Clegg v Farage : April 2nd

I agree. Though its about implementing the right solutions. We all know there is a problem....

The "fag and pint" image is one that has been picked up by the press,
I just wish he would down that damned pint in one!

Farage leads a party whose main aim is to regain control over many aspects of our relationship with the EU, that is an irrefutably good idea.

In part, it is the "EU open borders", and uncontrolled immigration that are making things increasingly difficult for those with Asian wives, UKIP are the only party who aim to do something about this, do you really believe Cameron any more?

The open borders cause many other problems, my Brother in law has not been able to find work as a truck driver for years, he attends many interviews but the high level of competition caused by low wage immigration means that finding a suitable job is difficult.

I see no point in quoting paragraphs from historic outdated UKIP documents, why panic about such things John, even Farage admits that the 2010 manifesto was drivel.

That doesnt mean the solution is to leave the EU.

Can one trust Cameron? Who of them can we trust? I trust Farage least of all.

It does show, though, that Farage wishes to identify himself with the common man. And let's not forget that, unlike Cameron, Clegg and Milliband, Farage did have a Proper Job and is not a career politician.

True but single policy parties don't win elections.

Precisely! It is the unfettered migration from Europe that has caused all the problems and the scale of that migration was downplayed by the previous Labour administration to the tune of almost a half-million. Not only are these migrants taking British jobs, most seriously in the semi- and un-skilled markets but in some cases actually cost their employers money that would not otherwise need to be spent. Take the NHS and its employment of health professionals from Europe: because employers are not permitted to discriminate on the basis of language ability, the NHS Trusts are required to provide English Language training at quite some cost. That was not the case previously (prior to 2004) because the NHS could recruit from Commonwealth countries and the Philippines.

Absolutely .

In Wednesday's debate, Clegg made the outrageous claim that, were the UK to leave the EU, it would have to renegotiate some 40 agreements in order to be able to trade with the EU. Completely false! Our ability to trade with Europe derives from EFTA and is precisely the mechanism by which both Norway and Switzerland trade with the EU. It is perfectly true that we would have to conform to certain directives - eg product packaging and labelling - and that we would have no say in any new regulations. But there again China trades with the EU as does the US and neither of them have any say either. And even if we remain, in practice we have no say because of Qualified Majority voting and any proposals the UK might make are often (always) vetoed by one of our 'friends' (almost always the French).

I wonder how our right honourable Lib Dem MPs on the forum viewed the debates on TV?

UK split on EU membership - BBC poll

• The people most positive about UK membership of the EU fell into the Optimistic Contentment and Cosmopolitan Critic categories.

• Those groups most likely to vote to leave the EU were in the Comfortable Nostalgia, Hard-pressed Anxiety and Long-term Despair categories

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26892237

Sorry Kuya, I have to disagree. Many of the UK's woes do originate from Europe or rather the EU as an institution.

The real danger, as I see it, is not from any threat from Farage or Ukip forming the next government but the effect its (2010 manifesto) message is having on the present government who are running sacred and whose 2012 changes reflect the public's demand to cut immigration. Even if this, or a future, government stopped all non-EU migration, that would not be enough to satisfy many Joe Publics because the real problem is the level of EU migration.

Its good to see not only us here at BF having the Euro debate but the whole country, without Farage this would never have happened, it can only act in the public interest whatever the final outcome may be.

At the end of the day whichever party is in power they will have to do something major to curb immigration to this country, and I'm not just talking a few thousand Filipinos, its the influx of people from the old Eastern Block that needs to be curbed. I'm working at a very large plant at the moment and I have to walk into the plant passing a huge football like stream of people walking in the opposite direction to me as shifts are changed, during this walk all I can hear is the jibber jabber of many Eastern European languages. I want British people to have British jobs.
Its a load of rubbish when people say, "oh these people do the jobs we don't want to do", how were these jobs filled before the borders came down?

I don't know how the poll can put in and out voters into certain categories, if I had Comfortable Nostalgia, Hard-pressed Anxiety and Long-term Despair category I think I would have to go to see the doctor immediately

I agree. Though at the moment I am on a work permit myself.

In 2010 I was laid off in the UK after 30 years of service, while there were foreign staff on the books.

Right now I don't think Nick Clegg would be electable as a milk monitor, given all his U-turns, broken promises and his performance in the two debates. The only way he'll get to Brussels is if Cameron takes pity on him and appoints him as a Commissioner - the resting place of all failed politicians.

The Lib-Dems really need to hold an immediate leadership contest and find someone with charisma to lead their party. Vince Cable seems to be favourite but will he be forgiven for the Post Office sell-off debacle?

Interesting that the rather condemnatory article you linked to was written by a Lib-Dem!

A pint and a fag with Nigel Farage

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10739380/A-pint-and-a-fag-with-Nigel-Farage.html

Although I like a lot of the stuff he says, I feel he is like an old western town movie set, all front with nothing behind.
But time will tell.

You'd expect the Tory-supporting Daily Telegraph to portray Nigel Farage in a less than positive light in an attempt to shore-up support for the Tories in the run-up to the European Parliamentary elections. Even their former Chairman, David Davies, believes that Ukip is likely to out poll the Tories and Lib-Dems and it's a toss-up as to whether they also out poll Labour too. Given that a sizeable number of Labour supporters are, or have become, Euro-sceptic, Ukip may well come out on top.

If the pro-EU leader of the most pro-EU party in British politics loses a debate against an anti-EU opponent, moderated by Europhile and broadcast by the pro-EU BBC, then I rather think there's not much of a cogent case to be made for remaining a member!