The Labour Party has tanked in the English council elections, at a stage in the electoral cycle where every experienced person knows an opposition party would be expecting to pick up a minimum of 800 English council seat net gains. On today’s figures, they are nowhere near achieving an overall majority at Westminster, even ignoring the massive negative momentum against them. Labour have a swing of -8% against them compared to the 2012 local council elections.
Labour played the game of negative expectations in a massive way, claiming a net gain of 150 seats would be a victory for them. So far they have a net gain of just 82. But the extraordinary thing is that the BBC have, throughout the Breakfast News period – the largest TV news watch of the day – been unable to add up all the council seats yet. Sky has totaled every single one of the council seats declared overnight, while the BBC has been able to total under half – and the BBC has come up with a Labour net gain of 102. This has enabled the BBC to show a three figure Labour gain on its strapline all morning, and lead every news bulletin: “Major gains for UKIP in English local elections. Labour has also made gains. A poor night for the Conservatives and Lib Dems”.
That the BBC, which has more regional reporting staff than Sky by a factor of 30, is unable to tally the seats of all the councils declared so far, while Sky had done it all night very efficiently, is remarkable. And when Labour has made net gains of only 82 overall in the overnight declarations, to get a Labour net gain of 102 out of just over a third of the declared seats is virtually impossible for the BBC to achieve except by deliberate action. The BBC have cherry picked the very few areas where Labour has moved forward and ignored areas where they suffered losses. Precisely what one would expect from the BBC.
The fact that Labour cannot form the next government shows the people of Scotland they have a very simple choice. Tory rule or Independence. What the UKIP surge shows is that nasty xenophobia is rampant in England. The Tory party will move even further to the right to capture some of this ground – and so will New Labour. We could well see a Con/UKIP Westminster coalition after 2015.
So if you are Scottish, these are your only certain choices for the future:
Independence or Tory Rule
Independence or Leave the EU
It is as simple as that. The BBC will nevertheless try to hype the remotely vanishing possibility of a New Labour government instead, to appeal to tribal loyalty. Though why anyone would want New Labour who kick-started tuition fees, NHS privatization, academy schools and are obsessed with nuclear weapons, is beyond me. There is no choice open of a social democratic UK.
139 seats at present well on course for the 150
Anon 23 May, 2014 – 11:57 am
Are our MSM capable of falsely portraying people as plucky victims of bullying?
Yes, eg Israel.
Are our MSM capable of denying publicity to a cause?
Yes, eg the genocide of Palestinians.
Are our MSM capable of maintaining selective promotion of causes indefinitely?
Yes, eg Israel and Palestine.
Is such selective promotion effective?
Provably.
Have our MSM denied publicity to UKIP?
No.
Has MSM exposure of UKIP by the MSM enhanced or reduced their support?
Enhanced.
Do I honestly believe that our MSM have conducted a skillful campaign to portray UKIP as plucky victims of bullying?
Yes
I think UKIP gains show turkeys will vote for Christmas. Farage is Trojan Horse.
D
“Opposition to immigration is racist. The best news for ages was the net immigration of 250,000 odd in the last twelve months. We need a lot more workers to pay the future pensions of our ageing populations.”
Craig, I’m afraid importing hundreds of thousands of poor people and their children isn’t going to pay anyone’s pension. This argument, and the racist smears on Farage, are merely a smokescreen for the main parties, whose real agenda is to a) do the bidding of big business to secure plentiful cheap labour (which presumably goes against your socialist principles of a living wage) and b) do the bidding of the EU who want to neuter the UK as a political entity (see also the Scottish referendum).
Correct. BBC Website home page. Top item.
Farage: UKIP now ‘serious players’ UKIP will choose target areas and “throw the kitchen sink at them”.
UKIP’s support surges, with Labour also making gains as Tories and Lib Dem lose seats in the English local elections, with most results still to come.
12.54am
If any party promises to build a million Y-cubes (both single size for singles and double size for families) throughout over the UK and so break the problem of unaffordable housing (especially in London where the problem’s worst), if they’re the only mainstream party promising this, I will vote for them.
“All people are to my taste. I just don’t romanticise them.”
Ah come on, you do romanticise the Scots by at least a (generous) dram 😉 I think Scotland probably has about the same potential for xenophobia as any other country. What matters is how much it is encouraged and normalised by the media and local culture over recent history. At this point in time, racism is much less widespread in Scotland, because it hasn’t been whipped up into a storm by the media. This is to Scotland’s credit. However, should a political party start to play that card, I’m sure there would be plenty of xenophobes who would come out of the woodwork, or start saying things in pubs which they may otherwise have kept to themselves. It was the Tories in England who first began to use the immigration “narrative” to fight Labour, and now that narrative is running away from them in a very ugly direction.
I’m not convinced the solution for Scotland is to become independent. Most pictures of an independent Scotland I have seen have been very idealistic. I support the ideals: greater fairness, greater participation in democracy, less control by Westminster dominated by financial interests. However, what matters is whether these ideals can be achieved by an independent Scotland, **subject to the political and economic forces operating today**. It’s all very well dangling this vision as a carrot for voters, much like political parties do before a general election, but once you get into power you find much more powerful interests at work. Could Scotland stand up to tax avoidance by global corporations, who would threaten to leave? Would an independent Scotland investigate RBS for fraud and actual put anyone guilty of a crime in jail? Ultimately where would the corporation tax rate end up if Scotland, Ireland, and the UK are all trying to undercut each other?
I believe the biggest challenge facing the population is to try and change the economic system to remove the private, profit-seeking corporation as the main structure of business. I think this will require coordinated global action. Scottish independence is seen by some as one step along this road, but I worry that in the longer term, it will only weaken by division the forces which might be able to achieve this.
So funny. Can you picture the coalition?
The Guardian’s take –
Tory MPs call for Ukip pact after local election losses
David Cameron under pressure as MPs fear being ousted in 2015 after strong showing for Nigel Farage’s party
Rowena Mason, political correspondent
Friday 23 May 2014 06.55
Anti-immigration is “Racism” – YES.
Do non-White immigrants are burden on British economy? – NOPE.
Just look at UK’s Secretary for Culture, media and sports Sajid Javid. His father from Pakistan was a bus driver in London in the 1960s. The son became millionaire by hiring both Whites and non-Whites in business and banking institutions.
Javid, a non-practing Muslim, has several “political right” characteristics. He said that he loves Israel so much that he calls is “second home”.
http://rehmat1.com/2014/04/16/sajid-javid-uks-pro-israel-asian-minister/
“John,
You’ve made a few fruity comments about the Joos for which you have been pulled up on more than one occasion, so let’s leave it there.”
Couldn’t find anything then? Typical, just like Farage babbling on and on until he comes to realise his babble is not true.
Anon
“Re Farage using the N word. It was alleged he said it in a pub by one man who has a vendetta against UKIP. There is no evidence he ever did, which is why not even the BBC bothers with that particular slur.”
It was not just one man. The man who made the remark was a professor and founder of UKIP. Farage threatened him with lawyers but withdrew. This is almost certainly because there was more than one person present when Farage called blacks niggers and nig nogs. You cannot trust Farage. If he has no figures he makes them up, like you calling me a racist. Where is the inundation of Romanians stealing from us. The trouble is Anon when people make false statements people still believe them hence the big racist vote for Farage since immigration is the only golf-club in his bag. But I do not want people to think I am racist. Others on this blog have tried to do that before. So I challenge you, as I did yesterday, to give me examples of my racism against Jews. Or withdraw your comment.
Still ‘counting’ in Blackburn with Darwen! 😉
Only 5 UKippers were standing I see.
http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/Pages/Local-election-results-2014.aspx
Note there are boxes for the number of spoilt votes.
John Goss
“So I challenge you, as I did yesterday, to give me examples of my racism against Jews. Or withdraw your comment.”
“Not all Jewish people are bad and I know there is a Jewish man helping children get to school by his presence I saw on one video. Unfortunately he is in a minority.
I see the UKIP vote as a protest vote. Who else was anti-europe ?
The other parties with perhaps the exception of the Greens are in cahoots.
Anti – immigration = Racism. I don’t think that adds up either.
The NHS which is in the process of being destroyed can’t keep up with all of the different nationalities.Basic care has become difficult because of the different languages that need to be spoken so’s patients understand their rights, their treatment and what stands in the all of the brochures that are printed for their benefit.We’ve gone from an Island to a melting pot in one generation and its not over.Local authorities have similar problems.
There is a lack of housing and amenities for these immigrants. Jobs for both the immigrants and the locals… but we all know that immigrants do undercut the local business’s.The free for all that Labour brought in to bolster their voters was not correct.
You have an over simplified view of the problem Craig and obviously drink in the wrong pubs.
I remember Dundee was no different early 80’s except it was enough to be a Fifer to get your head kicked in.Avoid drinking in those places.
Agent Cameron should try enlarging his vocabulary. It’s either ‘hard working people’ or ‘we must work harder’ as per just now.
David Cameron: ‘We’ve got to work harder’ 13 minutes ago
David Cameron says the Conservative party “has got to work harder” following substantial losses in the local elections.
Results show the Tories have conceded 118 seats so far, while Nigel Farage’s UKIP has made large gains.
Some Conservative backbenchers have called for an electoral pact with UKIP going into the general election, but the Prime Minister has ruled that out.
He said: “We don’t do pacts and deals. We are fighting all out for an all-out win at the next election.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27541170
Video
Node 12:37pm
Not quite sure why you’re going off on one about Israel/Palestine but it’s to be expected.
Back to the matter, given that in unison they’ve spent the last two months relentlessly smearing him and his party, to suggest the BBC and MSM are giving Farage lots of airtime because they secretly support him is the most laughable thing I’ve heard in ages. Thanks for the laugh!
Craig
“Opposition to immigration is racist.”
Thanks for another belly laugh. I feel my time here has not been wasted getting that out of you.
What is in the water today? So many disagreeable people putting the boot in on Craig, or trying to. Push off.
Well, it’s looking like Millipede is in trouble. I’ve said for about 2 years now, he’ll never be PM. Whatever his personal qualities, he isn’t the annointed one. His neocon Nu Lab colleagues – both ‘left’ and ‘right’ – will likely shaft him. I give him till November.
If true, this doesn’t speak much for my political nous. Party politics bores me beyond measure. It’s just obvious to me, and many, that the Labour Party doesn’t exist anymore. I’d blame Blair, but it probably started much earlier. Before I was born, likely. Ed Milliband will be replaced by a stooge, my guess is Yvette Cooper, not because he’s useless, but because he isn’t a Blair-ite.
This is why UKIP have done ok. It’s not bbc-style ‘apathy’ or ‘cynicism’, it’s a perfectly logical and rational assesment of the corruption in UK politics. Call it a protest vote if you will, but I think it’s much more serious than that. People aren’t dumb, they see the corruption, because it’s so obvious. And, given that UK left parties are essentially illegal – they are infiltrated, spied upon, and treated like the IRA – what other choice does the electorate have?
Farrage is likely an Oxbridge spook, of course. Most of them are.
Anon 23 May, 2014 – 2:03 pm
Because I couldn’t think of a better example to demonstrate that our MSM has the ability to portray black as white if it chooses. Or to ignore a subject if it chooses.
Now you tell me:
Do you accept that UKIP has had far more media exposure this last 2 months than at any previous time in it’s history?
If so, do you believe this exposure has harmed or hindered it?
Brendan
“Farrage is likely an Oxbridge spook, of course. Most of them are.”
Aside from the fact that he didn’t even attend university could you not at least spell his name correctly?
Node
“Now you tell me: Do you accept that UKIP has had far more media exposure this last 2 months than at any previous time in it’s history? If so, do you believe this exposure has harmed or hindered it?”
I’ll give you one thing, Node, you have a knack for framing questions in a way that can only give you the desired outcome.
UKIP has had a lot of media exposure in the run up to a European election in which they were and are predicted to do well and the intention was most certainly to hinder it. It backfired. Understood? If you think that months of BBC/MSM smearing of UKIP and the desperation to avoid actually discussing the issues it stands for was really some sort of covert exercise to win UKIP votes then you really do need your head examining.
Just deleted a comment by ESLO as it was simply untrue.
Ref ISRAEL, or the aftermath of its attack on Gaza to be precise.
Where Should the Birds Fly?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L932X90RUXY
This film has a showing at ULU London next Tuesday.
University of London Union – ULU
Malet Street, WC1E 7HY London, United Kingdom.
Followed by Q&A and London Palestine Action’s regular action planning and organising meeting.
http://whereshouldthebirdsfly.org/
Join Palestinian film-maker Fida Qishta for a showing of her film about the Gaza war of 2009 and young survivor Mona Samouni who lost 48 members of her family including her parents in the invasion.
Operation Cast Lead was the most violent Israeli attack on Palestinian territory since 1967. 1400 people lost their lives, including over 300 children. Over 5000 people were injured and 11,000 homes damaged or destroyed.
Fida is from Gaza and has worked with the International Solidarity Movement, filming Israeli attacks on her neighbourhood in Rafah and surrounding areas for over a decade.
The screening will be followed by Q&A with Fida and then, for those that wish to stay,
London Palestine Action’s regular action planning and organising meeting. Join us to help plan creative and effective Palestine solidarity actions.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1403937706556281
The JNF will put in an appearance no doubt.
http://www.theweek.co.uk/uk-news/58414/nigel-farage-branded-racist-and-fascist-his-teachers
“The letter says that at a meeting to discuss the school’s new prefects one teacher described Farage as “a fascist”. Deakin noted that there was “considerable reaction” to Farage’s proposed prefecture from a number of teachers who thought the boy was “racist” and “fascist” or “neo-fascist”.
The letter says: “Another colleague, who teaches the boy, described his publicly professed racist and neo-fascist views; and he cited a particular incident in which Farage was so offensive to a boy in his set, that he had to be removed from the lesson. This master stated his view that this behaviour was precisely why the boy should not be made a prefect”.
The letter also said that while he was at cadet camp, Farage and a number of other cadets had marched through a quiet Sussex village late at night singing Hitler-youth songs.”
Anon 23 May, 2014 – 2:46 pm
Ah, then that’ll be why you answered your own questions instead of mine. I’ll take the liberty of extracting the answers to my questions from what you did say. Please correct me if I am wrong. I conclude:
You do accept that UKIP has had far more media exposure this last 2 months than at any previous time in it’s history and that it has benefited from this exposure.
Another question. How likely is it that you noticed the strategy was backfiring but the BBC analysts didn’t?
Nevermind
23 May, 2014 – 11:23 am
“So, what of a UKIP Tory coalition next year?”
“That prospect alone should encourage all in Scotland to vote for Independence.”
It could also encourage English emigration to Scotland and a call for Welsh independence.
Anon
23 May, 2014 – 11:56 am
“John,
“You’ve made a few fruity comments about the Joos…”
Anon please do not use the derogatory term Joos.
Use the correct spelling: Jews
You’re not wrong there Doug, but that will bring up the prospect of an emerging English national return movement in Wales, as a reaction to Independence. I’m sure that Obummer would help a little, maybe the use of Academi soldiers to create chaos and havoc?….;)
Sam in reply to Sam….Unlike you … I am convinced…have been since I was a teenager 40 odd years ago when we could have benefitted from the OIL wealth as did Norway… that Scotland would be a far wealthier country offering so much more to it’s citizens rather than the pathetic struggling infrastructure we have been “allowed” by westminster and its branch party pygmy mentalists …. and had this opportunity not been hidden by the likes of the bbc and the labour party via the McCrone report… them just possibly…. the English situation may to have improved to the ideals that Scotland is now finally likely to achieve once we leave in political terms this unfair union…. PLUS… you clearly have not an inkling of the situation in Scotland… whereas I travel and do business throughout England and can verify much of what Craig states… especially about the non mixing of schools less than 300 yards apart… so… show me somewhere comparable in Scotland???