The Irish Referendum and why I support UKIP

Lets start off with this damning little article from the Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203917304574414924180862140.html?mod=djemEditorialPage

Lots of hyperbole and even more cynicism that I personally treasure – a load of real bitterness there! I might have to Google the author to find out more about him – no body accumulates that amount of bile and vitriol without good reason.

I do agree with him about Cameron and the new touchy feely Tories though. I am fully aware that all politicians are now careerist media puppets and that true statesmanship has fled our blighted shores, but even a misanthropic curmudgeon such as myself has to clutch onto hope sometimes. Even if it is unlikely to come to anything.Which is why I am a member of UKIP, as most of you are by now aware.

The Irish referendum vote on the Lisbon Treaty is this Friday. It is a travesty that they are having the vote considering that they have already said no once to the Lisbon Treaty, but are expected to “get it right” this time after 12 months of Brussells bullying them and big business pouring funds into the “yes” campaign (Intel and Ryanair especially). The EU even plumped for a 16 page progoganda booklet in ever paper in Ireland this last Sunday (http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2009/09/commission-breaks-european-law-shock.html) paid for by taxes and EU levies.

The result of the vote will, in my humble opinion, have massive repercussions for UK politics. A “No” vote will give Cameron and the Tories a “get out of jail free” card regarding the EU – they don’t have to develop policy on it and do not have to promise a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, which will be bullied through parliament by the end of this year by the double talking Labour government (breaking their electoral promise of a referendum along the way). A “Yes” vote will force the Tories to declare their intentions regarding the EU and any future referendums. If the Tories do not promise a referendum, they will haemorrage votes to UKIP. Not enough to lose them the election – possibly not even enough to return UKIP MPs to parliament, but possibly enough to allow marginal seats to remain in Labour hands or fall to the Lib Dems instead. This will reduce the Tory majority in the commons. If they do promise a referendum, UKIP will remain a political non-entity and many of its current supporters will return to the Tory fold.

I hasten to point out that said referendum in the UK has nothing to do with pulling out of the EU completely, despite what the media and Labour claims. It is to re-assess our relationship to the EU, preferably returning it to a trade/economic union, not an increasingly federal one. It is basically about legislation affecting British business, British domestic issues, British trade, British foreign policy being generated in Westminster, not Brussels. In short, it is about British Sovereignty.

In addition, I will leave you with the following links to the UKIP site. I think it is worth noting their domestic policies as well as their “signature” euroscepticism. They are not a party of ignorant malcontents – they have highly competent and educated policy committees looking at all aspects of British governance. I doubt I will influence those of you inclined to vote to vote UKIP, but perhaps reading through their ideas will strike a chord with you. I used to vote Tory because I disagreed with less about their policies than I did with Labour’s. Now I vote UKIP because I agree with 80% of what they have to say. If you can find that in a modern, media dependent party, then I think you have to follow your conscience, even if it is a “wasted” vote.

http://www.ukip.org/content/ukip-policies/1014-campaign-policies-euro-elections-2009

http://www.ukip.org/content/ukip-policies

Facebook Transplant Part 15 - Originally Posted 18/9/09

Been busy with my MA and family life, so not had much time to sit and rant. However, the march last week on Washington by a variety of Libertarian and Conservative groups deserves some comment. It has only come to my attention today thanks to a great email going around with pics of the march. A google search will find you as many as you want. My ignorance is purely down to the fact that the media did not deam it worth reporting here in the UK.

Now this march is perhaps one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I can only hope that it happens here soon. Between this and the Proms last Sunday (with associated Jingoism and flag waving) I actually feel slightly optimistic for once. the silent majority of centre and centre right people are out there and they will be heard eventually. The days of a small "enlightened", liberal clique telling us what to do and think all the time for our own (and everyone else's) good are nowhere near over, but at least some cracks are beginning to show.

It was also largely peaceful - unlike the anti-war marches of the past or the G20 marches in London recently. No arrests as far as I know. I may not agree with 100% of the reasons why people were marching (I am too authoritarian and have too many socialist ideas), I am encouraged that the silent, non-liberal majority are beginning to speak out. Perhaps its time here as well, although the aforementioned clique is far more embedded in our society than it is in the US.

Anyhow, here are some links that I scrounged off the net from a variety of sources to demonstrate the indifference shown in the UK.

Traditionally “right” wing papers in the UK, yet still strangely dismissive – the veneration of St Obama has permeated even here I fear. The Telegraph sticking to the 1000s number when clearly it was way more than that is especially surprising.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1213056/Up-million-march-US-Capitol-protest-Obamas-spending-tea-party-demonstration.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/6184800/Thousands-of-tea-party-protesters-march-against-Barack-Obama-in-Washington.html

Predictably derisive bollocks from the UK’s favourite liberal rag – anyone who opposes taxes, socialism, rampant welfare etc is obviously a right wing nut job who is safely ignored – they couldn’t possibly represent any normal, sane, moral demographic could they? Of course, at least they bothered to do the story – a quick look online at the other leftie rag (The Independent) showed that it doesn’t seem to have bothered. I wonder if it would have been bothered if the 75K people that is being claimed as the number of protestors had turned out to protest against Bush? You bet they would have been.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/13/barack-obama-denounced-washington-march

The red-tops (tabloids) also did not bother – what with X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, Subo in the US etc there were obviously far more important things to cover.Awesome picture. Having been surrounded by 40K people last weekend, I would say that this easily dwarfs that – certainly more that the 10s of 1000s being claimed.

http://iowntheworld.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/capitol-view-lo-res.jpg

Overall I am amazed at how little coverage this amazing event got over here – and its is another shameful example of how our media, even the “right” wing media, is firmly entrenched in the St Obama camp. Pitiful really. 2010 is going to be a political nerd's dream year - Labour will finally crash and burn in the UK (although being replaced by the almost as annoying Conservatives under Davey Boy) and Obama will see catastrophic results for the Democrats in the mid-term elections. Overall, good times.