Tuesday 7 January 2014

Farage kebabed by Humphrys

I woke this morning, switched on my radio to hear a familiar voice.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/today/today_20140107-1202a.mp3

In the words of the Welsh windbag Farage was being  slowly roasted like a kebab with frequent turns by the grand  inquisitor himself. Enough to put me off my Scott's porage oats.

I did like Farage's sound bite to Robinson which will go out tonight on BBC2 at 9:30 grandly entitled "The truth about immigration". As John Fowles wrote in his book The Magus, "What is truth?" When asked about the reduction in GDP reducing immigration would have Farage replied that there were more important things for a country than GDP growth and he did not want to live in a UK of 75 million population. Thast needed saying and I applaud him for it. The wealth of a nation depends on per capita GDP growth not simple GDP growth. Admit more people and let them collet benefits and GDP will increase but the rest of us will be poorer.

Onto Daily Politics with the nasty Jo Co interrogating UKIP's Aker on UKIP's latest immigration policy, along with Charlie, make mine a double Kennedy, and the Reckless Tory. I have not met Mr Aker. Is he related to Acker Bilk? Anyway I thought Mr Aker did OK. Click below to view:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25639096




6 comments:

ALAN WOOD said...

My dear friend, did you cringe at both Farage's efforts on the Humphreys show and the BBC effort to "discuss" the Immigration issue.

Farage always reminds me of the England cricket team - not prepared enough to take on fast bowlers. Hits a few singles then loses his wicket.
At least he's getting air time because Alan Bown put in the money years ago to raise the profile of this important subject of immigration.

As for the BBC, the usual pap. Absolutely no in-depth work to get a handle on the subject. They prefer soundbites and managed to make our immigration problem sound like a mere fleabite.

What did horrify me was the programme on the street of people on benefits. A street full of people lacking the ability or inclination to better themselves, and without any sound moral principles.

I came from a poor part of Portsmouth, not the worst part near the Naval Base where drinking and whoring went hand in hand, but I had a father and mother with a work ethic. There was very little vandalism, burglary, rape, hate crime. The police were feared and respected.
The important fact is that everyone had a job, no matter how poorly paid.

I'd make everyone work, even if it meant doing an 8-hour shift turning a capstan to drive a public electricity generator - far more beneficial than an expensive stationary windmill.

Eric Edmond said...

Alan,

Thx for this. Farage is jumping on the immigration bandwagon now it is PC to do so. Five years ago you and I and others saw immigration as the crucial electoral issue. Farage did not have the political courage to take on this issue. UKIP can never prosper with a Brussel sprout as leader.

I agree re Robinson's non-programme. What a waste of money.

Mike Bridgeman said...

I think you need to look a little deeper.
What Farage is doing is softening the Ukip message. He is making it more palatable for the average voter.
Syrian refugees, immigration affecting social rather than economic
demands. This is clever and is leading up to not just the European elections but 2015. It could be that he actually wants to win an election and not just be a pressure pulse.
If only he could stop being a Tory.

Eric Edmond said...

Mike, Agreed but he is was and willbe a Tory

ALAN WOOD said...

Mike,

Agree that Farage is a Tory and is seen as a Tory - dresses like a Tory toff and hasn't realised that immigration is a subject which hurts the poor more than the rich. They need Labour votes.

But unlimited immigration affects nearly everyone in a bad way because it puts social strains on all but the richest who can afford to live in the expensive property that employing cheap labour enables them to buy.

Election guru Dick Morris showed the way - his election message was "show the public how their problems all stem from being in the EU".
Free movement of people (and capital) is the mantra of the EU because it creates the basic building block of a United States of Europe.
To home in on unlimited Immigration from the EU will see UKIP through the European elections.
For the General Election UKIP need to also link the weak economy and other factors to the EU. Negative campaigning with a few "goodies" that the other parties cannot offer would be my way.
e.g. A declaration to create a sensible UK version of "fair" Human Rights might help. One does not have to spell out that this means leaving the EU.
There is so much that could be done but Farage's team do not seem to want to put in the hard yards to research the data.

Eric Edmond said...

Alan, I wholeheartedly endorse your comment. We have to make clear the link between the hardship of our working class which even Milliband now acknowledges is underpaid and the EU big business political class benefitting policies.

Free movement of capital and labour was the cardinal principle of the Treaty of Rome which set up the Common Market.

The aim then was to avoid another European war by economic integration. A very laudable aim. Note how in today's DT this is now presented by the EU elite as a need for a United States of Europe. That's how far we have slid since 1957