The British public has spoken again, and to no one’s surprise it seems the political and media establishments are out of touch/out of step/out of order or whatever the current phrase is… its all about those famous UKIP posters.
While the Times newspaper takes its digs, and London’s chattering classes spit out mouthfuls of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in disgust, the majority of the British public agrees with Nigel Farage: the posters are ‘a hard-hitting reflection of reality’.
The news comes from a YouGov poll released today, which asked whether – as the media would have you believe – the posters paid for by UKIP donor Paul Sykes are ‘racist’. Fifty-nine percent of Britons said “No”, they’re not racist, while 34 percent thought they were. Presumably the same 30-odd percent that Nick Clegg commanded in his debates against Nigel Farage last month.
Asked if the posters were offensive or ignorant, 53 percent said no, while 39 percent said yes.
Fifty-seven percent of British voters agreed with Farage’s claim that the posters reflected a ‘hard-hitting reflection of reality’, while only 35 percent disagreed. Lastly, when asked if they supported UKIP’s messaging, 50 percent of the British public said yes, while 41 percent said no.
The truth is that the Westminster establishment finds itself increasingly out of touch with the majority of Britons. Think tankers, MPs, editors and commentators alike all find themselves on the wrong side of public approval time and time again. So when will they learn?
Probably never. But its nice to rub their noses in it, isn’t it?
Follow Raheem Kassam on Twitter: @RaheemJKassam