[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

Just caught up reading the posts on this thread, some good comments by Joeysteele who talks more sense than a lot of Politicians.

I think UKIP are the protest vote party for a variety of reasons not just a knee jerk reaction to percieved mass immigration.

More a general protest vote by voters of all main parties who are fed up with their party's leaders performance ie Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband and their Party's performance since the last election.

I still think the abscence of any referendum on Britains future in Europe is still the major factor for UKIP's success and I think given similar voting sentiments in other European Country's the leaders of the Govt's in these main European Countries may seek to open a debate on the future of the European Project.

Failure now to address this issue could cause some of these major political parties to lose huge numbers of votes to right and far right parties across Europe.

Thank you very much Nedusa for your comment at the start of your post.

You raise an important point as to a referendum.
I myself didn't want a referendum on the UK as to the EU and if there were one, I would vote to stay in all the way.

I do however now think you are 100% right, I agree the absence of a referendum is likely in the main, the reason for UKIP's success.
I am now persuaded that there should be one with no excuses for not having one either once in Govt.

I believe the problem with the Conservative promise of a referendum is that voters do not believe David Cameron will deliver one. He is not trusted to deliver it.
He was only provisionally afforded support and trust,being the leader of the largest party, in 2010 by the voters and it saw them leaving him well short of absolute control. I believe he will not get absolute control again in 2015 as he is a leader also not now trusted as to his word.

Which is why I have said, and now would like to see, Ed Miliband help lance this boil too by saying he would too support a referendum and also hold one if he won power in 2015.
If they are serious about giving the voters what they want and are really listening, then that for me is the only way forward and the only way to deal effectively with the EU issue.
You have it spot on Nedusa I would say now, there needs to be a referendum on the issue.

I personally would hope that the UK would vote to stay in.
Whatever the result however of it, thenwhat it does is it removes at a stroke the status and need for UKIP in the main.
If the vote was to come out then UKIP's work is done.
If the vote is to stay in then UKIP have been soundly defeated by the voters.

With both David Cameron and Ed Miliband, if it comes about, agreeing to hold a referendum whoever wins, then maybe, just maybe we can have an election campaign in 2015 on the issues that really matter most.
The economy, welfare, employment,Education and my own main issue the NHS and even immigration.
Instead of having a campaign dominated by the EU that will come across as childishly pathetic, dividing the country and opening up even more doors for parties like UKIP to walk through.

As for Nick Clegg, the Lib Dems just will not get the message that the voters are angry with him and them for the things they have given support to, not because they joined a coalition with the Conservatives.

It is the betrayal of trust from Nick Clegg and co. against the voters who voted Lib Dem that is behind their unpopularity.
That is the reason I hope Nick Clegg stays as leader, he definitely should again face the voters in 2015 and let them give him and his party their verdict on them.
He has made them wait the full 5 years to be able to do so,while having his own new nice little status promotion of the title of Deputy PM.