There has been a lot of talk of UKIP recently. Are they going to take lots of seats from both Labour and the Conservatives in the upcoming election? Could UKIP form a coalition government leaving Nigel Farage as Deputy Prime Minister? Well don't worry; I really don't think this is going to be a problem. Why? Because when it comes down to it people are better than UKIP. And come election day it will become apparent that the support for them will have dwindled away on the way to the ballot box. I predict UKIP will come away with no more than two seats. And here is why...
Scaremongering
People have become wise to UKIP's favourite electioneering tactic; scaremongering. They love a storm in a tea cup. UKIP find a genuine issue and then exaggerate it and tell everyone it's going to kill them or bankrupt them. Take immigration. It's a hot topic and a sensible area of discussion prior to a general election. So all the parties are giving their views - caps on immigration, points based assessment for skilled workers, restricting benefits. I may not agree with all the parties but at least they are trying to have a legitimate debate. But what have UKIP been shouting about? Immigrants who are HIV+ and the country being at risk of becoming full of Islamic extremists. Seriously?! It is such absurd and despicable scaremongering. The numbers of people coming into the country for medical treatment with HIV are so small it is simply not a relevant argument. Unfortunately UKIP are not stupid. They know that people are worried about immigration and they know people are not keen on HIV. So lets just mention the two together and people will forever associate the two. Well luckily I don't think people are that daft. But what about the Islamic extremists? Are they right about that? Will saving people from sinking boats in the Mediterranean and allowing them asylum in Europe really cause the country to be overrun with terrorists? Of course not. Take a look at the recent acts of terrorism in the UK and you will see they have been undertaken by British people. So you can keep the foreigners out all you like but the are still plenty of unhappy Brits who you are stuck with. The thought of taking my children and family across a whole continent to pay an unscrupulous individual thousands of pounds to risk our lives by putting us on an unseaworthy boat simply in the hope of being allowed to live somewhere where my life isn't at risk terrifies me. Can you imagine having to do that? That is what it comes down to. These boats aren't full of potential extremists. They are full of sad, desperate families searching for a better life. But UKIP don't want you to look at it like that. Nigel Farage wants you to see boats sinking and children drowning and your first thought to be "Well, at least they didn't get to us. Being all extreme with their backpacks and their beheadings. We had a lucky escape." Well I am glad to believe that most people in the UK are kind, realistic people who look at the news and think "I can't believe we live in a world where this is acceptable. I feel for those poor families and I am so fortunate to be living the life I live."
Nigel Farage Is Not Just a Normal Guy
Nigel Farage and UKIP do a pretty good job of pretending they are a party for the average working family. You could be forgiven for believing they have your best interests at heart. But when it comes down to it what do they actually stand for? Scrapping inheritance tax, not increasing income tax for high earners whilst keeping zero hours contracts. Hmmm, that doesn't sound right. That sounds like a party who are actually trying to save the rich from paying out taxes whilst not improving anything for the average working family. But fear not, on election day people will see through the man of the people having a pint and a smoke in a pub beer garden. The general public are not idiots and they will see Farage for what he is. An ex-banker trying to win votes from people he can't relate to. And to show just how distanced he is from the voting public perhaps we should cast our minds back to this interview when Nigel claimed to be the poorest man in politics living in "small, semi-detached house". He earns over £100000 a year and his house is worth over half a million pounds. Oh dear Nige, I don't think this is going well. I think people are starting to see you for the banker you really are.
People Care but UKIP Don't
Cutting foreign aid. Repealing the human rights act. Repealing the climate change act. These are important issues and I think UKIP has misjudged the British people here. Yeah ok people moan and whinge about these issues but they appreciate that a forwarding thinking Western country can't just ignore climate change or turn it's back on the human rights act. Yes people may toy with the idea of cutting foreign aid but when a crisis hits like the earthquake in Nepal there is a change of heart. The people of Britain care about the world and the people in it. They understand we have a responsibility to look after it. Now whilst we are talking about caring let us not forget the big one... The National Health Service. We love the NHS. Sure people love to moan about it. But they rely on it too. So do we really want the NHS controlled by a man who recently said he wants to move to an American style insurance based system? A system which favours the rich and makes the poor suffer? Of course not. People believe in the NHS providing high quality free care to all. And when pushed people are happy to cover the costs of this in their taxes. Because it's the right thing to do.
So I suppose I could go on. I could mention plenty of other UKIP policies; fracking, promoting free schools, opposing gay marriage. But I don't think we need to push it too far. There will be plenty to worry about in the coming weeks but rest assured UKIP will be off the list by next Friday morning.