very active in "parish" politics. Yucky as all heck. We are a low immigrants county and farmers benefit a lot from EU subsidies. So their local politics are all about local issues like energy generation schemes, transport infrastructure, employment rights, housing and waste disposal. I disagree strongly on these issues and would look askance at anyone who endorsed their policies.

'Local ukip councillor, lovely guy'.
That's an oxymoron if I've ever seen one.

How delightfully open-minded. Nothing like judging people on their own merits, rather than making sweeping generalisations. It's almost as if you are far guiltier of the bigotry and ignorance you attribute to them. :)

In response to the original questions:

I don't think I know anyone. Yes, I would quietly judge them as being racist or totally thick. Maybe a mix of both.

It's the "I'm not being racist but..." mentality.

Although, I did hear on the radio recently that the UKIP leader had called for the UK to accept Syrian refugees rather than just offering financial aid. I couldn't agree more. Not enough to consider voting for them though!

Actually, I've just realised that it isn't an 'either or'. Being racist and totally thick have got to go hand in hand.

Compos I wouldn't be so sure, there seem to be many who are determined to 'protest vote' as within the three main parties there is in reality very little difference.

This is when parties like UKIP are at their most dangerous. Offering an alternative to the perceived issues of the day whilst hiding the more unpalatable policies means that frustrated voters will vote to protest - and if enough people do that they'll no longer be a fringe party. It's how Hitler's party started it's rise in the 20s. They looked perfectly reasonable on the surface, but when they got in...

Call me a shrieking hysteric if you like, but we as a country are ripe for this kind of thing happening again. Already disabled people and their carers reliant on benefits are being demonised as a waste of resources. People are dying because of welfare cuts.

My MIL votes for them and I do judge her.

She's not actually racist, just easily accepting of Daily Fail alarmism

Agree with Arguements at Christmas re. our choices.

UKIP are all idiots. Like my Dad. Mortifyingly, he stood for local council. He is son of immigrants BTW. Not racist but his thinking is not very joined up. At all.
I was pleased he didn't get his deposit back. (sorry Dad)

immigration will be the hot topic at the next general election with every single party jumping on board to claim they will control it.

it's just that UKIP have been spouting it for a lot longer and don't just start banging on about it when an election is on the horizon.

UKIPs core members are the over 60s. And these are the people who get off their arses and vote, so it's understandable they are doing well and understandable the other parties fear them.

I suppose UKIP have an appeal in that they haven't been implicated in politicians expense scandals that so many Labour and Conservative MPs have. Nor did they bankrupt the country so I guess they look 'fresh'.

Nigel has an appeal to the 'eccentric'. He can come across as someone who has lived a life - as opposed to the career politicians in the main parties.

However, if they are anything like my Dad, I urge all UKIP voters to reconsider!

(The NSDAP) looked perfectly reasonable on the surface, but when they got in...

Actually, that depends on your definition of "reasonable". Drexler was a straightforward anti-Semite, and made no secret of it, and Hitler's early speeches have only two themes: the treaty of Versailles and the "problem" of Jews (indeed, one theme, as he blames the latter for the former). Der Sturmer, which was explicitly anti-Semitic in the bulk of its content, was being published long before the Nazis came to power.

The point is that in the context of the time, anti-Semitism was very popular, so the Nazis had no need to be coy about it and every reason, in fact, to boast of it. It's an interesting reflection on how times have changed that UKIP keep their openly racist elements muzzled, because they realise that today overt racism is electoral poison. That's a step forward, of sorts.

"a lot of UK born individuals aren't fit for purpose.." minifingers above.

And how is that an acceptable thing to say?

I know lots of people who vote UKIP in fact most people who I know who bother to vote tend to vote UKIP. I can't help but judge and I do voice my opinions on them.

Generally the reasoning behind their decision to vote UKIP is because they feel that Labour destroyed the country, Lib Dem are useless and nobody can relate to DC and his Etonian cronies.

Rural Sussex is usually Tory heartland, but UKIP have come second in a number of local elections this year. I think a significant percentage of voters are feeling defensive, and the vagueness and waffle from the three main parties isn't helping.

My stepmother does. She is proud of the fact that she hasn't read a book in her life,the only thing she reads is the Daily Mail. I think these things may be connected.

I judge on all the above but I try to keep it to myself, not easy.

False - there are too many able bodied people in the UK with very poor literacy and numeracy who lack the skills and the drive to hold down any sort of half decent job. This is what I mean by 'not fit for purpose'. On reflection, you are right that it's a horrible phrase and I shouldn't have used it, as on a human level we are worth more than what we contribute to the economy. Apologies.

I went out on a night out in Chester. I was met with many Romanian immigrants drinking near the beautiful cathedral and pissing up shops.
I was quiet worried for my safety as I walked pat because they were shouting and trying to walk up to me.

I spoke to a local bouncer and he said they are a problem in the area. They're homeless and they beg.

Chester already has a large homeless population as it is. Do we really need to be adding to this growing problem?

A factory local to me was built and the locals all supported it as jobs were promised.
Lots of local men were taken on with temporary contracts (my Dp included)
Within a year near enough every singe local had been laid off and the jobs renamed. Guess who was taken on instead.

Its things that that which are causing people to vote for UKIP. Things have to be fair for all.
I live in a tiny village just outside of Chester. The changes that have happened here in the past 5-10 years are dramatic. I can't begin to wonder what it's like in towns and cities.

We need to ask is immigration benefiting everyone or just a select few.
I was all for immigration at one point now I am questioning it. Especially with Albania wanting to join.

UKIP are not for me, but I can see why some are voting for them. It's fear of what happens next.

I have never took anyone called Pat for a walk. That should of been past

Gobby I think you're spot on. There's so much apathy in the UK at the moment, many people don't bother to vote anymore because none of the main parties care about the average UK citizen. I think a lot of people who have never voted before will vote for UKIP this time as a protest vote. Being in a minority group this scares me. I suspect their policies are a lot more extreme than their website suggests, they clearly don't view disabled, gay or foreign people as equal to a able bodied, straight, white person.

32 - what lazy rubbish to say 'none of the main parties care about ordinary people'. My local labour MP is great and very proactive in support of local people. In the past 20 years I've seen huge improvements in the standard of state schools and education in my area (a deprived part of London). We have 3 absolutely beautiful children's centre nurseries within a mile of where I'm sitting - amazing state of the art buildings staffed by highly qualified workers, that make even the best private nurseries look pathetic by comparison. These places have been a godsend to local families and until recently when the Tories massively slashed their funding! we're offering an even wider range of really important services and support.

I think there are a lot of people on here whose political opinions are based on nothing more than the biased and half-witted bollocks that passes for political coverage in much of the UK press.

many people don't bother to vote anymore because none of the main parties care about the average UK citizen

That's the sort of faux-intellectual cynical bollocks that allows people to think they're being deeply insightful, while in fact being nothing of the sort.