I can't link to the Sky news interview with Nigel Farage but it was terrible

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It was Kay Burley. About 3pm today. She made his case for him just now and I don't even think she meant it. In fact I think she's sure she made a good job of portraying him as a mad racist while talking to him about UKIP's poster suggesting migrant workers were stealing British jobs.

He seemed quite reasonable in the face of Burley. He didn't emerge as racist - protectionist at best - xenophobic at worst. He didn't even grab anyone round the throat or ask them if they'd have given it up a bit more their husband wouldn't have been tempted to murder prostitutes.

Then she went on about a pretty young woman they're featuring as a candidate who is from her appearance, clearly of Anglo-Asian background and demanding why UKIP didn't declare her background. Burley was the one who mentioned pretty. Not me or Farage.

Farage asked why they should and to be fair I had to agree. And also, she's a pretty woman who's used a flattering picture on her literature. Wouldn't you? If you want to know more about her views then read her literature and ask her questions, rather than the party.

Oh criminy. I had to admit that Nigel seemed reasonable. They're heading for a major result in the European elections. In my mad moments I toy with voting UKIP just because I've always lived in Tory constituencies and want to crush them now more than ever.

It could happen here. I won't do it, but the temptation is fucking strong.

I'd think it was a right-wing plot if I didn't know Burley of old and realise it was incompetence.

Also in my humble opinion anyone who thinks not tackling climate change is a good idea is basically advocating leaving a disastrous world for their children and grandchildren.

Especially if you are also against immigration - what do you think will happen when there are increased droughts, natural disasters etc? Answer a lot of desperate people looking to migrate.

1. Having candidates from different ethnic backgrounds does not suddenly render UKIP 'not racist'

1. Being from a certain ethnic background does not render a candidate 'not racist'

1. Having to have a policy of not allowing former BNP members to join might tell you something about the sort of people UKIP attracts.

To me they look like they are scrambling for any policy that might appeal to your average Daily Mail reader.

I mean 'reduction in non-clinical NHSstaff - what does that even mean the auxiliary who changes the sheets? The cleaner? The receptionist? The financial managers? The cooks? The janitors? The porters? How about the emergency call takers?

Is it going to run itself? Is matron going to patrol the wards like some sort of Carry On film?

Jeez

UKIP, UKIP, UKIP

The undecideds default vote perhaps? Has it replaced the lib dems as the "I'll vote for them, they'll never get in"

It's a interesting old campaign trail, the party that is causing knicker twisting in Westminster is gaining support, and they are perplexed and unsure how to manage it.

Its rather amusing to watch it all unfold. The media shout racist Twitter storm gets UKIP more support....the 18 to 25 demographic is rushing to put on yellow and purple rosette, and can you blame them, a shockingly large number are unemployed and here he is there saviour, Jesus of the job market....

I think the left are really going to have to reconsider how to quash it because right now, there adding fuel to the fire.

I strongly suggest that some of you on here actually learn what 'racist' actually means.

Because some of you have a very peculair idea that

Immigration does not = people of different races

which it does not. Immigration is not about race.

Unless you want to misinterpret it as 'racial', which is the dimwit's response to any attempt to have a debate.

Disagreeing with an open door policy that permits all citizens of the EU to live anywhere they like within the EU, (including the UK) does not make someone 'racist'.

I agree some really don't know what 'racist' is....have a national front sticker stuck on a brick and hurled through your bay window....that's racism in action.

Wetaugust bug what about all the other stuff...? The other rubbish policies?

You shouldn't give ukip a get out clause because you agree with one policy - which for many reasons I'd bound to fail...

It's the European elections so it doesn't matter. Vote UKIP and cause an earthquake.

No thanks. Judging from past experience, UKIP MEP expenses claims would cost us all an absolute fortune.

WetAugust, how about answering Jellymum's question? I too am interested in why, for instance, you would want to cut non-clinical staff in the NHS. Shall we get rid of the cleaners, and the people who deal with recruiting nurses and doctors, and the people who make appointments for outpatient clinics and type up and file patients' notes, and the launderers, and the people who prepare operating theatres, and the porters? Which of those jobs is non-essential?

UKIP like to portray the NHS as being top-heavy with administrators, but the reality is that that is an unbelievably out of date perception and very far indeed from the truth.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8617187.stm

These were Ukip's Public Sector policies in 2010 when they were looking for the far Right votes, but now they are looking for Labour's votes, they have cynically removed all trace of it from their website - so apart from attacking Public Sector pensions and bringing them in line with far lower Private Sector provisions, the big one was;

• “Reduce public sector to 1997 size, diverting two million jobs to manufacturing and industry”

Maybe transporting them in the new train lines they'd electrify in their manifesto, but not HS2, when they thought there was votes in that.

As I expected you are quite happy to turn a blind eye to the armies of management consultants, the bonkers training courses, the failed IT projects, .........

Anyone who has worked in the public sector knows it is bloated and could easily be trimmed. I can state that because I've had almost 40 years in Ty public sector.

If you were to look at my past posts you'd see that I have been voting UKIP for decades, long Bedford it gained it's current popularity because my primary political objective is to see e UK leave the EU.

In fact, since UKIP diverged from being a single issue party into one with a range of policies you will also see that my support for them has been waning.

But I refuse to vote con lab or lib and as that only leaves the Greens and the BNP as the anti EU parties, so I have little option but to vote for UKIP.

A lot of people will be voting UKIP next time round.

All this "They are racists" scaremongering is just alienating the swathe of unrepresented voters who will be voting for them.

Most of the people I know in my area will be voting UKIP and what I see on MN certainly isn't representative of any views I see in RL.

I'm loving this take on the UKIP poster

My DP family are of non white British background, they've voted UKIP and probably will again, there not racist to white people or any other non white British background

People need to move on from the ukip are racist line it's just gaining them more support and I'm undecided as of yet if this is a good or bad thing, because I am an undecided voter. What I will do is sit down and read each parties manifesto but not everyone will do that, the media is most peoples decider, and all the UKIP coverage and Mr Ferage winning debates, and keeping his cool when asked absurd questions is winning over the public.

If the media was far more impartial and unbiased the undecided would actually get a picture of all parties.

I agree some really don't know what 'racist' is....have a national front sticker stuck on a brick and hurled through your bay window....that's racism in action

Yes, some people really don't know what racist is.

There is much more to racism than bricks through windows.

I think Farage is a racist. He also attracts a lot of support from racists.

People need to move on from the ukip are racist line it's just gaining them more support

Yes it is, from racists

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/23/ukip-vote-against-ivory-trade_n_5197278.html?1398253854&utm_hp_ref=uk

story above exactly an example of why UKIP annoys me so much, they cant even vote in favour of a resolution banning the ivory trade!

This is the thing, they are so blinkered, that they don't do anything positive at all, although there are plenty of opportunities. (We can argue about the force of a resolution, but believe me this is one small example of them just voting 'against').

Why would you not vote Green WetAugust? They have a good record of getting things done in Europe.

What about the NHA party? They seem to be saying some good stuff, although I wish we would hear more of other policies as well as just saving the (brilliant) nhs

Also WetAugust what do you think the UK would actually gain from leaving the EU?

Most reports (including the one the government sat on recently - www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/838de446-7d2f-11e3-a579-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2qSKEe5TI) have tended to show broad benefits from the EU.

would you like to return to a situation where we have to get visas to go everywhere, or to try and be like Norway which has to implement all the EU stuff but doesnt actually have a say in what happens, (because if you want to see stuff to the EU, as the closest market and one of the biggest, you will need to comply with EU norms).. ?

Do we want to return to the instability we had in Europe before the EU?

Do you really think that the UK on its own has enough weight internationally?

Do you actually think that everything is just decided in Brussels and then is forced on poor ol England (the answer is no).

Don't you think it's great that your child or family could easily work or study abroad?

would you like to return to a situation where we have to get visas to go everywhere, or to try and be like Norway which has to implement all the EU stuff but doesnt actually have a say in what happens, (because if you want to see stuff to the EU, as the closest market and one of the biggest, you will need to comply with EU norms).. ?

No need for visas - that's just stupid when we already have passports.

We leave the EU and join EFTA - and trade with whichever countries we want to on mutual terms - not on terms that benefit our EU competitors. We can do that without having to implement all the EU twaddle. There is also a Commonwealth out there - which we conveniently cold-shouldered in favour of the EU.

Do we want to return to the instability we had in Europe before the EU?

That's just scare-mongering. Take a look at the instability within the EU. Riots in Athens and Madrid over EU austerity measures.

Do you really think that the UK on its own has enough weight internationally?

Of course it does. Have you forgotten that we actually have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, that we are a founder member of NATO, that our Queen is Head of the Commonwealth and head of state of many former British governed countries? If you want to lose power then stay within the EU and sooner or later it will be noticed that the UK and France both have permanent UN Security seats and we'll probably be asked to give ours up for the EU to occupy. Also, the have the proposed EU armed focres - which will be the end as far as us being able to protect The Falklands or even Gibraltar. So you can see why your question is really ill thought out. Unless you, like Nick Clegg have such a poor opinion of this country's abilities?

Do you actually think that everything is just decided in Brussels and then is forced on poor ol England (the answer is no).

The answer is actually yes. We have limited opt outs which we obtained before the latest changes to the voting system. EU law takes supremacy over UK law - fact. Most of the edicts from Brussels become our laws without any debate whatsoever in our domestic Parliaments as they are passed via statutory instrument without a vote.

Don't you think it's great that your child or family could easily work or study abroad?

None of my family have any desire to work or study abroad. They do have a desire to work and study in the UK and under the current system have to compete with an unregulated jobs market that is open to all citizens of the EU.

I could not bring myself to vote Green. I have actually read their manifesto from cover to cover and the majority of their ideas are simply barmy.

If anyone's interested then my short response to this that after reading this thread I will womanfully resist the temptation to give Dave a bloody nose via UKIP.

I will stay at home on 22 May. Don't anyone lecture me about the suffragettes because I'm just not going to answer.

Who mentioned suffragettes

I missed that post

Who mentioned suffragettes

As soon as anyone mentions not voting, someone will be along to berate them with the fact that suffragettes died to get them the vote.

Hang on. No one did. It was a joke.

I anticipated it because that's what usually happens when you say you aren't going to vote or turn up to spoil your ballot.

I was being flippant - but not entirely. I do feel it is a valid choice to stay at home and would strongly resist moves to make voting compulsory. Not voting does limit your right to whinge about the government but I am prepared to accept that.

Do try to remain calm. I do. God knows it's hard.

I don't think I could bring myself to sit at home on an election day and that's nothing to do with suffragettes.

I can't see the point of bemoaning the democratic deficit in the EU yet be prepared to forgo my democratic right to vote.

Isn't there a Monster Raving Looney you could vote for?

Isn't there a Monster Raving Looney you could vote for?

Of course. It might not be called that. And whether I'd want to do that...