Earlier today I found myself trying to explain to a European
journalist why Nigel Feragae is standing as a parliamentary candidate in Thanet
South, where Ramsgate is the main town. Trying to answer questions like: Are
people here more anti Europe than in most parts of the UK? Did we have more of
an immigration problem than the rest to the UK? Were European immigrants taking
away the majority of jobs in the area?
Perhaps the key to this is in the first line of the post
“trying to explain to a European journalist” what do I mean here? Do I see the
people who live in the European landmass as Europeans in a way that I don’t see
myself, or an English journalist as being European? Is there a sense in which I
see myself as being part of Europe and more closely related to the other
European countries than America or Australia? Frankly I guess the answer has to
be no.
To be honest I feel much more united by a common language
than relative distance. But all of these things are not peculiar to Thanet
South.
I guess politically Thanet South was a marginal, but since
the boundary changes would normally be seen as much closer to a Conservative
safe seat, so I assume that most of the reasoning that UKIP have a chance of
taking Thanet South must be based on the KCC elections where they did so well
in Thanet http://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/mgElectionResults.aspx?ID=60&RPID=8510421
there is a sense on paper at least that all of these seats were taken from the
Conservatives, here are the previous results http://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/mgElectionResults.aspx?ID=26&RPID=8510428
Of course in practice this isn’t exactly what happened
inasmuch as the existing Labour seat was lost, and the new Labour seat was
taken from the Conservatives, the Scobie effect?
Perhaps the UKIP chance business is in some way related
to expired seaside holiday towns, unemployment, large retired population, large
population on benefits, but then wouldn’t the greatest increase in benefits and
pensions come from Labour?
I may well add to this post as I think of possible answers.
I am also trying taking comment moderation off while
leaving registered user on, frankly having anon comments on leads to so many
spam comments as to be unmanageable. Whereas spam comments from registered
users are less common.
Trying to approach this from a different angle I
suppose a question is: Is there an elephant in the UKIP room? Perhaps it is the
question, what would UKIP do for Ramsgate?
I don't think its just run down seaside towns that cause voters to turn to UKIP. A quck look at a few of the less popular seaside town on the general election odds checker for a town such as Hasting show UKIP in third place. I think the trend in Thanet is down to the poor performance and disrespect of the public by local councillors of all parties. They seemed to running private company for their own ends. The standards committee report and the Local government peers report highlighted this. The then leader demonstrated exactly what the reports meant by having the standards committee report suppressed.
ReplyDeleteThis story in today's Gazette containing Nigel Farage's take on today's announcement of a Manston Review could lose UKIP some votes. Somebody tell him that Manston is not in Thanet South.
ReplyDeleteForget UKIP, I want to know more about the Walking Contest 1913..
ReplyDeleteSouth Thanet will be so much better after the election when Labour have won a huge amount of seats on TDC and for a change we have a Labour MP.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that the Tory vote is split by UKIP and Labour becomes the victor by default. I just don't see many Labour voters voting UKIP but I can see many Tory voters, voting that way.
I know some people will think I'm mad but I can see Ramsgate being one of the most desirable place's on the east coast in 5 years. If I'm right Manston will be a thriving place for businesses to be and not a airport, Ramsgate's seafront will be regenerated and that will improve the town with a knock on effect we will have a high speed train service to London, house prices will rise, shops in town will change from pound shops to high end shops any derelict houses and buildings will be done up because there will be the money to do it and still make a fat profit. I can see a day when Ramsgate has turned the corner
The most important words from Purple Om are...'I am hoping' and 'If I'm right'. They are suggestive of a fragile confidence in local Labour, which weakens with each day's campaigning. A fine example of damning with faint praise. Wonder what he really thinks will happen?
ReplyDelete