The UKIP effect and the Greens.

I'm not a UKIP supporter, but I have thought that there was a degree of vilification evident in the run-up to the European Elections which went well beyond the normal cut and thrust of party political and which I found quite disturbing. Many of the attacks were like the internet baiting taunts of "Nazi" and "Bigot" which are so common these days, and had little substance. No doubt UKIP has some racist elements, but no doubt all the major parties do as well.

It seems to me that the major parties have failed to address the concerns of the majority of the electorate in a variety of issues. It similarly seems pretty obvious that we currently at the back end of a rather nasty recession, which means that people do not feel affluent, and will inevitably focus their dissatisfaction on the political parties most responsible for their own plight. The amalgam of these dual issues, combined also with the problems of widespread disaffection with the integrity of politicians has led to a situation unprecedented really in British politics.

The disaffected public have turned to a new party, and a new party leader who addresses their concerns. Newsflash people, this is called "democracy" and is what we, along with the Americans, have spent so much money and effort trying to force on every other country in the world! You can't preach democracy all over the place and then get upset when people vote for a party they think represents them. If your argument is that UKIP are wrong, or lying, get out there and show that that is in fact the case. In reality, Nick Clegg challenged Nigel Farafe to a TV debate, which he then lost. How can anyone claim democracy is not being served by the rise of UKIP? Isn't the truth really that many are frightened at the thought of real democratic representation in the UK because it will mean our national xenophobia could be irrevocably pushed to the fore?

I've noticed today that lots of people complaining that the Greens are being blacklisted by the BBC. There's even a petition to "stop the BBC blackout of the Green Party", and a hashtag on Twitter: #BBCBlackout

However, it seems this is yet more anti-UKIP hyperbole. The facts are that UKIP only got extra coverage for the European Elections because of a decision by Ofcom, see their statement here.

Ofcom made the decision that due to UKIP's past performance in European Elections, in consecutively gaining over 17.3% of the vote and having substantial support in current opinion polls, they should be
added to the list of major parties in England and in Wales for the 2014 European Parliament elections.

Any Broadcaster that transmits Party Election Broadcasts (i.e BBC, ITV, C4, C5) are obliged by Ofcom to treat UKIP as a major political party during the European Elections, hence their extensive coverage on TV.

In order to change this situation, the Green Party would need to petition Ofcom to recognise them as a major political party. They would, however, be very unlikely to succeed, due to their low vote % across the country and low ratings in opinion polls.

This is called democracy.