UKIP launches election manifesto

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has made it his political mission during this campaign to launch a double pronged approach to winning votes; to woo both the disaffected Tory voters in the south of England and to entice former Labour voters in the north. He has tried to portray his party of that of the working person but also at the same time for businesses and the military.

Their manifesto promises an extra £12 billion for the NHS and they have constantly professed their love for the NHS as they try to position themselves as the party of free health care.

The Tories have ridiculed the economics of UKIP’s manifesto, saying it leaves a “£37 billion black hole.” A Tory spokesperson said, “We all know that Nigel Farage doesn't have a credible plan for Britain - he just makes it up as he goes along."

But it is their anti-immigrant stance that has both appealed and turned off voters in Britain, making UKIP very much the marmite of British politics. In their manifesto, Nigel Farage has proudly announced a ban five-year ban on unskilled immigrants residing in Britain as well as holding a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union “as soon as possible.”

Farage has also introduced an Australian-style points system to slash £9 billion from foreign aid, a policy that Labour, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats all back. But Nigel Farage knows that he must maintain the energy of his core constituents, those who want out of the European Union, those who want to massively reduce immigration in order to keep his party alive. The danger for Farage and his “serious” manifesto is that if he tries to appeal to the many whilst losing sight of what made his party popular in the first place, he risks eroding the foundations of his party for future elections and as a result he may fail to fight another day.

MW/PHX

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk