MEP Elections

[Tangled up in Blue]

They have more of the appeal of BNP than the Greens and BNP never managed parliament. BNP were more community based than UKIP but probably have a better structure as they are mainly ex Tories that are running the party. Voters are always capable of doing the unexpected but I just think that with the focus in one or two dangerous seats those against would be better organised.

I sincerely hope you're right but IMO it would be unwise to underestimate UKIP and regard them as no more significant than the BNP as a political force on the British right.

 

[Uncle Leo]

I sincerely hope you're right but IMO it would be unwise to underestimate UKIP and regard them as no more significant than the BNP as a political force on the British right.

They're definitely a bigger concern than the BNP, but the more exposure they get, the more their absurdity is brought in to light.

 

[Pubey]

Sorry for the copy and paste but away with work so just on my phone. This email came around my work which I thought was interesting and well considered. The VC has never struck me as a 'leftie bedwetter' and so I think his thoughts on the matter are pretty interesting. It'd be good to get some more public views from the centre and right on UKIP.

It is not every day that Sheffield is the top story on the national news. But this week was different. Standing next to a controversial billboard, the leader of the UK Independence Party Nigel Farage chose our city-centre to launch his party's European election campaign.

Sheffield was chosen partly as the constituency of a pro-European Deputy Prime-Minister. But UKIP is also seeking to shift from its historic roots in the Tory south to reach out to northern voters who used to support Labour. Nigel Farage drove the point home:
"We're in Sheffield. We are some distance away from the Westminster political elite. And there might be one or two of you here that went to Eton and Oxford and did PPE and became researchers, but my guess is that most of you actually will be real people, doing real jobs, who want to bring up their families and be proud to be British."

The message was meant for more than the people of Sheffield. This language of national identity and 'pride' has a powerful appeal felt across British politics. Indeed there are Farage-type political figures all over Europe. But flags are emotive symbols. We have to be careful what they stand for.

I've been reading this week about the ideas of 'Homeland' in History, so important to us all from any part of the world. What I'm learning makes me reflect on how we can sometimes use our perceptions of what we are to exclude others from our 'family'. We are particularly vulnerable to these ways of thinking in times of stress and fear.

I have also been reflecting on the importance of the scholars at Sheffield who work to understand the formation of states, languages and our identities. But it is not only our academics who have seen this coming and who question the terms of the debate. It is also our students, who bring with them the experience and insights of over 100 countries - and remind us that we must never be complacent on issues of identity.

Our University is a place which speaks up for and welcomes our proudly international community. Our home students, overseas students and staff are telling those who may be wary of migration even for education that 'We are all international students.' They are saying loud and clear that they will 'stand by' their friends and colleagues from other countries.

I am deeply proud of our Sheffield students, who are determined to build on what binds us together, rather than what separates us. Our #weareinternational campaign has the support of over 100 universities and institutions such as the British Council and the Confederation of British Industry. We have not stayed silent at a time when we needed to speak up for a better vision of what it means to be a University, proud both to be in the UK and rooted in the well-being of the citizens of Sheffield.

Without in any way diminishing genuine concerns over real issues, the politicians and pundits who come to Sheffield need reminding of other home truths. We can demonstrate that international students for example contribute 10% of the city's inward investment. If they were to leave - as well as leaving our university and our lives so much the poorer - it would be jobs and incomes in Sheffield not Westminster which would be lost. And it is not only spending power. Immigrants start 1 in 7 companies in the UK and vital opportunities and work are created by our global universities, which train the students who serve as doctors in our hospitals, who are part of the research groups which develop world-leading innovation.

We are in a position of privilege which comes from working alongside colleagues from other countries every day. I have a global family of Science colleagues who I admire deeply and I remain an international student of Physics. But there are other aspects of what I am. I am - by adoption - now a proud Yorkshire man. I am proud to have been born and raised in Rhondda Valley - a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. Proud of my Scots name and heritage. Proud to be a citizen of the European Union.

Yet we must all be careful of the images of home which sit alongside our personal flags or badges of identity. We need to stay aware of what or who we might unwittingly exclude and at what cost. We need to stay open to the knowledge and experience which may reside in someone different from ourselves, or in the unique combination of strengths only released when we blend our insights.

Our International Officer Alex Kohnert gave a wonderful speech at our recent House of Commons event, in which he expressed this thought powerfully to the wide range of politicians of all parties who attended.

"We are literally changing lives. When you bring students to new places, to learn, to study, to grow as people, you change the direction of their future. And when they go back to their countries, you change the direction of countries.

"The transformational power of education is without parallel in the world. These issues don't just matter to international students, they matter to students from the UK too. No one person or country in this modern world can afford to be an island. We are one community. So we are standing by our international students, and we are willing to fight for them when they are challenged."

Nigel Farage claims his campaign is making the 'chattering classes' outraged because he dares to speak the truth. But Alex's voice was every bit as direct and moving as that of an experienced political orator and it needed to be heard in the halls of Westminster. It also sought to break through barriers to speak truth to power. I wish everyone could have been there to see the impact of his heartfelt words on those having to make difficult political decisions.

Yesterday we headed back to London. On behalf of our students and staff, I Chaired a meeting in Downing Street alongside other University Vice-Chancellors deeply committed to UK universities as a place of global exchange and understanding.

Our University is undertaking this work inspired by our shared values. It is our hope that we might inform public policy and support a better story about what it means to be proudly British - and we know this will be a good thing not only for universities, but also for this country.

Professor Sir Keith Burnett
Vice-Chancellor

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

From Pubey's post: We can demonstrate that international students for example contribute 10% of the city's inward investment. If they were to leave - as well as leaving our university and our lives so much the poorer - it would be jobs and incomes in Sheffield not Westminster which would be lost. And it is not only spending power. Immigrants start 1 in 7 companies in the UK

if these stats are correct they are worth highlighting

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

I sincerely hope you're right but IMO it would be unwise to underestimate UKIP and regard them as no more significant than the BNP as a political force on the British right.

Hope Not Hate are the people to contact for anyone that wants to be active - they are out and about leafleting from this weekend onwards for the Euro's but for the general election they will swamp any area where UKIP put up candidates to make sure the turn out is much higher than usual.

 

[Uncle Leo]

I liked this

https://twitter.com/mrdaveturner/status/461130480352755712/photo/1

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

I liked this

https://twitter.com/mrdaveturner/status/461130480352755712/photo/1

Inspiring!

 

[MK Shrimper]

Inspiring!

This man agrees...

 

[Pubey]

Such a ****ing helmet, great work by the guy in the background

 

[londonblue]

This man agrees...

That is priceless!

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

The Greens managed it after successes in local government and good showings in previous Euro polls.

Who's to say that UKIP can't target one or more parliamentary seats successfully?:scared:

What is the vote in Spain likely to lean towards?

 

[Benfleet A1]

Hope Not Hate are the people to contact for anyone that wants to be active - they are out and about leafleting from this weekend onwards for the Euro's but for the general election they will swamp any area where UKIP put up candidates to make sure the turn out is much higher than usual.

Would that be the same Hope Not Hate who highlight their leaflet campaign with darts thrown into a UKIP and BNP rosset. Very unhateful.

Would that be the same Nick Lowles of Searchlight fame who used to enjoy putting peoples names and addresses in print and all over the Searchlight website yet when Redwatch returned the compliment Mr Lowles scampered off to the police claiming his life was under threat.

And of course that would be the Hope Not Hate that by it's own websites admission, has absolutely no evidence that UKIP has any affliations with any right wing extremist groups in this country or any other. Yet they still seem to think it's a good idea to chuck some mud and see what they hit.

And that is more dangerous than anything UKIP has ever suggested.

 

[Benfleet A1]

This man agrees...

Now you be sure to pop up one of those when some halfwit manages to walk behind Cameron, Milliband or Clegg. Assuming they can walk behind them forgoing their security.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Would that be the same Hope Not Hate who highlight their leaflet campaign with darts thrown into a UKIP and BNP rosset. Very unhateful.

You on UKIP imagery of a burning Union Jack:

No, I do not think burning the Union Flag or any other flag [except the one I tourched at Aldershot many years ago ] acceptable. It is simply a statement pointing out that the EU has too much power over this and every other country in Europe. And as you very well know, it is a computer generated image, there was never any flag burning going on in the first place.

How could you be precious about a rosette? You know it was a computed generated image?

 

[Uncle Leo]

Now you be sure to pop up one of those when some halfwit manages to walk behind Cameron, Milliband or Clegg. Assuming they can walk behind them forgoing their security.

A while ago, but it has happened...

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Would that be the same Hope Not Hate who highlight their leaflet campaign with darts thrown into a UKIP and BNP rosset. Very unhateful.

Would that be the same Nick Lowles of Searchlight fame who used to enjoy putting peoples names and addresses in print and all over the Searchlight website yet when Redwatch returned the compliment Mr Lowles scampered off to the police claiming his life was under threat.

And of course that would be the Hope Not Hate that by it's own websites admission, has absolutely no evidence that UKIP has any affliations with any right wing extremist groups in this country or any other. Yet they still seem to think it's a good idea to chuck some mud and see what they hit.

And that is more dangerous than anything UKIP has ever suggested.

I have subscribed to Searchlight for about 10 years - they photograph far right demos and name the people in them, they have never provided the home addresses of any of these people. Redwatch have provided names and addresses of left wingers and trade unionists and encouraged the readers of the site to 'use' the information. There have been incidents where the information has been used and people's homes have been attacked.

There is no suggestion that UKIP are affiliated with any extreme right wing parties. There was debates within Hope Not Hate about if UKIP fell into their remit. The debate became fairly academic when UKIP switched their focus to immigration and started using distorted figures and claims in their literature that creates a baseless distrust of foreign nationals. If UKIP stated facts then the anti racist movement would leave them alone.

UKIP is largely made up of ex Tories not ex BNP but they will take a lot of BNP votes because they now use the same language. They might have more legitimate origins than BNP but the language they use has the same result.

 

[Benfleet A1]

You on UKIP imagery of a burning Union Jack:

No, I do not think burning the Union Flag or any other flag [except the one I tourched at Aldershot many years ago ] acceptable. It is simply a statement pointing out that the EU has too much power over this and every other country in Europe. And as you very well know, it is a computer generated image, there was never any flag burning going on in the first place.

How could you be precious about a rosette? You know it was a computed generated image?

Precious about a rosette, no. I'm more concerned by the fact that Hope Not Hate are a trade union and national newspaper funded organisation which has decided to instigate a campaign of hostility against a legitimate political party for no other reason than they happen to disagree with their views. And before you start, saying Farage and UKIP are racist just because you can does not make it so.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

The BNP party political 4 minute broadcast on TV tonight was shameful and ridiculous: the tragedy is that some will listen AND believe the stuff being peddled.

 

[Shrimper]

Did anyone see the BNP PEB earlier? :hilarious:

 

[Benfleet A1]

The BNP party political 4 minute broadcast on TV tonight was shameful and ridiculous: the tragedy is that some will listen AND believe the stuff being peddled.

I never saw it, and have long thought the BNP are both shameful and ridiculous.