Good luck winning working class votes with these policies
Quizzed about his past remarks backing a private NHS, newly elected UKIP leader Paul Nuttall cited his party’s 2015 general election manifesto as proof of his commitment to the NHS.
Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show yesterday, Nuttall said:
“I stood on a manifesto in 2015, a UKIP manifesto which I believe was the best manifesto out of any of the political parties … “
What was in that manifesto? The usual salad of Thatcherite reaction, including:
- A tougher benefits cap
- Scrapping inheritance tax
- Grammar schools and free schools
- Scrapping the Department for Climate Change
- Tax cuts for the rich
- Slashing foreign aid
- Repealing human rights laws
- No child benefit for ‘new claimant’ parents with two children
To call this ‘the best manifesto’ on offer in 2015 is ludicrous, as a glance at the Labour, Lib Dem and Green Party manifestos show.
Even the Tories had a better offer for working people, (thought their promise of an EU referendum qualifies this somewhat). Every UKIP policy would favour the rich and powerful against the poor and vulnerable.
Does Nuttall really expect to win working class voters defending policies like this?
Adam Barnett is staff writer for Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBarnett13
See: Paul Nuttall is a poundshop Nigel Farage – but beware UKIP’s far-right agenda
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6 Responses to “Paul Nuttall defends UKIP’s 2015 manifesto. What was in it?”
Samuel Hooper
You think the working class (a member of which you have probably never met) are going to take to the streets in protest at a benefits cap to punish scroungers and an end to wasteful foreign aid and expansionist, neverending “human rights” laws? You really don’t understand the people anymore, do you? You really think that working class strivers drink the same noxious metro-left Kool-Aid that you all drink.
I’m glad that you, your party and your failing ideology are being roundly rejected by the British people, because you are too arrogant to bother even trying to understand what they want, let alone dirtying yourselves by deigning to represent their interests.
Arthur Seaton
Given that a recent Yougov survey of UKIP members showed that 66% of them had formerly voted Tory, it’s not really much of a suprise.
https://yougov.co.uk/news/2016/10/22/introduction-ukip-party-membership/
Given that the new leader stood as a Tory candidate, their new deputy leader was a Tory councillor, and their only MP was a Tory MP, its not really much of a suprise.
The only real suprise is that they think anyone is taken in by their claims. The NF and the BNP tried similar tactics in the past, and they were seen off. UKIP are no more plausable.
Jonny & The Baptists got it about right : “We’re the UK Independence Party / We still think we’re at war with France”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3tQbeuFtPQ
Russell White
There’s no reason why Labour voters should be opposed to grammar schools. At the moment working class children have only a choice of comprehensives, whereas middle class children often live in areas which have grammar schools. I see this as simply giving equal opportunity to all. Scrapping inheritance tax is neither here nor there for those with little to pass on, but the tax itself is a disincentive to save and bequeath property for those who do own a certain amount. Having said that, any tax cuts should be aimed at those with lower incomes so they can keep more of what they earn (a stance not out of step with the scrapping of death duties). Many working class voters oppose foreign aid and would rather scrap that and use the money for British people. And many British parents have fewer children, so those most affected by a child benefit cap would be immigrants and their descendents who routinely don’t vote UKIP and would never do so in thousand years. No, the reason why UKIP is ill equipped to replace Labour at the moment has not been touched upon here. It isn’t what they included in their manifesto, it’s what they excluded. A Populist Party that could replace Labour would have the following stances:
Commitment to oppose NHS privatisation
National investment bank to revive UK manufacturing.
Commitment to ensure that the UK economy is predominantly owned by our people, not foreigners.
Support for rent controls
Total ban upon 3rd world immigration
Re-nationalisation of the utilities and control over prices
Policy to make the bankers and stock exchange pay off the national debt rather than ordinary working people
Promotion of “practical schools” where young people can learn skills to be builders, plumbers, electricians etc (grammar schools are not designed for that and are not the only answer to our skills shortage.
Clampdowns on MPs getting outside funding as company directors whilst in office
Defence of pubs by scrapping beer duty.
Tax breaks for English seaside resorts
These and the aforementioned repealing of “human rights laws” (used by political agitators more than ordinary working class folk) would be a winning strategy for UKIP or a replacement party.
david tandey
When News reader Kay Burley asked Nigel Farrage what was the definition of a Racist, Farrage said he did’nt know, so Burley read from the Oxford Dictionary……….A person who believes his race is superior to other races………….Farrage got angry and described the English dictionary as Rubbish. Perhaps every person should be forced to study Politics so they are knowledgeable enough to reject the likes of Nuttall and co.
Michael Cross
‘A tougher benefits cap
Scrapping inheritance tax
Grammar schools and free schools
Scrapping the Department for Climate Change
Tax cuts for the rich
Slashing foreign aid
Repealing human rights laws
No child benefit for ‘new claimant’ parents with two children’
They look pretty well designed to attract working class votes, to me.