Nigel Farage will never get the credit he deserves for saving British democracy. For those of you who voted Leave, you will likely remember the dark days of early 2019 when Theresa May delayed Brexit and it looked like anti-Brexit MP’s could form a majority to reverse it through a parliamentary coup. I can’t speak for others but I was seething at these MP’s and privately thought them traitors to their country and fellow citizens. If they got their way, I was prepared to vote for the most hardline, extreme right wing party I could find on the ballot paper. They could have had a manifesto commitment to line these MP’s up against a wall and have them shot and I would have voted for them.
Fortunately, Nigel Farage stepped in with his Brexit Party and provided us with a moderate alternative in the nick of time. I and millions of others voted for that wonderful party resulting in May being removed from office and more hesitant MP’s to line up behind their manifesto commitment to take us out of the EU. Democracy worked and was saved in this country by Farage. His critics owe him a huge debt.
I couldn’t watch the news for 6 months during that period – it was just too difficult seeing anti-democratic forces taking over parliament.
Matt M
1 year ago
Looks to me like the anti-democratic sentiment drops off pretty sharpish once people get past 40 (the grey 45-54 line pretty much follows the yellow 55+ lines). Isn’t this just a rehash of those who aren’t socialists at 20 have no heart, those that are at 50 have no brain?
I imagine people are also more likely to vote when they get older so become more invested in the democratic process. Young people has this bad habit of not voting.
Steve Elliott
1 year ago
I was struck by the difference between Nigel Farage and XR. Nigel Farage had an agenda. He formed a party, made speeches, got votes and made a difference, democratically. XR by contrast are an anti-democratic group of bullies. There was a photo of XR protesters in the house of commons glued to speaker’s chair. They had a poster which said “Citizens Assembly Now”. Isn’t that what we call Parliament?
Steve Elliott
1 year ago
Nigel Farage is a hero. They ought to give him a knighthood or peerage.
Billy Bob
1 year ago
So the generation that came of age around the time of the credit crunch, who have endured stagnant wages, insecure gig economy employment, large student debts, rocketing rents and falling home ownership rates due to soaring prices are most likely to favour a change to the system. Whereas the older cohort who enjoyed high home ownership rates, much more secure employment and more generous pension schemes and who have seen their pension and wealth protected via the triple lock are much more likely to favour the status quo?
Who’d have thunk it!
Bull… those us who are now in the older categories grew up in an era of massive unemployment & inflation. We endured the fuel crisis which is remarkably similar to the current gas crisis
don’t tell me we had it easy and the youth of today is hard done by
Judy Englander
1 year ago
And they want to give sixteen year olds the vote.
Rob
1 year ago
We don’t support democracy because it is effective. It is rarely a good form of government and will rarely be as ‘good’ as a good dictator. The problem with ‘good’ dictators is getting enough support to get power and that they very rarely stay good for long.
Democracy is an acceptance that it will likely be rubbish but nothing like as bad as a dictator will probably be.
As Churchill said ‘democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’
odd taff
1 year ago
I’m quite disturbed by the twenty five percent in my age bracket who favour a strong leader over Parliament. No fool like an old fool.
Richard Barrett
1 year ago
I see no problem with the politics of Jean-Luc Melenchon. I would certainly vote for his party if I lived in France.
Nigel Farage will never get the credit he deserves for saving British democracy. For those of you who voted Leave, you will likely remember the dark days of early 2019 when Theresa May delayed Brexit and it looked like anti-Brexit MP’s could form a majority to reverse it through a parliamentary coup. I can’t speak for others but I was seething at these MP’s and privately thought them traitors to their country and fellow citizens. If they got their way, I was prepared to vote for the most hardline, extreme right wing party I could find on the ballot paper. They could have had a manifesto commitment to line these MP’s up against a wall and have them shot and I would have voted for them.
Fortunately, Nigel Farage stepped in with his Brexit Party and provided us with a moderate alternative in the nick of time. I and millions of others voted for that wonderful party resulting in May being removed from office and more hesitant MP’s to line up behind their manifesto commitment to take us out of the EU. Democracy worked and was saved in this country by Farage. His critics owe him a huge debt.
I couldn’t watch the news for 6 months during that period – it was just too difficult seeing anti-democratic forces taking over parliament.
Looks to me like the anti-democratic sentiment drops off pretty sharpish once people get past 40 (the grey 45-54 line pretty much follows the yellow 55+ lines). Isn’t this just a rehash of those who aren’t socialists at 20 have no heart, those that are at 50 have no brain?
I imagine people are also more likely to vote when they get older so become more invested in the democratic process. Young people has this bad habit of not voting.
I was struck by the difference between Nigel Farage and XR. Nigel Farage had an agenda. He formed a party, made speeches, got votes and made a difference, democratically. XR by contrast are an anti-democratic group of bullies.
There was a photo of XR protesters in the house of commons glued to speaker’s chair. They had a poster which said “Citizens Assembly Now”. Isn’t that what we call Parliament?
Nigel Farage is a hero. They ought to give him a knighthood or peerage.
So the generation that came of age around the time of the credit crunch, who have endured stagnant wages, insecure gig economy employment, large student debts, rocketing rents and falling home ownership rates due to soaring prices are most likely to favour a change to the system. Whereas the older cohort who enjoyed high home ownership rates, much more secure employment and more generous pension schemes and who have seen their pension and wealth protected via the triple lock are much more likely to favour the status quo?
Who’d have thunk it!
Bull… those us who are now in the older categories grew up in an era of massive unemployment & inflation. We endured the fuel crisis which is remarkably similar to the current gas crisis
don’t tell me we had it easy and the youth of today is hard done by
And they want to give sixteen year olds the vote.
We don’t support democracy because it is effective. It is rarely a good form of government and will rarely be as ‘good’ as a good dictator. The problem with ‘good’ dictators is getting enough support to get power and that they very rarely stay good for long.
Democracy is an acceptance that it will likely be rubbish but nothing like as bad as a dictator will probably be.
As Churchill said ‘democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’
I’m quite disturbed by the twenty five percent in my age bracket who favour a strong leader over Parliament. No fool like an old fool.
I see no problem with the politics of Jean-Luc Melenchon. I would certainly vote for his party if I lived in France.
Put the monarchy back in charge.
Yes indeed Prince Charles would be an ideal dictator! Er…you were joking weren’t you?
No. The system we have now does not work. At all.