to think UKIP can no longer deny being racist

[Sallyingforth]

We keep hearing about all these UKIP members and supporters in the news for their racist speech and articles.
Farage says he doesn't want racists in his party, but there is the photo of him drinking and grinning with one of the Chelsea mob who were filmed in Paris.
Apparently there will be more on the TV tonight.
It's time that all sensible people spoke out against these hateful characters.

YANBU. Every week there's a new 'exception' to prove the rule with UKIP and racism. Yes, we have the show of expulsion each time it happens, but then more party racists come out of the closet the next week, and then the week after that. It's getting ridiculously untenable to keep pretending it's one or two line idiots when it's happening with such monotonous regularity.

Yes, every single reported story of Nativity plays being banned has turned out to be bollocks. Can you give us an example of one where it has actually happened?

All parties have racists and general bigots in them - who did all these people vote for before UKIP existed. (No NOT the BNP - the numbers don't add up).

Branding people racists rather than looking at the social problems that cause people to feel this way is only going to make divisions and mistrust worse.

Don't forget they banned Baa Baa Black Sheep too,

Urban Myth.

Islamics do they have a ray gun

UKIP play on lies and paranoia we HAVE the same controls on immigration as other countries you know - people just chose to believe we don't

ghosty, that may be true, but we do have a bigger immigration "problem" than other countries.

When people see their housing, work and education opportunities eroded by immigration, they are going to want immigration tightened. In properly multicultural areas, where everone's more or less middleclass you can pretend it's not a problem, it probably isn't for you but when your DC are one of the only native English speakers in a failing school, and you've been on the council list for years, it's hard not to want "something" done.

Anyone (Nigel Farage) who forms an alliance with a party (SD) which is trying to change the law so that all jews have to be registered and will be stripped of their citizenship unless they renounce their faith is utter scum, and so are the people who vote for him.

I live in area that has loads of immigrants and most people are tolerant. I find more intolerance comes from areas that aren't affected at all, they believe all the myths.

I just don't blanket blame immigrants for lack of social housing and employment - I blame Thatcher and the global economic crisis

we are a country BUILT on immigration and multiculturalism - there is nothing more British

I would love to see evidence of a school with only ONE English speaking child btw!

I agree with Lumpy.

And I find it incredible and deeply saddening that people are willing to vote for a man who consorts with neo-Nazis.

Hedgehogs, excuse my ignorance but I didn't know about this. Who are SD? Can you give us a link to this appalling notion about Jews renouncing their faith?

People too often forget the benefits of migration and just use immigrants as a scapegoat for every perceived wrong in their life.

Even if people don't agree with immigration I still do not understand how you could vote for UKIP.

some pesky facts

ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Share_of_non-nationals_in_the_resident_population,1_January_2013(%25)_YB14_II.png

Me neither ghosty and I agree with you re Thatcher, but I'm not affected by any of those issues either.

It's easy to be all tolerant when you aren't seeing others taking all your opportunities. There's a school near here with 67 different first languages spoken, which when you're not dealing with it, is a fantastic opportunity for children to learn about different cultures etc. Different when English is effectively being taught to your child as a foreign language.

I'm not saying any of it's right, but I can see why people (often with poor education themselves) are attracted to UKIP policies, feeling the main parties are doing nothing for people like them.

I am betting that school teaches all kids in English - with learning support for ESL learners - I am betting they don't have teachers delivering lessons in Spanish or Welsh

'Other's' aren't taking opportunities - they are being employed legally in jobs anyone can apply for - probably on zero hours and NMW - maybe they are better qualified

It's lazy thinking and the other parties should be do much much more to tackle it

Exactly Chertsey - that's the point. The dismissal of anyone voting for UKIP because they are affected by a range of issues that are simply not dealt with at political level by other parties makes them search out someone who listens. The branding of everyone as racist simply alienates them.

I'm just glad that the majority of people posting are against UKIP and can see them for what they really are. A few months ago the UKIP threads on here and the level of support they seemed to be getting was quite worrying.

Yes of course ghosty, that's my point. UKIP are becoming successful because the other parties have dismissed these people as racist and told them their issues aren't valid, so it's not surprising they've looked elsewhere. I'm not at all saying they're right to do so, I'm saying it's not surprising that they have. The disappointment is that the other parties have taken so long to realise it.

Chertsey Do you have evidence for your figures. It would seem odd that as the national figure stands at 1 in 6, or 1 in 8 in secondary schools, such a large proportion is in one school.

I am not supporting UKIP either but the PP who says that the level of support for them on MN seems to have dropped is right. I would suspect that it is because anyone who dares to say that UKIP might have a point about XYZ is immediately branded racist, sexist, disablist, homophobic etc. The big guns come in and all debate is over.

cos truth hurts
if you support a party that is all the "ists" you must be too
easy

And Ghosty - I agree about lazy thinking and most of the time about legally taking opportunities but not always.Not all employers stick by the rules and jobs are advertised to non-natives because they will work for less.

but then those employers should be reported and prosecuted as that is illegal - it's hardly the fault of immigrants if greedy people want to exploit them

My half muslim DDs made a lovely star and angel in their nativity

Yes, there was ad for staff at the school in TES a couple of weeks ago. They have a long list of vacancies (surprise, surprise!) and stated in their advert that they are a diverse school with 67 first languages spoken. It's a very large primary school .

I did say upthread that I am a proper lefty who abhors UKIP, I think it might need reiterating! My point here is that by dismissing everyone who has any issues with immigration as racist, the mainstream parties have alienated large swathes of poor and poorly educated people and let UKIP in.

Samcro - That;s what I mean. It doesn't help.

If I support Labour does that mean I fully supported the war in Iraq and the bankers, (who did better under Blair than under anyone else, ever)? Yeah - course it does.

If I voted Liberal/ Lb Dem - does that mean I think Cyrill Smith is an OK guy - course I do - cos I voted for him!

By the way - If I voted for Thatcher - hey - she hobnobbed with Jimmy Savile - yeah I must be paedophile because I also watched Jim'll fix it. Also she smashed the unions - I must hate the miners.

Unless you were being ironic and I missed it - that is a silly statement and really designed to stop anyone from openly admitting to UKIP but to voting in the ballot box when they don't have to be vilified for their concerns.