A Wake Up Call For Our Main Parties?

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/story/1232434/farage-wins-europe-debate-with-clegg-poll

Looks like Clegg didnt do so well. Cameron and Milliband kept out of it, probably very wisely as both have parties that are split on the issue.

But surely this has to be a wake up to both Cameron and Milliband ?

[LazyGun]

A wake up call? In what respect?

It is hardly as if membership of the EU is not an issue for either the Tories or Labour - in the Tories case, back to Majors government and the famous backbench "bastards".

[jno]

it would be a wake up call if they thought the issue of Europe was going to bring Ukip to power. But they don't. Or if they thought Ukip was going to take any seats from them. But they don't.

[youngmafbog]

The wake up that Farage came out on top of Clegg for a start.

I have been warning for some time that to ignore Farage or belittle and ridicule him is not a good tactic. He is becoming a force to be reckoned with (despite having to deal with crackpots in his party) now getting a stage and clearly hitting a chord.

Cameron and Milliband ignore him at their peril.

[Hopkirk]

I suspect it didn't change anyone's mind, just reinforced what they already thought.

[LazyGun]

I agree that the political strategists are going to have to rethink their opinion of Farage somewhat, especially on matters pertaining to europe and in the upcoming Euro elections.

I still think that UKip are a marginal concern for the GE though, at least for 2015.

[youngmafbog]

I think without doubt the GE is going to be close either way. Those few votes Farage takes (and it can be from either party as it is middle England we are talking about) could make the difference even if Farage does not take any seats.

[alexanderd]

In the last televised debate it was generally recognised that Clegg came out on top. Now we know what he is really like would he still win a debate?

[LazyGun]

Thats why the political strategists of Labour and the Tories might be having conniptions. But such calculations do not mean that UKip are going to emerge as any kind of force within the HoC after the next GE.

We shall probably get a better sense of that closer to 2015, but I am not at all sure that popularity over europe and being the current flavour of the month repository for the protest vote is going to translate to any meaningful gains in the HoC.

[Sqad]

I agree with Lazygun........UKIP will be marginalised at the next GE and Europe will not be a significant topic to the voters.

I think that both Parties have already had a " wake up call".......Labour as to how they have let a 9 point lead evaporate and the Conservatives having, possibly for the first time a chance of an outright majority at the next GE.

[brionon]

So we leave our biggest trading partner and they say-''OK you can trade with us without any barriers or taxes on your goods'' Yeah -believe what you like Dummies !!

[ichkeria]

Last night was like two non-league football teams getting a live game at peak viewing time:
there was Clegg United v Farage Wanderers - both teams enjoy limited support but there was speculation that Farage's tactics of attacking down the right wing and targeting the foreign players would prove effective against the Clegg outfit (with glamorous Spanish trainer), who favour building more through the middle.
The feeling is that the game may have boosted attendances for both teams' next few home games (with Farage poised for success in European competition ironically enough) but that come the Big One on 2015 they'll both be back to scrapping for the play-off places.

[LazyGun]

I am strongly in favour of this measure, currently working its way through the European Parliament. I believe it will make medicine safer and more transparent.
http://www.alltrials.net/2013/agreement-reached-europe-clinical-trials-regulation/

I wrote to my 7 euro MPs, urging them to support the motion. I have so far received 3 responses back; 1 from the Labour guy, who said he was going to vote in favour. 1 from the LibDem guy who also will vote in favour. Still waiting on a co-ordinated response from the 3 tory MEPs, whic h is OK. But it was the UKip one that disappointed me. First, the tone - they disgreed with the idea. That is disappointing enough, because it is my feeling that they were dismissing the value of such a measure on ideological grounds ( and also not quite understanding the science but that is another issue) - but worse, they were not necessarily even going to bother to vote, one way or another. So, they get elected, go to Brussels, enjoy the salary and the bonuses, but then are reluctant to even engage with the European Parliament on ideological grounds. How is electing more UKip MEPs good value for the taxpayer if they broadly refuse to engage with the process whilst we are still an important and contributing member of the EU?

I am not impressed.

[mikey4444]

Well said LG....UKIP pretend to hate the EU and want us to leave but take their share of the gravy train in spades. Voting for this lot in an Euro election is akin to giving Herod an award for child protection.

[naomi24]

I suppose there's one thing to be said for Ukip - they're not being ignored.