Should Right Of Centre Newspapers Throw Their Weight Behind Ukip?

[sp1814]

UKIP seem to be more aligned to the beliefs not only of the Mail and Express, than the Conservative Party on Europe, immigration, same sex marriage, the economy - you name it!

So why are these papers throwing their weight behind UKIP, instead of publishing stories like this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316924/UKIP-candidate-Alex-Wood-caught-camera-apparently-making-Nazi-salute.html

[ichkeria]

When it comes down to it the Mail is a popular newspaper and it can't resist a story like the above. With UKIP by their own admission unable properly to vet the 1700 candidates standing in Thursday's elections, it's a gift to any paper worth its salt.
Doesn't say much for UKIP that even the Mail and the Express are reluctant to throw their weight behind them (assume that's what you mean)

[ToraToraTora]

I don't see why not wanting to be governed by an un elected corrupt farce is considered "right wing". So is it left wing to want to relinquish control of your nation to the afore mentioned farce? Is it so polarised?

[FredPuli43]

At heart, these are popular papers which appeal to Conservatives. UKIP are a threat to that party, and generally thought to be largely comprised of disaffected Conservatives. It makes sense to these papers to run stories against UKIP, an insignificant party in general election terms, to help the Conservatives before local elections and generally.

[jno]

they want to back a party that, if it is not going to win, will at least come second and look like winning next time; it gives them their best chance of seeing their preferred policies enacted. This means there's nothing to be gained, and much face to be lost, by backing a party that hasn't a hope of winning.

For these purposes, local elections don't count; having Rutland introduce policies you support won't get you anywhere. Newspapers want to have influence in Downing St, not Rutland.

[emmie]

methyl, as do i.

[sp1814]

ToraToraTora

Not sure if I'd necessarily characterise the Coalition as corrupt. The rest of your post I have to admit, I don't quite understand.

If UKIP represent the policies of a newspaper, why don't they support the party. If you look at the best rated answers on the story, it would appear that Mail readers are broadly pro-UKIP - so would it not make sense for the Mail to reflect this?

[emmie]

what's the readership figures of the Mail. i often wonder, because if all the readers voted UKIP, which seems patently unlikely then surely they would have a good chance of getting more of their people into seats. I don't think most who read the mail or express are UKIP voters, those are disenfranchised people, and in truth small in numbers.

[ichkeria]

I'm nonetheless surprised, despite everything, that one or two 'populist' papers aren't prepared to flirt with UKIP more readily in so-called meaningless elections. Does my memory deceive me or didn't some of the right wing press in 1989 Euro elections encourage people to vote Green as a protest vote?

Anyway I want my local pub to stay smoke free so they wouldn't get my vote even if I was a rampant xenophobe :-)

[mikey4444]

All newspapers need to report the news without bias in any direction, unlike the way that they behaved over the MMR affair. They behaved, and still continue to behave over the MMR business in a simply unforgivable way. This has resulted in millions of children not being vaccinated properly and these children are now at risk of serious illnesses.

This will make no difference to rags like the Daily Mail of course, but its still true.

[youngmafbog]

Perhaps the word "alleged" has something to do with it?

[youngmafbog]

Didn't stop rags like the Guardian publishing untruths did it?

[Booldawg]

I think the DM is canny enough to realise UKIP is nothing more than a 'protest party'

[jake-the-peg]

//I don't see why not wanting to be governed by an un elected corrupt farce is considered "right wing"//


Outrageous! - I'd write to my MEP about it if I were you!

Oh! Right

[venator]

UKIP could have died off when its single issue was shot down, and has slithered into the protest slot, previously occupied by the lib Dems.

Like the Lib Dems, they have the fun of saying whatever pleases the electorate without any danger of having to back it up in Government.

If they take a big chunk out of the centre right vote at the general election, they could put Labour back in, and have the country run by the big trade unions again. Pay rises all round, brothers!

[ichkeria]

It's worth bearing in mind that, contrary to what some people seem to be saying, UKIP doesn't actually say whjat "most people" want to hear. they say what a certain, quite small, constituency of the electorate wants to hear and as long as they do that they'll only be good for stopping a section of that constituency voting Tory. And, ironivally, doing rather well in Euro elections.

[modeller]

The people who suffer the most from uncontrolled immigration, are the working class , on housing, jobs, social services. The EU undermines our justice system which again affects the working class the most.
therefore its the left wing newspapers not only the centre which should be
backing UKIP. Similarly its the working class who pay the bulk of our tax
much of which goes to support the discredited CAP.
It's no good looking to Labour they sold us out to the EU during the Blair/Brown years and all we will ever get from Cameron is a few unobtainable promises. UKIP is the only party that can influence the way our government fights for the UK.

[LazyGun]

Some of the papers may very well have a common agenda with UKips main agenda, but I think they recognise that UKip have very little chance of wielding power anytime soon, certainly at a national level.

And there are still too many issues with UKip for them to win endorsements from the nationals; Insufficient vetting of their candidate base; An incoherent mess of manifesto commitments which Farage and a few others of the party are ditching. They are even talking about ditching their manifesto wholesale and getting some off the shelf policies from some right wing think tank.

Maybe in the future, if they can build some momentum and a power base from the local elections - but not 2015.

[Gromit]

The Daily Express supported Labour in the 2001 election. Probably because even they knew the Conservatives were in disarry and unelectable.

The Daily Mail is just pathologically Conservative as their support for the failed economic policies of the current Government demonstrates.

i would not be surprised if the Express supported both UKiP and the Conservatives in 2015.

You may find this graphic interesting....

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/site_furniture/2010/5/4/1272980216414/Party-support-in-general--004.jpg

[anotheoldgit]

Because the 'Right-Wing' press will report on the bad things that 'Right Wing' parties might get up to from time to time, as well as the good things, unlike the 'Left-Wing' press who will toe their party line no matter what.

It's called the freedom of the press, which is obviously alien to the 'Lefts' way of thinking.