Shropshire Star

Ukip comes out on top as Star readers vote on manifesto launches

He famously described the last Ukip general election manifesto as "drivel" – but Nigel Farage was far happier with the one he launched this week.

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He joined other party leaders for a series of set-piece manifesto launches, in which they all took turns to wave booklets in the air outlining their vision of the next five years.

The Ukip manifesto was written by Suzanne Evans, Ukip deputy chairman and parliamentary candidate for Shrewsbury & Atcham.

She shared the spotlight with Mr Farage – and according to Shropshire Star readers she helped to steal the show. Almost four in 10 of those taking part in a shropshirestar.com poll said that they were most impressed by the launch of the Ukip manifesto.

Whether they were impressed more by the style than the substance will be seen on May 7, but it is clear that Mr Farage has made an impact.

There has been some debate this week as to the merit of manifestos.

Very few people will read any of them cover to cover – but they do at least offer a record of promises that can be matched to achievement.

Tory leader David Cameron was this week confronted with his manifesto from the last general election and admitted that he had not yet fulfilled all his promises, including a pledge to reduce immigration.

But he was also able to point to promises met and insisted that his new set up pledges were realistic and manageable.

Labour recorded around a third of the shropshirestar.com vote, with the Tories trailing third despite Mr Cameron's eye-catching promises including the removal of people on the minimum wage from income tax and the reintroduction of the right to buy policy made famous by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.

The debate on shropshirestar.com this week had little reference to the manifestos, with readers instead searching for sincerity in their politicians.

One reader, Warrior Prince, said: "Personally I look for the most honest and sensible leader.

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"I look for someone who is capable of standing up for what he believes – there's no point in having a puppet for a leader.

"I look for someone who is listening to what people want – not for someone who sees himself a cut above his peers and is trying hard to impress with his own views."

There was some discussion among readers about the right to buy policy, with mixed views about the merits of allowing people in housing association properties the chance to buy their homes.

A total of 800,000 housing association tenants that have transferred from council property already have a limited right to a discount, but the new offer will extend the right to buy to 500,000 tenants that have no right to buy at all.

The policy brought memories of Mrs T and plenty of footage of her handing keys to families when she created a new generationof home-owners in the 1980s.

Mr Cameron said: "At the heart of this manifesto is a simple proposition. We are the party of working people, offering you security at every stage of your life."

But Shropshire Star reader Lee Proudfoot said: "The Tory's right-to-buy social housing idea has been shot down in flames by big business, the Chartered Institute of Housing and by housing associations themselves.

"It's unworkable and, probably illegal as housing associations will sue if the Tories proceed with this.

"There are very good reasons why you can't sell stuff off that doesn't belong to you at knock-down prices."

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