UKIP in the Fens

MitchMitchell,November2013 IliveinapartofthecountryknownasFenland,coveringaclutchofsmalltownslikeChatteris,Wisbech andMarch(whereIlive).TheFenlandpeoplehaveareputationforbeingsuspiciousofoutsiders.Ive livedheresince2006buttheonlyhomesIvebeeninvitedtoarethoseofotherswhovemovedherefrom elsewhere.Soitshouldntcomeasasurprisethatantiimmigrantpoliticalpartiescanwinasignificant degreeofsupportroundhere. MytownofMarchhad15BNPmembers,accordingtothemembershiplistpublishedin2009on WikiLeaks.Nineofthemwerecategorisedasactivistsasopposedtocommonorgardenmembers. ThereweresimilarnumbersofBNPinWisbechandChatteris.ButtheBNPhasbeenintailspinsince 2009,andmanyoftheirformersupporterswillhavegonelookingforotherplaceswheretheirracism wouldbewelcome. SomeoftheyoungeroneshaveteamedupwiththeEDL.TheEastAngliandivisionwasoneofEDLs strongestunitsacoupleofyearsago,andlargertownsandcitiesintheareaKingsLynn,Peterborough haveahistoryofstrongsupportfortheNationalFront.ButolderBNPsupportersseemtohavedrifted towardsUKIP,perhapsbecausetheywerelesskeenonstreetmarchesorappearingopenlyviolent. WhenUKIPstartedlifein1994itslanguagewaslargelyantiEUanditssupportersmainlydisaffected Tories.Buttheracistswerestillthereinthebackground.UKIPs1997generalelectionmanifesto containedantiimmigrantpassages.IremembercorneringtheircandidateinPenge,whereIthenusedto live,andtellinghimthathisbackingcamefromMondayClubToriesand1970sNFsupporters.He reactedbyassuringme:SomeofourmembersareJewish. UKIPwonastrongvoteinthe2004Europeanelections,andoneoftheirnewhighprofileMEPswas RobertKilroySilk,theTVpersonalityandformerLabourMP.Butheresignedfromthepartyshortly afterwards.Untilrecentlytheyhavesincebeentreadingwaterinthepollsandweredismissedbymany: DavidCameroncalledthemfruitcakes,looniesandclosetracistsin2006. *** ButinrecentyearsUKIPhassharpenedupitsantimigrantrhetoric,whichhasprovedpopularinareas likeFenlandwithmanyEasternEuropeanpeopleworkinginagriculture.AtthelastelectionshereUKIP

unseatedToriesinWisbechandChatteris,andnowhavenineseatsonCambridgeshireCountyCouncil. PeoplegivevariousreasonsfortheincreaseinUKIPvotes.Theoldcanardaboutrebellingagainstthe establishedpartiesisfrequentlytrottedouttheyusedtosaythatabouttheBNPvotetoo.Well,maybe. Butwhy,ifthatsthecase,dontpeoplevoteGreen,orRespect,orMonsterRavingLoony?Whyvotefor theracists?Unless,ofcourse,itsnotreallyaboutrebellingatall. ItsnotjustracismeitherUKIPspartyliteraturehasalotofhomophobicmaterialtoo.Theycameout againstgaymarriage,whichbroughtthemmoresupportfromoldToriesandrabidChristiangroups. IronicallythepartysfounderAlanSked(whohaslongsinceleftthem)isanopenlygayman.Hesaysthe partyhasmovedtoofartotherightandisnowthinkingofsettingupanewleftofcentreantiEUparty. NigelFarage,UKIPscurrentleader,likestopromotehimselfasasortofgoodblokeyoudmeetinthe pub.InrealityhesamillionaireandformerstockbrokerwholefttheTorypartywhentheEUs MaastrichtTreatywassigned. HesafrequentguestonTVandradiopanelswherehegetstopeddletheusualhalftruthsandliesthat youhearfrompubbores.OnarecentQuestionTimehestartedtomouthoffaboutmigrantsjumpingthe queueforcouncilhouses.Ahousingworkerintheaudienceconfrontedhimoverthis,butFaragejust ignoredhimandblatheredonregardless. *** FaragecangetawaywiththispartlybecausetheBritishpressissokeenonpanderingtoandstokingup publicfearsaboutmigrants.ItalsohelpsthatthereissomejustificationforthefeelingthattheEUisa problem.Itis,afterall,abossesclubanditsnocoincidencethatthemostvocalinsupportforEU membershipcomesfromtheCBI.ButformostUKIPsupporterssuspicionoftheEYisblendedinwitha bigotedLittleEnglandermentalitythatopposesEuropebecauseitsforeign. ButrecentlytherehavebeensignsthatUKIPwantstoexploitanantibossesmood.UKIPsfocushas evolvedrecentlyinamoreexplicitlypopulistdirection.Oneoftheircouncillorswrotetomylocalpaper arguingvehementlyagainstthebedroomtax,pointingoutTorieswholiveinmansionswithmanyspare bedrooms. Itsimportantnottoexaggeratethesetrends.UKIParestillmostlyrailingaboutimmigration,aimingtheir bileagainstBulgariansandRomanians.Buttocounterthisbile,wehavetobepreparedtotalktopotential UKIPvoters.Manyofthemarepeoplewhotakelittleornointerestinpoliticsandneedtobetoldthe

truthabouthowUKIPhasexaggeratedorliedaboutmigrants.FarmorepeoplevoteonXFactoror StrictlyComeDancingthanvoteatcouncilorEUelections.Inthesecircumstancesfarrightpartiescan slidein.WhileIagreewithRussellBrandabouttheneedforarevolution,wehavetoworkwithinthe systemasitisatthesametimeasfightingtochangeit.