Paul Nuttall New Leader of UKIP

Paul Nuttall looks like a right wing reactionary, and may well be one

Another month, another UKIP leader.  We are all used to Nigel Farage resigning and coming back, so there is a sort of feeling that this isn't much of a story.  The BBC however are taking it very seriously giving it top of the bill on the news broadcast I am listening to.  The pitch he is taking is to take up the role of the patriotic working classes who have abandoned Labour and are now looking for a party that truly represents their views.


I don't think this is actually a viable strategy.

The white working class isn't made up of the stereotype that the Daily Express likes to make out.  There are some that do, but many more that don't.  Working class people that I know are, well, people.  Some of them are a bit dense and easily led, but most of them have a keen idea of their own interests.   Some of them are social conservatives who love the queen as much as they hate gays, but most of them have much the same views as middle class people.  Basically they are just people.

The thing that makes the working class a distinct electoral grouping is that they tend on the whole to be a bit short of cash and assets.   As a result they are very dependent on the National Health Service, social benefits in general and above all on a strong market for their labour.  They don't want to compete with low wage immigrants, so if there is a referendum that allows them to vote against immigrants without affecting the other stuff that affects them it isn't too surprising that they are tempted to take it.  But actually voting for UKIP is a much riskier prospect.

Of course if you are a right wing reactionary like Paul Nuttall at first sight appears to be, then taking votes from Labour is very appealing.   You can map out your route to power without risking splitting the right wing vote and letting the socialists in.  I just don't think the voters are going to play along with it.