UKIP - a 'one trick pony'?

[JBR]

UKIP have just published 100 reasons why they should have your vote:

1. Get Britain out of the European Union
2. Get control of immigration with an Australian-style, points-based immigration system
3. £3bn more, annually, into our NHS which desperately needs it
4. Scrap tuition fees for students studying Science, Tech, Engineering, Maths, or Medical degrees
5. Pay greater attention to elderly care across the country
6. Cutting £9bn from our foreign aid budget
7. Give the people the ability to “recall” their MPs, without parliamentary or MP approval
8. Stopping our endless, foreign wars
9. Promoting a British identity, as opposed to failed multiculturalism
10. Allowing existing schools to become grammar schools
11. Ending PFI privatisation of the NHS, proliferated by Labour and the Tories
12. Ensuring our armed services are properly equipped for when we do need them
13. Establishing a Veteran’s Administration to look after those who looked after us
14. Encouraging inward investment with growth markets, not JUST the failing Eurozone
15. Overcoming the unfairness of MPs from devolved nations voting on English laws
16. Cutting bureaucracy, red tape, and wasteful spending from government departments
17. Cutting the same bureaucracy that hinders small businesses and entrepreneurs
18. Supporting our farmers with a Single Farm Payment Scheme
19. Ending the burdensome “green levies” that have added £000s to our energy bills
20. Scrapping the poorly planned HS2 project, saving up to £50bn
21. Opposing tolls on public roads – we’ve already paid for them
22. Supporting bus passes for pensioners with the support of local authorities
23. Foreign vehicles to require Britdisc passes to contribute to our roads they use
24. Ending the use of speed cameras as revenue raisers – they should be a deterrent
25. Protecting our green belt
26. A central list of brownfield sites for developers
27. Houses on brownfield sites to be Stamp Duty exempt on first sale
28. VAT relaxed for redevelopment of brownfield sites
29. Local referenda for large-scale development, if triggered by 5% of electorate
30. Introducing the ability for citizens to initiate national referenda
31. Withdrawing from the European Court of Human Rights
32. Reversing the government’s opt-in to the European Arrest Warrant
33. Negotiating bi-lateral agreements to replace EAW
34. No votes for prisoners
35. Full prison sentences should be served, parole on case-by-case basis
36. Replacing the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights
37. Official documents to be published primarily in English
38. Cracking down on honour killings, female genital mutilation, and forced marriages
39. Reviewing the BBC licence fee with a view to reducing it
40. Taking non-payment of the licence fee out of the criminal sphere
41. Amend the smoking ban to promote choice for ventilated smoking rooms
42. Opposing plain packs for cigarettes, which has had no impact where trialled
43. Promoting the employment of young, British workers
44. Repealing the Agency Workers Directive
45. Encouraging councils to provide more free parking on High Streets
46. Simplifying planning regulations for long-term empty commercial properties
47. Extending the right of appeal for micro businesses against Revenue and Customs
48. Negotiating bespoke trade agreements with EU member states and worldwide
49. Reoccupying our seat at the World Trade Organisation
50. Abolishing inheritance tax
51. Introducing a 35p income tax rate between £42,285 and £55,000 – taking many public sector workers out of top rate of tax
52. Setting up a Treasury Commission to make sure big corporations pay their way in taxes
53. Abolishing the Dept of Energy and Climate Change and rolling retained functions into DEFRA
54. Introducing an Apprenticeship Qualification for students who don’t want to do non-core GCSEs
55. Scrapping the arbitrary 50% target for university attendance
56. Students from the EU to pay the same as International Students
57. Introducing more power for parents: OFSTED to investigate schools on petition signed by 25% of parents or governors
58. Guaranteeing a job in the police, prison, or border forces for anyone who has served 12 years in the Armed Forces
59. Priority social housing for ex-service men and women, and those returning from service
60. Veterans to receives Veteran’s Card to ensure they’re supported in event of mental health care and more
61. All entitlements to be extended to servicemen and women recruited from overseas
62. Establishing a National Service Medal for all those who have served
63. Encouraging local authorities to buy out their PFI contracts where affordable
64. Ensuring GP’s surgeries are open at least one evening per week where demand permits
65. Ensuring migrants have NHS-approved health insurance until they have paid into the system for 5 years
66. Ending hospital car parking charges
67. Replacing bureaucratic watchdogs with locally elected health boards for more transparency
68. Stopping the sale of patient data to big business
69. Ensuring a high standard of English speakers in the NHS
70. Amend working time rules to give trainee doctors, surgeons, and medics better environments
71. Encouraging and protecting whistleblowing to get to the bottom of poor performance
72. Ensuring migrants have jobs and accommodation before they can come to the UK
73. Migrants will only be eligible for residency after 10 years’ working here
74. Reinstating the primary purpose rule, bringing an end to sham marriage migration
75. No amnesty for illegal immigrants, or those gaining UK passports via fraud
76. Protecting genuine refugees by returning to the UN Convention of Refugees principles
77. British companies to be prioritised to deliver foreign aid contracts
78. Repealing the Climate Change Act 2008 which costs the economy £18n per year
79. Scrapping the Large Combustion Plant directive and redevelop UK power stations
80. Supporting the development of UK Shale Gas with proper safeguards
81. No new taxpayer subsidy for wind farms
82. Leaving the Common Agricultural Policy
83. Allowing parliament to vote on GM foods
84. Reinstating British territorial waters
85. Food to be labelled with country of origin, method of production, method of slaughter and more
86. Ban live animal exports for slaughter
87. Scrapping the Bedroom Tax
88. Child benefit only for children permanently resident in the UK
89. Future child benefit to be limited to first two children only
90. Ensuring an initial presumption of 50-50 parenting on child custody matters
91. Safeguarding visitation rights for grandparents
92. Supporting a streamlined welfare system and a benefit cap
93. Enrolling unemployed benefits claimants into workfare or community schemes
94. Placing revenues from shale gas into a Sovereign Wealth Fund to ensure future growth and security
95. Emphasising the immediate need to utilise forgotten British infrastructure like Manston Airport
96. No cuts to frontline policing
97. Prioritising social housing for those whose parents and grandparents were born locally
98. Reaffirming British laws, rather than allowing dual-track legal systems for minorities in the UK
99. Promoting patriotism and the importance of British values in our schools
100. Rebalancing Britain’s economy

Far from trying to persuade others to vote for this party, I'd genuinely like to know what people think about these proposals, whether they agree with them or not. Do people think any of them are unachievable or contrary to what they believe? I'd appreciate it if you could give reasons for your opinions.

 

[Norcon]

The first ones definitely achievable.

 

[Deleted member 63160]

Anyone who loves Britain would have to consider them as a serious option.

 

[conny]

There are quite a lot of things there that would confirm why I will be voting for them.

It may take some time to achieve them, and some time for UKIP to actually be in a position to implement them, but I think given the opportunity they can adhere to the majority.

 

[Deleted member 63160]

Stopping unnecessary foreign wars I think is a goodun. The Iraq fiasco is shameful. 100,000's of innocent civilians killed.

 

[Whitespirit66]

No sensible person could argue against the majority of pledges on that list. Big doubts about whether they could ever get enough support though, and the fact that they are 'politician's promises' that are rarely realised.

Farage is a great orator and formidable opponent who would annihilate any of the other leaders in a tv debate or similar. However, I wonder if he could control some of the more colourful members of his party. The worry isn't that UKIP is one trick, it's that without Farage, it would struggle.

 

[Deleted member 63160]

I think the anti UKIP chaps will have to play the "not financially possible" card cos I think it would be quite difficult to paint that as a racist agenda. A few years ago I would have seen pulling out of Europe as suicide but now it seems more like a calculated risk that may well pan out.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I must say, after a quick read-through, they do all seem to be common sense and it makes you wonder why they are not in place already.

Regarding no.16 I am reminded of Gordon Brown's statement after the economic 'crash' which was "We shall start by cutting out all unnecessary spending". Oh, good.

 

[Whitespirit66]

I think it would be quite difficult to paint that as a racist agenda.

It's a common sense agenda that puts our interests first -which is what governments are supposed to do, but don't. Also, most of the pledges are old school Tory in tone. All of this will draw in flack from certain quarters.

 

[Micilin]

I'm always worried when UKIP say they are taking 'Britain' out of the EU.

what about the rest of the UK, are they leaving that in the EU?

 

[jockscott]

Foreign Aid, is probably the one thing that should have been scrapped years ago (certainly for those countries which have nuclear and space programs ( I can only think of two recipients there))

 

[nauseous]

Personally wouldn't care if they sent us back to the 'stone age' if elected in.
Be worth it almost just to see present govt sacked for their utter incompetence
and betrayal.

Probably wont be happening tho as I doubt the electorates have the actual bottle to vote for a new party to radically shake up the current status quo, which is most needed imo. Still a UKIP/Con coalition would be interesting. Fingers crossed.

 

[JBR]

Thanks, everyone, for reading and responding, especially as it's such a long list. It's interesting that no-one has (yet) criticised anything on the list!

To be honest, in response to Wrangler, I must agree that is very likely. I believe there are many people who agree with UKIP's policies but, for one reason or another, don't feel confident to take that step to actually vote for them.

However, it certainly would shake up the current members of government. In fact, UKIP has already done that and prompted them to change their policies and activities before they even gained a single MP. Surely, that's a good thing.

 

[JBR]

I'm always worried when UKIP say they are taking 'Britain' out of the EU.

what about the rest of the UK, are they leaving that in the EU?

I suppose, literally speaking, that would exclude Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, although I'm sure the sentiment was well meant and that NI and the CI would hesitate before deciding to remain in the EU!

 

[ladylola]

Thanks, everyone, for reading and responding, especially as it's such a long list. It's interesting that no-one has (yet) criticised anything on the list!
.

Ok then , the one thing I would really criticise them over is there envoirmental policy. From the wording it's clear they are putting money before the envoirment although the pledge to protect the green belt is welcome assuming that is adhered to. No 48 mentions bespoke global trade agreements which is a little unclear as to what they mean. As they haven't come out against TTIP and TiSA that again to me is a concern as I see them as a serious threat . Moves to regulate and control banking and corporate activities should be in any parties agenda. The scrapping of inheritance tax as opposed to a higher ceiling will benefit only the already very wealthy.
There are as said some very good ideas , some it could be said are borrowed from others such as the scraping of tuition fees but then there is a certain level of cross over in most parties policies .
Whitespirit mentions ukip could struggle with Farage and that might be the case although one would like to think members of any party could rally and continue should it lose it's figurehead. On a personal note ( which really shouldn't have any bearing in politics it's not America FFS ) I don't like him myself , there just seems something a tad creepy and false about him.
With reference to the first point they may not even have to do that as it seems the EU is going to have a rocky time ahead and could just start falling apart , Greece is causing waves ( and I have to congratulate them on a bold election choice) and even before the Paris shootings LePen's national front was polling high which if translated into election votes in 2017 could see them in government and one of their stated goals is to withdraw from the EU .