1. UKIP – A PARTY OF CUTS! THE ENEMY OF PUBLIC SERVICES!
Massive Government cuts have savaged the North West. Yet when asked about this Nigel Farage, UKIP leader, replied – “What cuts? There haven’t been any real cuts” (BBC July 2013). He called for massive further cuts, ‘real cuts’, to clear the deficit. No matter this would drive us into depression. Godfrey Bloom stated, “public sector jobs are taking money out of the economy and wealth creation. I hope hundreds, thousands of jobs will be lost…you will never understand UKIP until you understand this point. Public spending takes money out of the economy, it doesn’t put it in.” Common sense and much evidence would differ. Public services are vital to a balanced society yet UKIP favour public squalor. A balanced economy is not either/or, it is both Public and Private Sector.
2. UKIP THREATEN OUR NHS
Nigel Farage said in 2012 he favoured an insurance based system in place of our NHS. No other party leader would survive in post for a minute with such views. Even worse, Paul Nuttall, his Deputy Leader has said : “I would like to congratulate the coalition government for bringing a whiff of privatisation into the beleaguered National Health Service. I would argue the very existence of the NHS stifles competition. The NHS …is not fit for purpose in the 21st Century”.
Under greater scrutiny, Farage has tried to hide from this and has said he wants businessmen to run hospitals. He is the only party leader to refuse to promise to guarantee NHS funding. Instead he peddles the myth that the NHS is all bureaucracy and waste. Yet the Commonwealth Fund, in an international comparison of eleven countries found the NHS public service model to be the most efficient in the world (privatised USA 11th). UKIP falsely claim that massive cuts can be made to the NHS without damaging front line services. This is a cruel deception. Look out for crazy money saving schemes like paying to see your
GP if UKIP gain influence.
3. UKIP- MISS THE MARK ON WAGES – NO ANSWER ON EXPLOITATION
UKIP have blamed immigration for making Britain the low pay capital of Europe. Yet the level of immigration, though higher than in the past is not sufficient to explain why all UK workers are on average £40/week worse off than in 2010, full time workers £50/eek worse off. Wages in real terms have fallen back to the level of the year 2000. This results from a bankers’ crisis building on 30 years of anti-worker policies, a reduction in collective bargaining cover from 80% to 25%. In many cases, skilled migrants lift wage rates by helping businesses to improve productivity. Yet in lower skilled markets, the problem is employers exploit immigrants. They interpret Europe’s free movement rules to recruit in the cheapest labour markets. It is not immigrants to blame but bad employers. We need a Living Wage, an end to exploitation, stronger unions and more apprenticeships. UKIP is silent on these matters. They are a business party that would continue to see employers impose zero hour contracts and low pay on British workers.
4. UKIP OPPOSE WORKERS RIGHTS AND WILL DRIVE A RACE TO THE BOTTOM
Nigel Farage has said he favours abolishing regulation for Britain’s small businesses, denying millions of workers maternity rights, health and safety protection and employment rights. He wants to pull out of Europe to empower bosses, not workers. UKIP are scathing about trade unions. UKIP have admitted that pulling out of Europe, their main goal, will save £21 billion, each year (most of which is already spent here). A large sum, but at 1.4% of national income, peanuts compared to the potential damage to our economy. They have spent this money many times over. Yet their real belief is Britain will thrive out of Europe by embracing the free market principles that led to a world crash in 2007. Smashing workers rights and trade unions is crucial to that, keeping hard working people down-at-heel.
5. UKIP THE NASTY PARTY – MORE TORY THAN THE TORIES
“I’m the only politician keeping the flame of Thatcherism alive” – Nigel Farage. UKIP get much of their funding from ex-Tory multi-millionaires like Arron Banks and hedge fund founder Christopher Mills. Their strategists are not ordinary people but practised spin doctors who are thoroughly steeped in our political establishment. Mr Farage himself attended a public school and made a packet in the City as a commodities trader. He has made much of the claim that he will not tax the minimum wage. However, big rises in VAT have not been ruled out to pay for this. Also he has not promised to keep or increase the minimum age. Yet his tax cuts will not benefit the 17% who earn too little to pay tax, but will benefit the rich much more, increasing the already excessive inequality gap.
6. UKIP – MANY QUESTIONS BUT NO ANSWERS ON IMMIGRATION
UKIP claim immigration is the root of all our problems. Yet they are at pains to stress, unless we come out of Europe they would be able to do nothing about it. Their strategy is to make Britain unfriendly to migrants so they don’t come. Yet hard working people prepared to leave their home behind and travel here to work will not be frightened away by UKIP. But they may be driven into the illegal, underground economy, where exploitation threatens to undercut wages. The real solution is to create greater equality between countries. Yet UKIP oppose measures to boost growth across all of Europe which would make population movements more stable. Meanwhile, ask yourself the question, how many people do you know who have left Britain to make a better life for themselves in Europe, or further afield like Canada or Australia?
7. UKIP – MISSING THE REAL ISSUE ON IMMIGRATION
UKIP see the issue of immigration as being about numbers. Yet global numbers don’t really impact on local communities. It makes little difference if millionaires move into London. More foreign students, keeping our Universities funded is as good for the country as more tourism. Our NHS depends on immigration, and has done since it was set up, especially as some people trained here take up the option of working abroad. Much of this immigration we need and the benefits are large and widely spread. The problem is the pressure points of immigration are often concentrated on working class host areas and the migrants themselves who are forced to share congestion, poverty and underfunded local services. Yet in other places in chronic decline due to deindustrialisation, new people save the area from rows of empty houses. Either way, it is precisely these poorer areas that give the wider country the benefits of immigration and those communities should have adequate housing, jobs and resources to cope. These communities are a vital engine of our national growth and should be supported. UKIP are a party of cuts, not a party to deliver our areas from decline.
8. UKIP – A TIME BOMB FOR PENSIONERS
UKIP claim to represent older voters who fear change and feel globalisation has not treated them well. Yet the biggest threat to pensioners comes from the underfunding of the NHS and our care service, making it harder to keep pace with our ageing opulation. Similarly pensions may become unaffordable for those retiring in future. In the long term research to find cures for dementia and other diseases of age may assist. Whilst returning to proper employer based pension schemes to provide savings for the future and investment for our industry is needed. Yet in the short term, we need more younger workers. Part of this will need to come from immigration for some years to come. Part must come from improving the skills of young people born here by a massive expansion of apprenticeships. Again immigration helps with all this as foreign students bring £billions to our universities.
9. UKIP – DENYING A FUTURE TO OUR GRANDCHILDREN
UKIP have extremely short sighted policies on the environment and global affairs. They oppose renewable energy and overseas aid. Interestingly both attitudes could lead to more immigration than we have ever seen before. Climate change and worsening poverty overseas, in a world of cheaper transport and the internet could see more people try to move in future. We need to take a leaf out of the book of our Labour Government in 1945. Whilst struggling here, we worked with the USA to save Europe from famine and collapse. This policy lead to the biggest wave of economic growth in our history and peace in Europe. The alternative would have seen vast numbers coming here in desperation. There is plenty of time to save the planet for our grandchildren if we act now. UKIP would see us do nothing and leave our grandkids in the stew.
10. UKIP – A PARTY THAT OFFER ANGST AND HATE, NOT HOPE FOR OUR FUTURE
Five more years of this coalition cuts, not yet half way through, will see Councils like Liverpool bankrupt. Five more years will see our NHS privatised beyond repair. Britain is more unequal than it has been for a century, with in work poverty at record highs. Yet rather than make the next General Election about these issues, UKIP are determined to blame migrants or Europe for a bankers’ crisis. They have no serious alternative, yet seek to wreck a centre left majority that could make vital changes to our country. Nigel Farage is on record as saying he will resign if Ed Miliband wins the election without a promise of a referendum on Europe. He has not said he will resign if David Cameron wins.
10 Reasons Why UKIP Are Not the Party For You
