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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not understand why working class people might support UKIP?

64 replies

Scarletohello · 31/03/2014 20:27

They are so far to the right of the Tories but it seems like UKIP are gaining more support from working class people than the middle class. Just because Nigel Farrage smokes fags and likes a pint does not mean that he has anything to offer the working class. Is it just because they are brainwashed by The Sun and The Daily Mail? I find it really worrying as I think they are a very divisive and dangerous influence in British society. Blaming immigrants for our problems is not the solution and is not only scapegoating sections of society but not offering any real solutions to the problems we face.

OP posts:
Rebecca2014 · 31/03/2014 21:24

Because mass immigration has affected the working class the most.

I am working class and it is actually one of the reasons why I am determined to get back into education and get a decent job. I shouldn't have to struggle to get a bloody shop job.

itsbetterthanabox · 31/03/2014 21:24

Because even though ukip would do nothing but make life harder for working class people the press focus so much on immigration 'issues' that people think it's that which causes cuts and problems for them rather than blaming those in power and the wealthy.

fayrae · 31/03/2014 21:26

It;s those that are in power and who are wealthy that are in favour of mass immigration! It's the same thing! No-one is blaming immigrants, people blame the politicians that allowed immigration on a massive scale to happen. Which is why people are turning to UKIP.

mrsruffallo · 31/03/2014 21:26

What meddie said. Bit more complex than beer and fags. I only know one person who I think might vote for them and is surburban and middle class.

Fusedog · 31/03/2014 21:27

Because as with welfare the type of people who uncontrolled immergration effects are usually people who don't read the guardian and Live in muswell hill they usually live in nice white areas that neither have any one living on welfare or immargnts bar some Saudi s with a lot of money or well heeled Russians

Takingbackmonday · 31/03/2014 21:30

FFS there is nothing 'neo-fascist' about UKIP. Some aspects are a little unsavoury but they are hardly Neo-Nazis.

They attract more former Labour than former Tories now.

Your OP is very patronising - 'the WC' don't have their own political opinions, they must be brainwashed...

PS - Owen Jones is an utter moron.

NoArmaniNoPunani · 31/03/2014 21:30

I can't understand how any women can support them whatever class they belong to. Their policies are so anti women

fayrae · 31/03/2014 21:31

How are their policies "anti-women"? Genuinely interested in why you think this.

TeacupDrama · 31/03/2014 21:33

I do not like Farage or his policies but I think any of the three main parties that think he is a joke and not to be taken seriously are doing themselves no favours, the 3 main parties just do not seem to get that most people are just fed up to the back teeth of politicians spin and point scoring

they ( both UKIP supporters and those that do not vote) as well as many that do support main parties feel that the political classes treat them as numpties at best, that can not be trusted to vote in the right way

principle reason all against referendum on europe as scared the populace may vote to leave

while many in Scotland and other parts hate being governed by westminister who they feel does not understand them or their concerns they want to be governed from brussels even less

I would never vote for UKIP but I can understand why WC and others would vote for him

NoArmaniNoPunani · 31/03/2014 21:44

How are their policies "anti-women"? Genuinely interested in why you think this.

I'm genuinely interested in how you can possibly think their policy of abolishing SMP and removing equality legislation which protects pregnant women is not anti women.

mrsjay · 31/03/2014 21:48

It is nothing to do with class really and everything to do with getting back to good old britain that is what UKIP is about really I guess people whatever class believe them

winklewoman · 31/03/2014 21:51

If it were not for working class Tories the conservatives would never get in never mind UKIP.

Ubik1 · 31/03/2014 21:54

What I don't understand is why the media is so obsessed with Nigel Farage. He's everywhere

Question Time is the Nigel Farage show. It's bizarre.

fayrae · 31/03/2014 21:57

I suspect he provides a ratings boost. People are sick of watching the same old bland LibLabCon politicians regurgitating the same old bland platitudes. Stick someone on there like Farage, or Nick Griffin, or David Starkey, and people know they are going to hear something different, whether they like it or not.

mrsjay · 31/03/2014 21:59

channel 4 or 5 are doing a documentary on him this week he is the new nick griffin media wise i mean

OTheHugeManatee · 31/03/2014 22:03

Lots of working class people support UKIP because they felt utterly shafted by New Labour's combination of lax regulation for big business, open-door immigration policy causing lower end wages to stagnate, and right-on contempt for many aspects of the culture of the people who voted them in. It's astonishingly patronising to write that off as 'brainwashed by The Sun and the Daily Mail' and shows the covert contempt many champagne lefties have for the working class.

itsbetterthanabox · 31/03/2014 22:03

A flat rate of tax that whether you earn minimum wage or millions you pay. Who in their right mind would think that is ok? People who don't know their policies that's who. People that think they are simply going to stop immigration.

itsbetterthanabox · 31/03/2014 22:06

I earn just above minimum wage and so does my Partner. I am working class. I think ukip are terrifying. Don't insult people who are wealthier but agree with me, it just means they aren't racist, sexist or think we should make rich people richer and put poor people into poverty,

MaryWestmacott · 31/03/2014 22:13

Ubik - because NF is prepared to go on all the programmes, doesn't negotate hard about what he'll be asked etc. He's prepared to turn up and give good interviews. He's different and not quite so 'samey' - he'll actually say stuff, not just repeat manifesto quotes.

This doesn't mean the media like him or his policies, just it's far easier to get him on their programmes than most of the other main party leaders and he's more likely to say something interesting (even if crap) than the others.

Georgina1975 · 31/03/2014 22:24

I am not sure I would use the term "working class" - it being at bit Marxist and all. Which makes anybody who sells their labour for a wage "working class"?

However, I think know what you mean.

My experience of this is largely based on recent immigration from Eastern Europe. In the VERY working class city where I live a lot of people have found this very hard. I think the most difficult thing is for people to see their communities change entirely in a short space of time. The change is quite profound and I can see how it might be very threatening for a lot of people.

We also have an additional issue of lots of young men (as opposed to families) coming for work. When you have 5-6 crammed into a small terrace house in a community of terraces where we live in close proximity things can get a bit tense - especially on the w/end. I once got accidentally punched in the face standing between a young polish lad and quite elderly neighbour. Lads were drinking a lot of vodka and playing loud dance music all w/end - elderly neighbour wanted them to tone it down. Lads didn't feel able to go out in town because they are immigrants. This sort of issue was relatively common occurrence. I think the local authority tried to ease the situation by stopping anymore HMO licences being granted to landlords in the area.

I think there is a bit of issue with this immigration being a net economic gain too. It might be to the country as a whole but these communities often do not feel or see that gain themselves. They see, for example, a local primary school spending budget on translators etc... for the children of immigrants.

The real problem is not these immigrants and neither is it the "working class". It is the relentless drive to lower the biggest cost of any economy - the wage bill. And this is especially harmful to those on the lowest incomes.

HauntedNoddyCar · 31/03/2014 22:30

Agree with fayrae. Labour is divorced from its roots.

JohnCusacksWife · 31/03/2014 23:09

Because working class people are likely to be the people most directly affected by the influx of cheap labour from overseas. It's easy to be welcoming and liberal if your livelihood isn't at risk of being undercut by immigrants willing to work for less than you. But I guess when it directly adversely impacts on you then you become less tolerant....

vrtra · 31/03/2014 23:15

I disagree

I live in a heavily ukip county (compared to much of the uk). all the ukip county council wins came from tiny, white dominated, extremely rural villages and pockets of wealth where a local "character" stood for ukip. the urban, deeply deprived areas mostly voted labour with the odd Tory, the urban upper wc/lower mc areas voted ukip and Tory. I'm in the south east

fayrae · 31/03/2014 23:17

The thing is, if Labour did come out against immigration, they'd win the next election and every subsequent election by a landslide. So why don't they do it? Is it their financial backers they are more worried about?

vrtra · 31/03/2014 23:17

if I had to pinpoint a ukip demographic locally it would be late 50s - early 70s disenchanted Tory voter with a hefty pension and own home

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