One of the things the Tories need to do in order to hold on to power is to convince those considering voting Ukip in the General Election that it is safer to back the Tories instead. To that end, David Cameron yesterday told a campaign event that he hoped such voters would return to the Tories so that Labour wouldn’t have a chance of putting the recovery at risk. He said:
‘Come with us, come back home to us rather than risk all of this good work being undone by Labour.’
Labour said this was further evidence that the Tories and Ukip were preparing to work together. But Ukip’s response gets it right, with Nigel Farage saying:
‘Neither former Labour nor Conservative voters who have switched to UKIP are going back. They’ve found a new, more authentic home, one in which they don’t get roundly abused by their hosts.’
The trouble with the phrase ‘come home’ is that it contais a rather complacent assumption that voters have a natural home and that that home is the Conservatibe party, rather than the party having to compete for votes. This assumption about people ‘belonging’ to a party led to voters turning from the Tories to Ukip, and has led to Labour thrashing around in panic in Scotland as it realises that it’s voters aren’t its voters any more.
Comments