Tuesday, June 18, 2013

UKIP leader Nigel Farage returns to Scotland to raise profile of his candidate in Aberdeen Donside by-election, it seems that Scottish pro independence racists didn’t put him off, UKIP still need to turn a corner in Scotland, 2011, 217 votes at Holyrood election


















Dear All

When Nigel Farage visited Scotland previously, he was subject to racism, ‘go back home to England’,

What was his crime?

He came to support the UKIP candidate in the donside by-election.

The by-election was caused by the death of the SNP MSP Brian Adam.

Does UKIP have a chance?

Well in politics anyone has a chance if enough of the public get behind you, but in this case I would say not a hope. In 2011, UKIP polled 217 votes.

This by-election is not about winning for UKIP but an attempt to establish their brand in Scotland, but they have a hell of a lot of work to do.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said he would return to campaign in Scotland and he has kept his word, one month after angry demonstrators hounded him out of an Edinburgh pub.

Nigel Farge is an MEP, he is the leader of his party and he is an accomplished speaker and debater, but the task is straight up the north face of the Eiger.

Is he welcome in Scotland?

Well Alex Salmond and the SNP don’t seem to think so, but we should remember that Salmond and the SNP really don’t represent the Scottish people, they represent a clique who have successfully conned people by saying they stand up for Scottish values.

Mr Farage was involved in a very nasty public confrontation when he attempted to hold a press conference in The Canons' Gait pub in the Royal Mile, near Holyrood last month, the footage I put on the blog.

He was there to promote his Aberdeen Donside candidate Otto Inglis but the event was cut short when anti-racism protesters mobbed the room.

Anti racism protestors who told Farage to get back to his own country!

Oh the irony of it of it all.

UKIP isn’t a racist party; they have developed into a political force that speaks for those who currently don’t have a voice, the working class. They don’t have the network in Scotland to make the breakthrough just yet, but they have to start somewhere and grow.

Donside is just a platform to speak up for those whose views aren’t getting an airing in Scottish politics as the debate over Britain’s European membership continues.

I think Britain should be in Europe, but the European project has gone badly wrong, while the union was about 10 countries, it was manageable within the existing framework, but enlargement has brought problems.

One of the problems was free movement, in theory a good idea in practice there are difficulties, and those difficulties must be addressed soon rather than later or it will be a British exit from Europe.

Back to Mr. Farage, he said:

"I am thoroughly looking forward to coming back up to Scotland again, this time to help our admirable candidate in Aberdeen Donside, Otto Inglis. According to what our canvassers are hearing on the doorstep, there is definitely a significant growth in support for the party in Scotland and though we will have to work as hard as ever to deserve our votes, that is precisely what we intend to do. On fishing rights, on wind farms and, of course, on the constitutional issue, Ukip has a clear and distinct position; one which we discover is getting an ever-larger audience".

217 votes in 2011 is a drop in the bucket, realistically UKIP have yet to turn a corner in Scotland to get on the front foot, but you have to keep putting yourself up for elections even when you know that there is little prospect of success.

This by- election could be a primer for the European election in 2014, at that election in Scotland, people looking at the UKIP platform could see a swing towards them as they will undoubtedly get in England.

Will that be enough to get a Scottish seat?

Possibly not but an increased share of the vote might be achievable if they get a good run at it, and that helps set them up for future opportunities.

Ideally, they need to start to get councils seats in Scotland and then use that a lever to get a shot at Westminster, and Holyrood even if it is by way of the list system.

UKIP’s star is on the rise just as the SNP’s has started to fade, could they be the new indy party in Scotland?

Not just yet.

Nigel Farage, welcome to Scotland.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

2 comments:

Peter Adams said...

Thanks you for a fair assessment and comment unlike some of those groups who just spout a list of "isms" but are not prepared to debate the issues. At least the small group in Aberdeen were not as rabid as those in Edinburgh and they did at least listen a bit. It is a pity one of them spoiled it (and got himself arrested)by trying to drench Nigel in Coke but missed and soaked someone else.

G Laird said...

Dear Peter

I like to think that the blog is fair, truthful and on the money.

Nigel Farage has the right to speak, and many people in Scotland agree with his ideas on the EU.

I think and hope the EU can be fixed but not enough goodwill exists at present for this.

Pity the idea has potential, although the current application leaves a lot to be desired.

People should decide in a referendum.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University