I happened to be in a car passing through London and so caught Andrew Gilligan’s politics show discussing whether UKIP was a fraud. It was pure Westminster bubble stuff. It showed clearly why the establishment does not understand why folks voted UKIP and so is clueless as to how to respond for the political & media establishment is the problem not the solution.
Three political wonks (none of whom support UKIP or predicted its success) discussed how the established parties should respond with Gilligan helpfully chipping in every now and again to say “But isn’t it a fraud, let’s look at its 2010 manifesto.” The response was that the old three could see off UKIP by making policy shifts of emphasis that showed they cared/listened without actually “moving to the right” i.e. actually doing anything.
And that was it. Folks voted UKIP because they are sick of an elite that refuses to discuss certain issues or countenance certain policies while at the same time adopting a moral high ground as they embezzle money and display sleaze at every opportunity. And so the elite responds by saying “we can see off UKIP by saying we sympathise but not actually doing anything.” Just how stupid do the elite think that the electorate is? They obviously hold us in complete contempt.
And then Gilligan took a few calls from plebs. A bloke opined that the immigration laws were unhelpful. Well yes they bloody well are. Do I have to use the magic words Abu Qatada to make my point? The main parties say they are listening but they are clearly not and Gilligan summed up their underlying attitude by going back to the bloke with “So basically you do not like foreigners.” Unluckily for Gilligan, the (perfectly decent) man said that actually he employed a stack of people from across Europe it was just that he did not like folks coming here and getting immediate access to welfare. I happen to think that is a valid point as do most ordinary folks. But in the Westminster bubble raising this matter is equated to not liking foreigners/racism. If UKIP is the only party that is prepared to raise this matter (although I continue to think its solution is profoundly wrong) then it will win votes.
Two other callers said they were sick of a political elite who feathered their nest and never did what they promised. Gilligan shot back with “look at the UKIP manifesto of 2010, is it not a fraud – they are just politicians like the rest of them.” But all parties have changed policies since 2010. And the difference with UKIP is that although some of its members may be a bit peculiar it is not a party of career politicians. Gilligan seemed unable to grasp how much those he works with, socialises with and spends his life with in the bubble are loathed. The vote on Thursday was as much about that as it was about the EU, immigration or wind farms.
If the response of the establishment is to carry on smearing, to try to hint that they care about what we plebs care about without actually doing anything and to continue as before, allowing proven expense thieves to mix with career political wonks then UKIP is onto a real winner. The purple bandwagon may yet keep rolling.