Christi Frost, Emma Lind

1. Christi Frost, Emma Lind Generally identified as a Euroskeptic, conservative, and populist right-wing party. Identify themselves as “a libertarian, non-racist party seeking Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.” Nigel FarageMEP – Party Leader as of Nov. 2010

2. Context • Founded Sept. 3, 1993 at the London School of Economics by members of the Anti-Federalist League largely to gain back freedoms and leave EU • Popularity has increased over the years • Longevity seemed assured in ‘01 when it won the most seats at the Gen. Election • 2nd in ‘09 European Election (beat Labor Party) • 4th most popular party nationally as of ’10 • Has developed unique policies for Britain’s independence & regeneration • Shifted entire national political debate towards re-establishment of independence • Electoral outing statistics: • ’94: 24 candidates yielded 157K votes • ’10: 557 candidates, 918K votes • Currently: • Faces the challenge of modernizing while building on its electoral success • Continues to be the lone mainstream party advocating UK withdrawal from EU • Youth wing: • Youth Independence – promote a more domestic agenda, focusing in particular on youth issues and the expansion/use of party policy in campaigns and election (18-35)

3. Party Platform • Used to be viewed as a single-issue party (even though they have a full manifesto), but that damaged their electoral progress, Farage initiated wide-ranging policy review in response • Leaving the EU is central to their manifesto, which would lead to their ability to regain 3 “essential freedoms”: • Freedom of Action (UK controls its own borders without having to go through EU – will save their national post offices, factories, etc.) • Freedom of Resources (£16.4 billion/year in cash goes to EU, £45 million/day; want that money to stay in UK instead) • Freedom of People (real power returning to British citizens, restrict immigration) • Economic platform: • 31% flat tax, reducing everyone’s taxes, raise tax threshold to £11,500, therefore not taxing minimum wage • Eliminate quango mountain (“quango”= quasi nongovernmental organization)  reduced UK debt • Want to aid local businesses (ex: pub policy) • 1 mill new skilled in a 5-pt public works program • Will provide defense equipment, nuclear power stations, flood and coastal protection, transport infrastructure including high-speed rail lines, & new prisons • Prevent foreign interests from gaining control of strategic British companies, release Britons from 120K EU laws • Law/Crime: • Locally elected County Police Boards (freedom of the people, more power to the voters) • Zero tolerance on crime, strict adherence to court sentences • “3 strikes and you’re out!” to lock up criminals for good • Make policing more local as to reduce corruption and get more citizens involved  actually get things done • Immigration: *This is where they receive much of their criticism • End uncontrolled immigration, measures such as immediate 5 yr “freeze” on permanent settlement, stop foreign criminals from entereing country, time-limited work permits, triple staff for UK Borders Agency controlling immigration (10k30K) • End abuse of UK asylum system and expel Islamic extremists • Military: • Boost the military budget by 40% so our armed forces are properly equipped • Expand Royal Navy, expand Army by 25% • Healthcare: • Reduce corruption in NHS and make county health boards • Run NHS better in general

4. Education: • Encourage proper schooling – solid educational base, schools for those with learning disabilities, allow for vouchers to choose between state and private schools, student grants reintroduced • Welfare: • Simplify complicated welfare system which currently has more than 70 benefits, aiding (among others) families by compiling separate benefits into one very helpful benefit • UK benefits only available to 5 year + residents • Foreign Affairs: • Continue free trade with other European countries even though want to leave EU, no jobs are predicted to be lost • Establish a Commonwealth Free Trade Area for other member countries they still want to trade with • Promote democracy, genuine human rights and free determination around the world • Environmental: • Nuclear power & clean coal to avert impending crisis • Opposed to wind farms • “Establish a Royal Commission to determine the truth about man-made global warming” LOL • Try to be more environmentally aware w electric cars and improved recycling • Transport: • Invest an extra £3 bill per annum in road/railway systems • Introduce 3 new high-speed rail lines, and re-open some lines closed by Beeching • Shelve plans for the sixth Heathrow terminal and third runway in favor of a Thames Estuary airport • Institute parking charges and revenue-raising devices, ex: speed cameras to improve democratic control • Housing: • Make more efficient, save money, decisions on a more local scale • The Constitution and Governing: • Give British public a right to binding local and national referenda on major issues  • Introduce proportional representation into national and local elections. • Abolish layers of regional government • Give voters a right of recall over corrupt MPs, enabling them to force by-elections • “Britishness”/Culture: • End support for multiculturalism and promote one shared British culture for all • Ban the burka and veiled niqab in public buildings and certain private buildings • Require UK schools to teach Britain’s contribution to the world and celebrate cultures, languages and traditions from around the British Isles • Do away with political correctness in public affairs • Food: • Help farmers to make money w fair prices from supermarket chains, raise animal welfare standards • Fishing: • Withdraw immediately from Common Fisheries Policy, take back control of British waters up to 200 nautical miles from the UK, ”These are our fish.” • Return £2.5 billion per annum in fish sales to UK economy