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Original poster

Could I vote UKIP.... if it would regenerate my town?

286 replies

AngelDreams · 05/04/2015 21:13

We have a failing town, the last bank has left, we still have a post office, and a couple of other shops, and there is a little car park there, where they charge you as soon as you get there.

We (me and my friends) think that if it was free for a couple of hours we would go in and get stuff, maybe go to one of the cafes there, but no, as we can get free parking in the nearest (slightly bigger) town, we just go there.

I was talking to a local shop owner who is up for election on the local council - he said he wants to sort the parking, but cannot run on the lib/green/lab/cons side as they are all in the 'keep parking charges' for various reasons. He said he is going in as UKIP as he would never get in as an independant. I dont think i could bring myself to vote UKIP though....

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 05/04/2015 21:15

So pay the parking fee

How much is it anyway?

What are the reasons the lib/green/lab/cons want to keep it?

longfingernails · 05/04/2015 21:18

YANBU. If high street parking were free people would shop in town centres more. Locally you should vote with whoever has the best local policies.

It could be completely different to who you vote for in the general election, which should be based on who has the best national policies.

BIWI · 05/04/2015 21:21

For goodness sake, no! Do you not have any idea what UKIP stands for? Please don't do it.

PtolemysNeedle · 05/04/2015 21:25

It's is fine to vote for the candidate you believe will represent you in parliament most accurately. If you believe this guy will use his parliamentary votes wisely, even when his own party is being an arse, then it's a valid option.

ClumsyNinja · 05/04/2015 21:25

So you vote UKIP and the one councillor who wants to remove the local parking fees gets outvoted by the other council members because they have a huge budget deficit to solve.

Nice one! Hmm

Andrewofgg · 05/04/2015 21:25

If high street parking were free a handful of early birds would seize the places and hog them all day and shopping would be no easier.

Ffs don't vote UKIP.

PureMorning · 05/04/2015 21:27

Ukip are the bnp in posher suits, don't vote for them

Nydj · 05/04/2015 21:34

If the main parties don't fit the shop owners agenda, he could always stand as an independent. I think the parking issue is a smokescreen.

BitchBags · 05/04/2015 21:39

I am going to get a massive flaming here but I voted for UKIP in our Local elections last time and they won. Our village is so much better off, we have seen loads of improvements that have needed doing in years and the local councillor actually cares about his community and makes a huge effort.
I know who I will be voting for again!
Oh and op yanbu Grin

chickensandbees · 05/04/2015 21:40

No!!

ElectraCute · 05/04/2015 21:42

So you're happy to be represented by a party of racists and homophobes if it means you save a couple of quid on parking?

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 05/04/2015 21:44

Where is this magical place of UKIP that one solitary councillor has turned around in less than 5 years? What did they do to warrant such success and why aren't UKIP shouting about it from the rafters instead of scaremongering about immigrants with HIV?

vestandknickers · 05/04/2015 21:45

No!

Far bigger issues at stake than a few quid on parking.

Please don't let racists buy your vote.

phlebasconsidered · 05/04/2015 21:45

I live in a place where UKIP have already got council seats. NOTHING has changed, except they are now spending more money on being elected in the general election. All the issues in the town that they said would be fixed, have not been. Needless to say, they have many excuses as to why this is, mainly immigration and budget based. I didn't vote for them, they don't surprise me.

Truly, they are shitebags. I understand I live in a rural area where no bugger except UKIP and the TORIES stand, but really, i spoil my ballot paper each time rather than go for these. Amazingly, they all live in plush areas and pop up shouting when there's a crisp packet opening with a photo op, but do nothing otherwise. We've been campaigning for our library / some adult ed / some bus services for YEARS and the UKIP guy ran in and got voted in on all of this ( not by me!) and did fuck all. But hey, he might sort out parking.

Our local UKIP candidate looks like doctor evil and spends half his double page spread shouting that he isn't a racist and decrying immigration, despite having a Cypriot surname. He's a total twat.

I have no-one to vote for.

Pontouf · 05/04/2015 21:46

No.

MsJudgementalPants · 05/04/2015 21:47

Apart from free parking, what other issues is he campaigning for?

How's your local hospital and what are his views on that?

I am amazed that saving a couple of quid on parking would be the winning issue for you.

Jacobsmum1973 · 05/04/2015 21:48

I'm sorry but she has every right to vote for who she wants.

We are talking about an mp or councillor ?

I would say if you beleive that the candidate has good principles and polices I would say yes for local councillor.

I would not vote in a mp that represents ukip. That's my personal view.

Ukip is what it is. I voted Tory at the local elections and labour on European elections. I'm a labour voter but swallowed my pride because I deicded that they would make my local area a better one.

A local counsellor is for locals.

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 05/04/2015 21:49

Also it takes more than parking fees for a place to die - otherwise London would be a ghost town. I do agree it has some bearing on some local high streets but not to a economy-killing extent.

What is the main employment in the town and has that changed in the past two years? Housing? Schools?

Also you can have all the free parking in the world and Amazon and Tesco still exist. That's been the real killer of local shopping.

Jacobsmum1973 · 05/04/2015 21:51

This is an issue for the op. My neighbour is a tory councillor and she would happily get my vote because she is doing the right thing for the local area. I Judge local elections by what each candidate does not national party stances.

Original poster
AngelDreams · 05/04/2015 21:51

So pay the parking fee. How much is it anyway?

Doesnt matter how much it is, if it was free for 2hours then i would spend money in the town, as it costs i (and others) dont, and the town will die slowly and painfully.

There are more shops in the other places near, and they have free parking, the council need to encourage people to come to the little towns, not put them off

(i really cant vote UKIP in real life though)

OP posts:
BoulevardOfBrokenSleep · 05/04/2015 21:52

Surely lobbying or a petition would be a better way to get the charges changed, than electing a single opposed councillor?

Jacobsmum1973 · 05/04/2015 21:57

Yes boulevard is right petition is much better.

Rivercam · 05/04/2015 21:57

I think if things have improved llocally, Than that is due to the calibre of the councillor, not his politics.

ukip live off soundbites. if you delve deeper, they are homophobic and racist, and full of hot air.

It's a shame he can't stand as an independent. If he campaigns well, he'll probably be more popular than ukip!

Jacobsmum1973 · 05/04/2015 22:01

Rivercam I doubt an independent would get more votes tbh. Ukip are extremely popular dispite disgusting racism and homophobia. I saw that they were on 18% in the polls.

WorraLiberty · 05/04/2015 22:05

Doesnt matter how much it is, if it was free for 2hours then i would spend money in the town, as it costs i (and others) dont, and the town will die slowly and painfully.

Errr but if you're that worried about your town dying slowly, why not just pay a fee (as long as it's not too huge), or get the bus there and back?

We're all free to vote for who we want to.

So do it or don't, but for the sake of a (possibly small) parking fee which normally goes towards the upkeep of the car park, you're thinking of voting for a party that you claim not to like?

Just sounds daft to me.