Will there be a civil war if UKIP win the next general election?

[ODearMe]

Disclaimer: I am not well versed/read in politics but am starting to become very interested in it as I get older.

Given the latest result of the European elections, it is looking likely that UKIP have a very good chance of winning the general election.

I read their manifesto and while I agreed with some of what was said, I felt disconcerted by a lot of it. For example, banning burkhas in public and private buildings. While the burkhas is thought of by many as a symbol of repression, some women may choose to wear it. In life, all people want is choice, but to take this away from them in their very strong belief is going to stir up a lot of fury in the Muslim community and possibly a create a civil war or riots.

I know this sounds an extreme statement but I cannot see how it will be avoided. What do you think?

But this over-crowded thing is kind of a myth...

We have the land space, it's the services which are strained which means the government needs to invest more. More schools, more NHS services, more houses (or - did you know we actually have enough houses, it's just that most of them are empty second homes!)

It is the governments fault for underestimating immigration and not increasing the budget to accommodate them. Why aren't we complaining about that rather than the 'foreigners'?

I am sorry that you are from that kind of place goat. See, I am from the city with a smattering of small town friends, none of whom fit your description of Englanders.

No Squidstirfry, I am not worried about Muslims, I am worried for them

Really? You've never met anyone complaining that there are no jobs anymore because of all the polish builders? Or you don't know anyone who reads the Daily Mail and actually believes the rubbish they spout about muslims in the UK? If that is true, then you are indeed very lucky. I live in a very tolerant area now, but my home town is the 'quiet' racist kind.

Thats a bit patronising.Muslims are on the whole well integrated and politically active.

No, no, no. London is my hometown. Iknow a couplr of builders who say how great the poles are that they work with. I went to a multi cultural school, my friends and family are amixed bunch, class and race wise, and I really don' t hear that kind of thing. Its not the norm, I am sorry that it is for you. Maybe it means you have a different outlook to me though.

This discussion is pretty moot as they aren't close to winning a general election. Unfortunately it is likely they will get a seat or two.

The likely response to this is not rioting. I hope apathy will reduce in the face of all this- this is about the best we can hope for.

At the moment not enough people are voting to actually prove anything about what the general public thinks and feels.

The people who vote are coincidentally (or not, if you're a cynic like me) very often the type of people who would vote UKIP. That little englander, I'm not racist but... Type is a significant enough minority to cause damage but it is not yet a majority.

Of course if they ban the burkha, some Muslim young men would riot. It is clearly an anti Muslim policy.

France ban lots of religious symbols in certain situations, including Christian ones. If UKIP were banning nuns habits at the same time, it would be different. But it is only the attire of some Muslims they want to ban.

Ukip will be lucky to win a single seat in the general election. They have zero chance of winning a majoritt. If you're getting interested in politics, you need to do enough reading to understand how the uk electoral system works. Right now you're scaring yourself unnecessarily!

*majority

Ukip are a very necessary antidote to the smug political consensus around immigration and the EC. They will never win but could conceivably be a small part of a coalition. What they have achieved, though, is forcing the main parties to confront what they find uncomfortable. Also they have ended a very cosy sinecure for crap mainstream politicians to 'retire' as euro mps on tax free 6 figure salaries (whilst berating everyone else about other legal tax avoidance).

It's interesting the number of posters on this thread who seem to call the UK "England".

Another consideration......UKIP are also picking up second/third generation black and asian voters. It's not about skin colour it really isn't.

mrsruffallo - There are already young Muslim men who complain about Islamophobia. These are young men who are born in this country, so the issue isn't integration. The real issue is their anger at racism.

Women who wear the burkha would not riot. But some of those young Muslim men would. As would young men from any section of our population who felt the Government was attacking them.

nagy, iagree. You can keep the repeating this thoughnbut a lot ofbpeople are stuck in a rut they don't want to get out of. Where are these groups of angry young men? The muslim men I know are more than likely to be labour sipprters, very well brought up and working hard.
Where is islamophobia? Could youngive me an example?

Tiggy. I looked at the number of votes in different wards in my city. Where Ukip put up candidates they got c. 300 votes (which is similar to the bnp performance where they put up candidates). The winning party in each ward got over 2000 votes. Even if the council elections had been proportional, Ukip would have been a non-entity.

Women who wear the burkha would not riot. But some of those young Muslim men would. As would young men from any section of our population who felt the Government was attacking them.

But worse case scenario is that UKIP win a couple of seats at the next election (although I agree, it's doubtful they will win more than one) they won't be able to 'ban the burka' with just a couple of seats.

If they got a majority there may well be riots. But it's so fantastically unlikely we might as well be talking about what would happen if aliens won the next general election.

Fact is, UKIP's share of the electoral vote actually dropped at these elections. It went from 23% to 17% in council elections. People voted UKIP in the European elections because UKIP is a one policy party. i.e. Europe.

Despite Farrage standing 5 times for Parliament, he's never managed it yet. And when a winnable seat came up he declined to stand for it because the fear of failing at this point would halt the forward momentum. If they do get an MP it will be a lone voice and have nowhere near the amount of clout that they do as self declared "successful mavericks".

UKIP are far, far happier as MEPs where they can complain about the expense and irrelevance of Europe while simultaneously turning up to vote very rarely and keeping their snouts firmly in the trough they purport to despise.

Beatingwings: It's interesting the number of posters on this thread who seem to call the UK "England".

Really? I only saw a couple of references to England, which I took to mean people were considering the fact that a) UKIP got a higher proportion of the vote there and b) England had council elections, which gives a second set of electoral data to consider.

But I assume from your username that you are a fan of the political commentator from Bath who likes to spew foul language over Twitter? Are you trying to make this discussion about something else?

If the politicians don't get he appeal of UKIP the should read this excellent article by Allison Pearson.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10860492/Are-we-all-racist-now.html
If the main political parties don't change smartish and start actually representing the views of people of this country then they had better be prepared for the people to say oh! f* it I might as well vote or UKIP as either of the main parties can't do anything about the current main concern in this country which is mass immigration

The French have banned the burka, the Turkish ban it in all public buildings, unless they have overturned that ruling.

A civil war? Very unlikely, we can't muster up revolutions, unlike the French!

UKIP have done very well lately, amassing 4 million votes. In the last general election they polled 950.000 votes. Even if only half of those who voted in the EU elections voted for UKIP in a general election that would be very worrying for Labour and Conservatives, but not Liberals as I think they are finished anyway.

Why on earth would there be a revolution?

Next year people will choose between Labour and the Tories. UKIP know that. It is possible they might win one seat or a few but nothing of any significance. People vote very differently in general elections.

We just have hope they don't split the Tory vote anywhere although I'd be delighted if they split the white working class vote in some areas to prevent Labour getting in.

you are totally right, Got My Goat.

You live in Bath don't you, have a wander up to Blackburn, Bradford and Birmingham and then come and tell us how we should be feeling.

We will be all ears.