Saturday 24 May 2014

Letter 131: Who let foxy old Farage in the hen house, Dave? Look in the mirror, Dave.



"Dear Dave,
Now voting is over, I hear that you're trying to shift the country's attention to growth. Unsurprising, considering the Coalition has lost 13 councils and 426 seats, whilst Labour's gained 5 councils and 339 seats. Like many, I was revolted by that pernicious UKIP election campaign. It was intentionally divisive and misleading - but it's not just UKIP that's played on people's fears, is it? I'm tempted to ask: do you ever wonder if the drip, drip, drip of ugly dog whistle politics (including that of your "go home vans") has backfired on you? Were I a Westminster politician, I'd be alarmed that turnout is so low. I'd also be shamed that the electorate's trust is diminished to such a degree that UKIP can grab so much media and voter attention despite it's vote falling from 23% to 17%. But who let the fox in the hen house? Dog whistle politics in the Westminster Bubble has helped build a platform for UKIP. Instead of saying that you "share their pain" on immigration, maybe it's time to cut the tough talk. Just admit that both the EU and immigrants contribute more than they could ever detract from the UK and elevate the quality of your political debate.

Yours, etc"