UKIP Second In Rotherham By-Election

[ChillDoubt]

More alarmingly, BNP were third.

Is the UKIP place a result of a knee jerk reaction to the recent foster parents case there or a broader wake up call for Dodgy Dave and his poodle?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-20535008

[emmie]

i believe it would, now would be the time, but no politician will do it, they would rather see the boat sink slowly and let many drown, than jump ship early and save some.

[Quizmonster]

One might wonder which is worse, a "union puppet" or a "casino banker" puppet"...but not for very long!

[jno]

If Milliband becomes the next PM suggest it's time to get the passport out and leave

When you leave, can you take Andrew Lloyd Webber with you, em? He promised to leave if Labour won, back in Major's day, but he didn't.

[Gromit]

Cameron pulled the Referendum on Europe vote before the last election and failed to deliver. Why would anyone believe him this time?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/04/david-cameron-referendum-campaign-over

If everyone left the country who said that they would leave if this or that party got elected, it would be a much better place for the rest of us.

[jake-the-peg]

So given that a referendum on Europe would almost guarantee him a second term -why doesn't he do it?

Why does he so want the UK to stay in the EU so much?

And please lets not waste time on the silly conspiracy theories about Gravy train jobs in the future - He's got enough money and easilly to potential to earn big without having to be employed in the EU!

[pdq1]

It is obvious to all the realists out there that the Tories can't win the next election on its own. They might try to cajole the Liberals again but that partnership is a dead duck. UKIP have more in common with the right wing Tories especially on the EU membership but also immigration. The Tories would be foolish to reject any partnership with UKIP if only for survival.

[brionon]

A Crisis comes and brings the Barmpots with it. eg Ukip ,Hitler, and the splitters in the UK ,Belgium,Italy and Spain.

[Gromit]

pdq1

The Conservatives will out live UKiP.

Aiding another party who will take votes from your own is surely a mistake. Rather than encourage UKiP, the Conservatives need to nullify them.

And I suspect the British Public have had enough of Coalitions, Alliances and Pacts to vote for another one.

[anotheoldgit]

Sarah Champion may have won, but in true Labour undemocratic fashion, the party organisation had not allowed a local candidate to be included on the short list of candidates.

Ms Champion got selected as a result of achieving only 13 votes from the local Labour Party, 130 members of the Labour Party turned up at the selection meeting, but more than 100 walked out.

/// we discover that the Labour candidate for Rotherham's by-election was selected as a result of achieving 13 votes from the local Labour Party. Yes, that’s right: she only got 13 votes. It seems that 130 members of the Labour Party turned up at the selection meeting, but more than 100 walked out, leaving fewer than 30 to choose Rotherham’s next MP. The reason all those people walked out was that they objected to the fact that their party organisation had not allowed a local candidate (who would presumably have got their votes) to be included on the short
list. ///

[Bazile]

//If Milliband becomes the next PM suggest it's time to get the passport out and leave //

Oh really - where is this utopian destination that you will he heading for ?
Dont trip up on the step , on your way out .

[ichkeria]

The EU is an election issue but if it was huge as issue as some people think it is then you'd see UKIP winning seats in by-elections or at least doing better. Admittedly were Farage to stand for them in a Tory-held seat he might have a chance of the sort of upset I referred to earlier, but I can't see that sort of success (were it even to happen) being repeated elsewhere.
Cameron may be ditched by the Lib Dems which would do them no harm, but the only thing which will save them from electoral meltdown would be jump ship from the coalition now, force an election and rid the country of this shambolic administration. Of course they won't do that.
The point made about Cameron not promising an EU referendum is an interesting one. Why indeed does he not do that?

[LazyGun]

Sarah Champion was parachuted in, thats true, and I share your disdain for such practices AoG - It does ride roughshod over local party activists and can leave people feeling very embittered.

It is not, however, and exclusively labour party tactic - The conservatives have also parachuted in central office approved candidates into safe tory speats.

So, less an example of Labour undemocratic process - more an example of an undemocratic process full stop.

And presumably, had the local party candidate actually stood, one might imagine that local voters might have made more of an effort to vote, so increasing the labour majority...

[anotheoldgit]

Bazile

/// Oh really - where is this utopian destination that you will he heading for ?
Dont trip up on the step , on your way out . ///

Is there really any need for this type of answer?

[Bazile]

I dont mean to be rude ( if that's the way it is perceived )
However, i just get a bit annoyed when an intimation is made , that this country is not a good place to live .

[Gromit]

I agree with you Bazile.

People constantly putting this country down, but if you ask them where is better, you just get a non answer like AOG just gave you.

It always amuses me that people who do not like immigrants, decide that being an immigrant in another country is the best option.

[anotheoldgit]

em10

/// If Milliband becomes the next PM suggest it's time to get the passport out and leave. ///

Watch out em10, a certain person is accusing you of disliking immigrants, that's not fair is it?

/// It always amuses me that people who do not like immigrants, decide that being an immigrant in another country is the best option. ///

[anotheoldgit]

Bazile

Sorry, if I misunderstood your comment to em10.

[jno]

aog, do you think Britain is a good place to live? I'm curious.

[emmie]

Gromit this country has gone to the dogs since we joined the EEC, which morphed into the execrable EU. And I have no money to leave, wish it weren't so. many are because they see what the country has become, the dumping ground for useless bstards with no intention of working, that includes many British nationals. Can't deport foreign criminals, their rights are more important than ours, great system we have in operation.

[jno]

em, the fall of the British Empire began with the war, not the EEC.