The white working class: a political football.

In recent days the likes of Hazel Blears and The Telegraph have come out and pointed that the white working class feel mistreated and unheard.

Of course this topic of debate was triggered in the Westminster Village the same way as most discussion seems to be nowadays - via a report. There was a time when the findings of this report would have been common sense, when the term "white working class" was actually a decent description of some Labour MPs, and indeed when Tory MPs from humble beginnings like David Davis also had a degree of say. Unfortunately Parliament seems to be crammed with those who have either been to private, grammar or independent schools. Indeed we look set to have both an Eton-educated London Mayor and an Eton-educated Prime Minister. That can't be right. This, while at the same time, none of the BigThree advocate the national revival of grammar schools, the only educational system which gives all working class kids the opportunity of a decent standard of education. Just to highlight the level of support for this system, a YouGov poll in 2007 revealed than 49% of respondents saw a system based around the 11 plus exam system as the best way to produce the best education for most children, with the next highest option coming in at just 20% (and that was “don’t know”).

That is not to say that those from well-off backgrounds and who are well educated do not have their place in Parliament. Far from it. But a Parliament and more specifically, an accomplished party and government must have representatives driving policy from all backgrounds who are a wealth of different real life experiences. That is the key to this entire recent flare-up. It is fine and dandy for Hazel Blears to point out that how much of the white working class feel. Yet after some timid debate between the BigThree, no real options will be put forward to solve the feeling of resentment which is starting to spill over into political extremism. Instead the issue will merely be used as a political football with point scoring taking place as Brown and Cameron seek to prove that their party really understands and would really change things. In reality, neither will, as this issue is somewhat controversial and requires decisive thinking that is radically apart from anything that Brown or Cameron want to be associated with. I admit it is easy to throw stones on such issues, so I shall list three proposals I would put forward as a white working class man myself in order to ease the feeling of anger among the white working class:

-Stop unlimited EU immigration. In the past few years it is estimated that over 1,000,000 citizens have come to the UK from Poland alone. I myself have worked with many of them. They are honest and incredibly hard working people. I would advocate a points based work permit system which would let a workforce into the UK which the UK economy required. This is a system used by Australia and when my cousin recently went to go and work over there, he had to prove himself a useful addition to the country to be let in on a one year visa. He will regularly have to re-apply to extend his stay, and if the economic situation means that my cousin is putting an Australian citizen out of work, the government can refuse his visa and request he leave. That is not racism, it is common sense. Of course, this can only be achieved by the UK re-establishing her borders, which means withdrawal from the European Union.

-The re-introduction of grammar schools for inner city kids to work towards getting into. The lowest achieving demographic in England academically, aside from children from the travelling community, are now working class white boys and white girls. This has gone on relatively unmentioned in the political mainstream but is a reality which highlights not just family background and criminal culture, but the poor standard of education in many predominantly white areas. There are massive problems for non-white youngsters too of course, but remember I'm talking about addressing the concerns of the white working class exclusively here.

-Political correctness must be destroyed. There are several ways of doing this, none of them very drastic at all. Top of the list of priorities, the white working class must feel free to flaunt their identity if they wish. They must feel they can be proud to be British and display a Union Jack on their window without being associated with neo-Nazis. Unfortunately the far-right have infected British politics as they are seen by a growing section of the white working class as the only group who are patriotic and stand up for the flag. These people are in fact racist but hide their prejudices and play off of people's fears. There is no grand conspiracy among the non-white or non-British community in the UK. Many non-white people are proud to be British and have the exact same concerns about immigration as whites do - but certain presumptions have stopped inter-racial communication to a devastating level in some areas of the country. The last time I went to Birmingham white, black and asian cabbies alike all had the Union Jack displayed on the back of their cabbies. This is a country somewhat segregated, but far less apart in values and concerns than the far-right would have the white working class believe. I personally know people of all races who agree with everything I have talked about above. We must not let the far-right lead some to believe otherwise. We must not repress debate.

Those are just three very brief ideas I believe in and three ideas I know that only UKIP champion. One of the most dangerous developments in recent years is the slow but steady growth of white working class resentment and anger spilling over into out-and-out racism. I consider myself apart of one race; the human one. And yet under a Labour government, I can say objectively that those in white areas have been seen to have had to "fend for themselves". Hazel Blears and her fellow Labour MPs are never likely to do anything about this, their party is too far afloat from the island of sanity where ordinary people live. It is up to UKIP in my eyes, to champion all British citizens of all races equally. If we do not, the white working class will continue to be ignored and continue to grow angry. The result will be extremism and upset. And no decent British citizen wants that.