Mike your comments re Galloway are very accurate don't know if you saw question time on Thursday but the guy on there gave it to him with both barrels, as a politician Galloway is a waste of space only in it for what he can get.
As for UKIP yes if they ever got in power they would no doubt be as dodgy as them all. As for Farage I do admire his courage and tenacity in standing up to the EU Parliment he tells them straight and they can't answer because what he says is what most people think form all the countries in the EU, there is no doubt it needs sorting out it's a mess. That doesn't mean to say that the whole EU thing is useless but at this time in my opinion is not fit for the purpose of the whole EU, it may be that it has just grown too large.

One of the reasons I enjoy living in Spain is the lack of minority parties like UKIP, BNP, and their equivalents in France, Germany, Holland, Finland, in fact everywhere else in Europe.

I suppose Spain had enough of nationalism in Franco's day, or the various regions are so antagonistic towards each other they haven't got time to bother with the guiris.

But the UKIPS and BNP should consider that their foreigner hatred is replicated in Europe, in exactly that same way and probably on exactly the same scale.

It got out of control in the 20s and 30s, but hopefully those days will never return.

(One of the reasons those horrible days won't return is the European Court of Human Rights, formed under Churchill's chairmanship to prevent another Holocaust - people tend to forget that).

In the last lot of elections in our village, the nationalists were a very close second to PSOE, with the PP being nowhere. Nationalism is still very much alive and kicking in rural Andalucia!

HBG I would not myself put UKIP in anywhere near the same league as the BNP however I do agree with your comments re Nationalism. However the very attitude that the EU Parliament takes does nothing to stop this. The referendum on the EU constitution Ireland didn't want it so they were forced into voting again until they got what they want. Italy and Greece leaders changed and leaders that EU Parliament want in are put in place. Britain itself denied a referendum on the EU . Yes we as Ex pats with houses etc within the EU may want it to continue as it benefits us. But to be honest the EU has changed so much since there was last a consensus of opinion asked of the British public that you can understand they are getting sick of it. If you can tell me that what Farage says is lies then fair point but what he says is the truth and most other politicians tell us a load of baloney. Britain should never join the Euro they say as it is flawed but lets pay millions to prop it up (there may be sound reasons for this) but without explanation how does that make sense to the British public. Before coming to power Osborne and Cameron riduculed labour for letting the pound devalue as it showed a weak country (not sound advice but they said it)they then kept it devalued (no doubt they are now worried about it gaining some strength back). I myself can never see the day that UKIP would hold power in the UK but what I am saying is they are likely to get the protest vote that the liberals used to get. People in Britain aren't fed up up with politics of course they want those on power that will make it a good place to live with prospects for their children with a reasonable standard of living what they are fed up with (and I'm sure this applies equally to all EU countries) is being treat like idiots and lied to.

As in the rest of Spain. This was Madrid last year, 17 parties taking part, including a couple of Falange parties, communists, all picking up good number of votes.

These are the last results for our municipality:

http://www.mecinabombaron.com/elecci...nicipales-2011

Partido Andalucista are Andalucian Nationalists.

You were really in the back of beyond there!

Good post Bob. I don't think UKIP have a chance of getting a majority but a decent showing may give them some clout. Look at the liberals, they seem to have all the power now, infact I think Cameron is turning into one too

What's wrong with nationalism anyway? Scotland seems OK with it...

Now the UK has two parties in power, and by all accounts the last lot are not looked upon favorably, who's left? The UKIP and BNP could well be in with a very good chance, and I welcome the change, it would be much more interesting to watch. It's so easy to put them down when you have never seen them in power

If the BNP ever got into power, you would see riots the like the UK has NEVER seen. UKIP not so bad as they aren't a nationalist party, just an anti-EU one.

Yes Mike I agree with that, UKIP are nothing like BNP who are to me the scum of the earth

Mi dos.

Last time I was in the UK for local elections, we had a BNP candidate standing in our ward. He put a leaflet through our letter box and I chased him down the street and told him to take it back as I regarded it as pornography and I wasn't willing to have it in my house. After he trailed in last, he quoted what I'd said to him in an interview with our local paper!

UKIP aren't quite so bad but I wouldn't trust a single issue party to run the country - mind you, who could you trust to run the country after the experiences of the past few years? Luckily it won't be up to me anyway.

Lynn yes you are right I am not saying that UKIP would gain power as I doubt that would ever happen as you say they are basically a single issue party. The thing is there single issue they concern themselves with i.e. the waste and abuse by the EU parliament the fact that it is unelected and the ECHR is something that lots of Britain is getting very tired off.