Why Shouldn't Ukip Be Allowed To Lay A Wreath At The Cenotaph?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/617332/UKIP-cenotaph-Remembrance-Sunday-Nigel-Farage-wreath-row

[youngmafbog]

@Hypognosis

Sorry but you are going to have to explain how your post relates to mine as I just can't see the connection.

[anotheoldgit]

Hypognosis

/// Imagine you're staging an event with 700 guests.
38 of them of them want have an important aspect of your event dedicated to the glorification of them. ///

Who said anything about 'glorification' can't they possess 'National Pride' without seeking glorification?

[youngmafbog]

Mickey, once again look at the number of votes he has got for once seat.

That is the problem people are getting at.

Personally I'm with Gromit, none of them should be there. Head of State only.

[youngmafbog]

Bouncer, percentage wise you are very wrong.

Secondly Thatcher was not born with a plum in her mouth, so whats your point?

[anotheoldgit]

Bouncer33

/// My skin still crawls, at the memory of Thatcher laying a wreath there. ///

She had more right to lay a wreath for those who fell in the Falklands in the protection of British citizens, than any of those other PMs who sent our young to die in wars that we shouldn't have even been involved in.

/// The working class represent biggest part of the fallen heroes of war , and she hated the working class . ///

She was part of the Working Class, being the daughter of a grocer.

[mikey4444]

YMB...its irrelevant how many votes UKIP had...the rule is based on the number of seats won.

Personally, although I am hardly his biggest fan ( ! ) I think he should be given a place at the ceremony, but I don't make the rules. Perhaps he could stand alongside the Green Party MP ?

[youngmafbog]

I know they are the rules Mickey, I just pointed out where 'peoples' logic is coming from and how many seem to associate popularity with seats rather than votes.

Same goes for some other parties. I guess with 6 seats being the min the liberals just scraped in.

[mikey4444]

YMB...I think some kind of rule needs to be in place. As far as I am concerned, as long as a Party has at least one MP, they should be allowed to play a role this Sunday.

But if we gave the Leader of every Party that takes part in a General Election a place at this ceremony, there would be a long line of loony-tunes stretching down the Mall and up the other side !

[ichkeria]

Personally, I think any party with a member of Parliament should be allowed to lay a wreath. It seems perverse to have to fill a quota

[Hypognosis]

@AOG

//And what about the religious representation, how many votes did they get? //

I really cannot have been paying attention, year after year, as I've never noticed any religious personages laying a wreath. Holding the service and leading the prayers maybe.

You're right to point out that they've received no votes but it is a non-sequitur, as they are not a political party, which is what your own OP is about! Your entire argument is that, solely because an organisation is a political party, they suddenly deserve to squeeze themselves into the limelight at every opportunity.

Farage is on BBC Question Time about every six to eight episodes; what more publicity help do you really need?

[Hypognosis]

@youngmafbog

//@Hypognosis

Sorry but you are going to have to explain how your post relates to mine as I just can't see the connection.
//

The UK population is about 70 million; 3.8 million of them are UKIP voters. I merely converted that to 38 out of 700.

Just to give you a sense of perspective.

Put it another way: 66.2 million people did *not* vote UKIP.

To start winning seats, you've got to get support up to 20-25 million voters, for a realistic chance of a three-way split in dozens of constituencies. You are getting way ahead of yourselves in terms of self-importance.

[Svejk]

You're the one getting carried away.
///To start winning seats, you've got to get support up to 20-25 million voters///

Ha ha, dream on.

[IggyB]

I'm sure a lot of the people complaining that ukip aren't sufficiently represented with mps based on the total number of votes they polled are the same people that were dead againt proportional representation... Funny that

[Gromit]

Let's cut to the chase.

Farage is miffed because this is a televised event and would be free publicity for his party. He can lay a wreath anytime he wants when the millions of TV viewers are not tuned in. It is not about showing his respects, it is about being seen (by his adoring fans) to be showing respect.
The bottom line is that the rule about having 8 seats entitles a Party to lay a wreath, was inteoduced long before UKIP even existed.

As a side note, if the comments about Thatcher and Blair laying wreaths are representative of the public at large, then banning ALL the party leaders woyld be a pipular move.

[DTCwordfan]

There aren't enough Kippers in the House to qualify....the thought of both Farage and that pacifist merchant standing together is enough to make one realise that the country has gone to the dogs.

[Svejk]

Very pipular, grimit, very pipular, ondeed.

[Mamyalynne]

If those are the rules, then quietly and in a dignified manner, lay the wreath afterwards.

To cause a stink so close to the event does no good in my mind.


After the ceremony try and work towards a system that seems fairer for the future.

[mikey4444]

I recall taking a small party of Boy Scouts up to Town for the day, the weekend after Remembrance Sunday, about 10 years ago. They had played their usual important role on the day itself, with the Parade in their home town in Surrey.

But they had never been up the Mall before, so I took them for a walk up there, before we went to the London Eye, which was the main purpose of our outing that day. The boys were very impressed with all the wreaths, but one of them pointed out one that had BNP insignia on it !

Now that wasn't laid the previous Sunday ! If there hadn't have been a Policeman on duty at the Cenotaph, I might have been tempted to lean over the railings, pick the ruddy thing up, and shred it !

So I have no doubt that while Farage himself will not be able to leave a wreath, one will eventually be left !