Interesting. I wonder how analogous a situation it could be to here in the US, with the GOP caving all over the place on similar issues. Watching Rubio push amnesty, Paul Ryan now endorsing gay adoption, Toomey into gun registration, etc., all I can add is that the GOP obviously no longer reflects my values nor my ideology. Not one damn bit. We need a new UKIP-like option here!
A U.S.IP?
Its difficult here but I believe it is possible and in 2016 I believe if the GOP continues to ignore the 60-70% of the party which is its conservative base while running not with conservative issues and issues that most Republicans want addressed but instead taking up Progressive Democrat issues they are going to face a rift. A true majority conservative center right party could be constructed by combining the GOP base with the remaining segment of working class conservative Democrats and conservative leaning independents. 2010 proved that there is potential for such a party to be built as did Reagan before but every time the GOP wins with that model it then retreats and pretends that it can’t win unless it embraces a more moderate tone and then of course it has lost two Presidential runs based on that unwise assumption.
I still have hope for the GOP but it is growing dimmer and if they foist another Romney on us I’m done with them. We deserve to be respected. The GOP is a majority conservative party and its leadership needs to start acting like it.
We have one. It's called kicking the damned RINOs and Democrats out of OUR party!
I think that the fundamental principle that is affecting both political systems is the same, although there are obviously big differences in detail. Essentially, for a number of reasons, politicians are becoming more and more detached from the people they are supposed to represent. They dont seek out our opinions any more: they listen to lobbyists, think tanks, focus groups, and pollsters. There is a big political dividend to be had for the people who can somehow bypass that and appeal to the public directly. In the UK UKIP is reaping the benefits of doing just that. My take it that it would be harder to do in the US, partly because your political system makes it even more difficult for a third party to emerge, but mostly because there is now a stronger tribal loyalty to the democrat or republican “brand” than there is in Britain to their equivalents.