Attraction by results!

Posted 7 Nov 2010 by Walaa Idris

Nigel Farage on Sky today, likening his party to the Tea Party Movement (TPM), is interesting to say the least – did we see it coming, maybe not – but when an idea succeeds it’s following always increases.

Is there an apatite for something similar in the UK? Let’s examine the facts.

First of all, Farage is not the first person to consider something similar. Dan Hannan, the Conservative MEP tried something similar earlier this year but then the TPM was still an untested idea trailed by a bunch of gun waving Middle Americans at the time – add to that, Labour was then, trying to paint Hannan as the NHS hater Tory, who dissed our national treasure in the USA on Fox News of all places!

Secondly, the basic similarities between the TPM and UKIP are already there, both advocate small government, less interference from the center and low taxation’s, both are pro nationalism (anti Europe in UKIP’s case) and they are both eccentric!

Thirdly, who can UKIP attract? There is disaffected Tories for starts, then moderate members of far right groups plus everything else in between.

However, there is a big difference between the two, the TPM is a branch of the Republican Party, a catalyst used by Republicans to reshape the GOP and that’s a huge difference and a very big deal. While the TPM had most of its financial support from Republican endorsers, TPM candidates that won in these midterms are GOP members, UKIP has nothing to do with the Conservative Party.

4 comment(s)

Brian Moylan

Brian Moylan
7 Nov, 15:21

Let’s be fair, UKIP are your tea party :)

Shay Riley

Shay Riley
7 Nov, 17:43

Slow down there, Walaa. The tea party movement is “eccentric”? Perhaps in Britain. Back in the spring, I attended a tea party event in Chicago, which had a couple of thousand of folks. I saw moms with strollers, Grandma and Grandpa types, the usual Ron Paul supporters complaining about the Federal Reserve, even a few other black folks (there were significantly more Asians and Hispanics than blacks at the event). It was a mix of folks, but I saw not one gun-waver (and even if gun-wavers had been there, that is part of American culture. Gun ownership is all-American. For example, I grew up in a gun-owning Democratic household). Nor have the many folks who I know who’ve attended tea party events elsewhere in the country.

I can only recall reading three situations of gun-waving folks protesting the president. One was a legal protest outside D.C. that was specifically about our Second Amendment rights. Another was a black guy in Arizona who legally carried his guns to protest President Obama’s appearance in his state. The third was a white guy in New Hampshire who legally did the same in his state (President Obama favors gun control). And none of those events, if my memory is correct (but I could be wrong here), was a Tea Party event.

Some 40% of U.S. voters identify with the movement’s goals. That is the same percentage of Americans who self-identify as conservative (compared to only 20% who self-identify as liberal). Given the recent election results, I wouldn’t call it fringe like the UKIP (whose general goals I tend to favor) currently is in Britain. The UKIP has a long way to go to be comparable.

Walaa

Walaa
8 Nov, 10:04

Brain, of course you would say that ;-))

Shay, you are right that is how the majority in Britain see it – and many still don’t understand it – personally, I have no trouble understanding TPM’s rise or the causes it is fighting – hope that was clear in the post.

As for the gun waving thing – that’s how some here see the movement. The BBC did a one hour http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00vv3pl/This_World_20102011_Tea_Party_America/ check it out if you didn’t do already.

John Hill

John Hill
8 Nov, 11:40

Walaa,

I saw the documentary – very much not what I witnessed in the States last month.

We need a strong Tea Party in the Conservative party to keep the focus on small government and reform of he public sector. DC is doing an excellent job, but photographer gate is just stupid.

The Civil service will corrupt – we need pressure from outside the government and it’s machine just to keep the centre honest

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