Isabel Hardman at the Telegraph owned Spectator Coffee House blog on the UKIP street event in Croydon (I doubt if the fragrant Ms H would ever go further south of the river than a Clapham dinner party – it looks as if she “commented”…)
Ukip’s we’re-not-racist ethnic minority carnival in Croydon always looked as though it was going to provide plenty of material for sketchwriters and critics. It was another attempt by the party to showcase its non-white members and candidates, with local candidate Winston McKenzie on hand too.
The event did not go as planned, apparently, so UKIP could learn lessons from the Tories
The Conservatives have become increasingly control-freakish about their big campaign days, excluding the press in favour of selected broadcasters so that the party can stage manage every moment as much as it possibly can.
The Tory party “stage manages every moment as much as it possibly can”……which is exactly why it has become less like a political movement and more like a corporate PR show where the audience is as much part of the stage managed presentation as BGT. UKIP is a living, vibrant force of nature driven by an enthusiastic membership – sometimes shambolic, always passionate – the equivalent spirit of a village fete. This might be the reason that it retains a certain measure of popularity.
Secondly, and sadly, Ms Hardman has had months during which she could have visited Croydon and met up with Winston McKenzie and other black Croydonians and asked them why they supported UKIP…you know, Ms H, do an actual bit of shoeleather journalism. But no, you would much rather pop down there and mock Mr McKenzie and his friends……indeed there is almost a hint of a sub text here, y’know, coconuts, Uncle Toms, stoogesw…real black men and women or Sikhs or Hindus or Moslems would never support UKIP
A shallow, cheap and patronising piece of hackery….
