Sure they did. Its just confirming the clichéd caricature I mentioned in the first post of these little Alf Garnett / Old man Steptoe types which is the strategy that's been employed rather than actually taking their concerns on immigration seriously.

If there were hordes of Eastern European politicians waiting at Sangatte or flying in from Lodz, willing to sit in the Commons for twice the time and half the money instead of them being plumbers they might have understood where these people are coming from on immigration.

In reality they are Labour voters by class, Tory by experience and tend to be the people who win or lose you general elections. As Labour / Tories are now finding out as they seem to be the most fertile ground for UKIP

Unlike those in the enclaves of the likes of Henley in the blue corner or Sunderland in the Red, where you can, by shaving a monkey, sticking the right coloured rosette guarantees victory they will flip flop between parties dependant on how good / sh*t their personal circumstances have been under the current regime.

Edited by The Sash (19 Feb 2015 10.39am)

I agree with all of your very well made points; except one. Labour (and the Tories) only need to get roughly 40% of the vote in 40% of constituencies to gain a majority. Therefore both parties have no need to go chasing votes that they would only gain by appealing to "white van man" types when by doing so, they could well alienate some or all of the floating voters (and disaffected Liberals) whose support will determine the outcome of the election.

Why should Labour pander to (for example)those Chelsea supporters who abused that guy on the train in Paris the other evening? I imagine that they're probably not going to vote but, if they did, which party do you think would gain their support?

UKIP support in the polls is falling, other issues are more important. Debate Europe and immigration by all means, but views (as evidenced on this forum) are entrenched and unlikely to be changed by debate. It'll soon be time to vote and we shall see in the outcome how well UKIP do.

The election, in my opinion, will be decided by which party gains most support from disaffected Liberals, those are the real floating voters.

-------------------------------------------------------

Again an absolute cliché of the white working class as racist, narrow minded little Englanders, (and just to remind you so far the only identifiable Chelsea supporter has been an upper middle class public schoolboy from Millfield) that are too stupid and indolent to vote.

The paragraph in bold, neatly demonstrating why these normally natural Labour voters no longer are. Labour hasn't 'pandered' to them for years, in fact its ignored them, why start now ?

Like I said its far easier for the left to paint this voting demographic as racist and insular and discount them than actually try and win them back or take their legitimate concerns seriously, its far better to sneer down their middle class, right-on, Islingtonian noses at the ageing Bedford rascal and flag of St George in the front garden in Chatham.

As for the election, I don't support any party, don't vote so actually don't care. I long ago disengaged from the process so who votes for what and where has absolutely no meaning, however Liberals will now either not vote or go to Labour. Cleggs grasping for power and jumping into bed with the polar opposite of Liberalism has seen to them as a serious political threat for years.

Edited by The Sash (20 Feb 2015 8.39am)

Again, good points, (though if the perpetrator is a public schoolboy I don't know if he is necessarily a "natural" Labour supporter :-))

I just don't think that all traditional working class voters (whatever that means today) will support Labour, no matter what the politicians say in their speaches. Chasing those votes doesn't make much sense in the context of the election if by doing so they alienate those who might well vote for them.

I gave up voting for what the Westminster parties say or do, but will vote in May, and my choice will be based on what my local constituency candidates offer, which I have come to the conclusion is a far better way of choosing. Experience has shown that anything else can only lead to disappointment and disillusion!

I used to be immortal

Who cares, we're going to get invaded by Putin and Russia cos we have f*ck all defence now. None of it matters!

'We are going to make a little bit of history here’ Mr. J. Ertl.

You're going to have to start handing out 'well done' badges in a minute :-D

Yeah, but Hoofy's right really.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

UKIP in Purley this weekend had labour tossers last week!!

Purley is in the 'Croydon South' constituency. UKIP got @ 2500 votes in the 2010 election and will surely get more than this in May but it is a strong Conservative seat - @ 16,000 majority at the last election.

Edited by Willo (20 Feb 2015 2.27pm)