Depressing to see most of the right wing papers pressing hard on Ed Miliband to get tough on immigrants and the EU. Worth remembering that leaving the European Union is not the number one priority of UKIP voters. Polling suggests that their main worry is the economy, followed by immigration then crime with the EU coming fourth. When jobs and social provision are scarce, populist demagogues are always going to seek to put the blame on Them rather than having to admit that the problem is actually Us and the way weve organised our economy. For example, if you listen to what UKIP supporters say when asked about their views on immigration, its clear they are angry that unscrupulous employers are undermining the ability of people to earn a decent wage by exploiting immigrants as a source of cheap labour. We dont need to leave the EU to deal with this issue. A properly enforced minimum wage would create an level playing field for workers. We need to go further by pressurising employers who can afford to pay decent wages to do so, rather than syphoning off profits into excessive bonuses. In the long term, a campaign for a living wage would benefit everyone. These measures, along with a determined crackdown on corporate tax avoidance, offer the Labour Party a better way of dealing with the threat of UKIP rather than a sudden lurch to the right that would surely alienate as many supporters as it attracts. Next weekend, the TUC are organising a mass demonstration in London to demand action on these issue. If youre wondering what to do about the rise of UKIP, attending this demo might offer you the chance to get active in the fightback.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 11:38:43 +0000
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