UKIP prefers the highway to David Cameron's way ~ Arden Forester

Monday, November 26, 2012

UKIP prefers the highway to David Cameron's way

10:16 am Arden Forester No comments

David Cameron and UKIP in satnav negotiations

Michael Fabricant has decided a discussion needs to take place about an EU referendum and the electoral arrangements at the next general election of the Conservative Party and the UK Independence Party. He has started this because many Conservative MPs are now rather anxious about their future prospects and think that taking on UKIP in their constituencies might result in them either losing to Labour or a LibDem or holding on and having to stomach another coalition. So Michael has popped up to generate a discussion about forming an electoral pact in return for a concrete proposal for a referendum.

I think he's whistling in the wind, something he should be very careful about doing. This is not just about a referendum. This is far more now. This is about higher matters as to how our democracy should be run. The Coalition leaders were rather unkindly described as Tweedledee and Tweedledum when they came together to form the government. However, at this moment it may appear that there is something of reality to it as far as David Cameron is concerned. Many Conservative MPs are frustrated that he appears quite happy with a lot of LibDem thinking and relaxed about being in government with them. However, a part of him strongly resents them being there because it is a reminder he failed to lead the Conservative Party into majority government. Now it looks like he never will.

This is more than talk of referendums. This is about responding to a prime minister who thinks it is OK to denigrate his detractors and dissemble if it suits him. Democracy is demeaned if those who win arguments or just say something different are dismissed with cheap threats and sarcastic responses. All too often recently David Cameron has done this. He then wonders why people are supporting and joining UKIP.

By calling UKIP members fruitcakes and racists, even if he now tries to suggest it was only a few he was identifying, he antagonises people by his arrogance. His clumsy strategy in "detoxifying" the Conservative Party suggests that there were some toxins that needed removing. Such, I suppose, as supporting traditional marriage. He is pandering to an element of society that he now favours, rather than giving room for all types of conservative thought. Now he finds that UKIP is doing well in the polls. Not just because he reneged on the referendum promise but because he is giving no home for traditional values and views.

So it is no surprise that Nigel Farage does not want to deal with Cameron and his vice-chairman Fabricant. Because a deal would always be front-ended in favour of Cameron. And we all know where promises like that lead us. What would be fair is if every constituency had a choice between the two parties. After all that is what democracy is all about.