I want you to remain calm, because I have exciting news. I would have posted it before the BBC did two hours ago, but I am afraid I had a prior appointment with my toenail clipper.Now, are you sitting down? Good, then I'll begin. Nigel Farage has been elected as the new leader of UKIP, succeeding the charismally challenged Roger Knapman. I wonder if UKIP will do what most small parties do at times like this and fall apart as the losing candidates indulge in a bout of recrimination. And for those who question my description of UKIP as a "small party", look at the voting figures. Only 7,574 people voted. I don't know what the turnout was, but if it was 50-60% it puts UKIP membership at somewhere between 15-20,000.
So what will Farage be like as a leader? I suspect he either prove to be brilliant or a complete and utter disaster. He clearly has an ego the size of
However, my friends in Her Majesty's Press tell me that it might be time to dust down the files marked FARAGE. What can they mean?
34 comments:
Iain
If he can make a go of it there are a lot of Tories who are concerned about David Cameron ( like me)who could vote UKIP if DC proves to be too wet and to the left.
I have no problem with the Tories trying to apeal to a wider electorate but there are still the basic tory principals to keep to, that I am not hearing about.
They should not take us for granted.
Would that some of HMO could address Parliament with the vigour and command of his subject that Farage displays at Strasburg. UKIP may be a nuisance like the BNP but its no good mocking them. Unless Cameron puts some clear blue water between his party and NuLab expect a trickle of defections. Trickles sometimes reach the ocean.
As a Kent lad I hear a lot of Farage. Pompous git. During the election last year the UKIP policies went as far as saying we will leave the EU...that was it...he was one of the key people in writing that manifesto.
You're right about the potential impact a stronger UKIP could have on the Tories.
If you want Britain to remain inside the EU indefinitely vote UKIP.
Farage will probably be unable to do much to alter UKIP's counterproductive electoral strategies. UKIP leaders are figureheads with little power. The Party is run by a small cabal. No wonder he looks less than ecstatic.
Yes, whatever happened to that Kilroy-Slik chap? Is he still leading that party of his - Vanitas, was it?
I have christened the UKIP as the keep Labour in power forever party.
They are dangerous and have to be watched because a lot of natural Tory will turn to them.They need watching particulary by DC.
Dont laugh at them too much!
I am tempted to say something like the ego has landed. But I fear that if UKIP gets it act together it will syphon off votes and help the opposition parties. I wonder what impact they have in margin seats. I know so many Tories who are really fed up with Boy Blunder Cameron and his lightweight crew that some are thinking of voting UKIP. My keep the faith speech doesn't work any more. Wonder why.....
I don't like UKIP overmuch, but am less keen on this sneering tone. I disagree with most of what Farrage says, as I do with you, but I would far rather have a guy like him in Parliament than the vast overhang of lobby fodder dead wood that currently "decorates" the Mother of Parliaments.
Nigel always does a good turn on question time,
I trust/like him more than Dolls Head Dave, doesnt look like the kind who keeps a powder puff and mirror in his desk. Nor do I care what he gets up to in the bedroom.
So, errm, why do you think a lot of natural Tories will turn to UKIP? Could it be with the lack of natural Tory policies around the place? In which case, who is the dangerous one, UKIP or New Conservatives?
"I have christened the UKIP as the keep Labour in power forever party."
that is , sadly, the unfortunate nature of the first-past-the-post voting system.
if you vote UKIP , and you'll get Labour.
looking forward to Farage being leader though - he's quite a formidable presence on screen, unlike that non-entity Knapman.
Sir Bentley Pauncefoot: Veritas was last heard of descending into farce. Some of the grassroots members felt it was stalling and turning into a vehicle for Kilroy and His Ego (although don't ask me why they ever thought it was going to be any different). Kilroy was facing a leadership challenge and resigned in advance of it. He appears to be a member of Veritas despite no longer being its group in the European Parliament. After that everyone found something else to laugh about.
Iain: Could it possibly be a story that you yourself ran on this blog several months ago? Despite his protestations Farage appears to have some awkward far right links.
Cicero - The "mother of parliaments" refers to England not Westminster.
Tempted Tories - voting UKIP at national level is fatally counterproductive.
Roughly speaking, UKIP cost the tories between 15 - 20 seats in the last election - i.e. number of seats where the UKIP vote was greater than the margin between the winner and the tory in second place.
Farage could up that considerably - he's a very entertaining speaker, probably the best of any of the party leaders. You may not agree with what he says, but you usually enjoy listening to him say it. It's fun.
UKIP is something the CP will have to keep a close eye on.
No, they'll never win, but they can prevent the CP from winning, and there're mutterings that UKIP is looking closely at stuff like 'flat tax', something the tories should have followed up on when it was first mooted a couple of years back.
Let's face it - it's hhard to slide a fag paper between the poilicies of the three major parties, they're all fighting for the same bunch of voters with almost indistinguishable agendas. I for one hope that UKIP stirs things up. T'ain't healthy when party labels become interchangeable.
It's not the story about the rent boy in the 2nd class carriage again, is it?
.......it's hard to slide a fag paper between the policies of the three major parties......
It's just as hard to slide a fag paper between UKIP and the Monster Raving Loony Party. Mind you, the Monster Raving Loony Party had a few policies.
I used to like Farage but then after hearing him so many times he began to bore me.
And most people still don't have a clue what UKIP's policies are except on the EU and maybe immigration.
Don't know enough about their membership to comment. How true is the "BNP in Blazers" tag?
The Monster raving loony party first proposed votes for 18 year olds....and asked why there is only one monopolies commission. The point about UKIP is not the size of the memebership, it's the huge hinterland of voters who think they are quite right about Europe. And Farage is a good performer.
The BBC only ever interviews UKIP people with an audible sneer - Auntie can't STAND anti-EU thoughts being aired.
I lost respect for Ukip at the last election when they put up a candidate against Bill Cash, it pretty much gave the lie to their eurosceptic claims.
"It's just as hard to slide a fag paper between UKIP and the Monster Raving Loony Party. Mind you, the Monster Raving Loony Party had a few policies."
That's exactly the sort of comment that'll be coming from Central Office. That or 'nasty right wingers'. It won't work. Too many of the electorate are heartily sick and tired of politicians telling them what to think, how they should respond, how only they have the cure for all ills. And it's a load of claptrap. Instead things just get worse. And with the dearth of bright ideas coming from the CP over the past year, it doesn't look as if they'd make much difference either.
If a minor party comes up with some arguably feasible, radical ideas, they're going to make an impact. Good. It's past time to break up the comfortable and convenient 'Buggins turn' type politics as played by the main contenders.
As a life long Conservative voter, I'd been stuck for somewhere to turn, not having an EDP candidate in my area.
I see that UKIP have recognised that England must have its own Parliament?
That's good enough for me and I pledge my vote and that of my family, right now.
I can think of 11 other votes straight away that I can take with me and will persuade others to do the same.
The main parties are out of touch and dismissive of their English voters. It's time for a clear-out of out of touch and out of date, self-serving deadwood.
Dee, as a regular on this blog you will know that I am in favour of an English Parliament. Indeed, I am speaking at a fringe meeting on the subject at the Tory conference and have become a Patron of the English Constitutional Convention.
Well done, the Bonobo. Your argument runs thus:
1) All these horrid foreigners are coming into the UK, my country.
2) I'm getting out.
To whose country will you go? Has it not entered your tiny mind ("... and whom have little prospect..." - ha ha ha) that *you* will be a foreigner in that country?
You mention that you would prefer an EU bias. Do you understand what "free movement of people" means in the EU? It means that citizens of the EU25 can live anywhere in the EU.
Goodbye, you bigoted, ill-informed and illiterate hypocrite.
From Latvia with love?
Iain, if you can convince Cameron to follow your path, we will all come home.
Unfortunately, you are not the PM, nor is my near neighbour, David. More's the pity.
I do not moan at you, but at party policy. It's all very frustrating indeed.
I know your views and I know that you are not silent about them. We are grateful to you for that. I only wish that others had more moral fibre about them.
Until England is a democracy once again, I just have to continue to complain about it. Sorry.
In 1997 the UKIP ran a candidate in Torbay against the sitting Tory MP, Rupert Allason, who had publicly (and on numerous occassions) said that he not only agreed with the UKIP position, but was on record in Parliament as advocating the withdrawal of the UK from the EU (which he was - he was a pain in the arse on the issue frankly).
In other words, Rupert Allason was the nearest thing UKIP had to an MP in the House of Commons, and was considered the most Eurosceptic MP in the house, and was publicly saying we should withdraw both before and DURING the election campiagn!
I was in attendence at several meetings where the UKIP where asked not to stand a candidate from their single issue party against a candidate who agreed with their single issue, and therefore split the vote. They refused and the seat was lost to the Liberal Democrats by 12 votes!
To this day, Torbay is represented by an arch Euro-federalist whilst the UKIP accuse the Tories of being traitors!
The UKIP are a bunch of political kamikaze pilots, naive and and lead by a bunch of numptys who are bloated on the benefits of their MEP perks whilst doing sod all to actually advance their cause (except sit around the bars of Brussells boozing and oggling at the totty).
The UKIP are in fact making things worse, because when people like me stand up and try to talk about EU issues, I get lumped together with this bunch of muppets, and not taken seriously!
The sooner their party dies the better the cause will be!
Farage'e election will only help this I think.
Iain
If UKIP improves its poition and the Tories under DC look increaingly wet and leftie.
Do you think the will be any Tory MP defections. ?
I can tell you do not like UKIP but please try to be realalistic.
When did he start pronouncing his name as if it rhymed with mirage rather than cabbage? It's a mistake to make it sound too French.
On the PM Show yesterday Farage promised that UKIP wouldn't stand against Better Off Out MPs. That could make a difference- encouraging marginal MPs/candidates to be open about their views about the EU. It is also a more sensible tactic from UKIP, rather than the kamikaze approach.
Listening to all the comments on here there seems to be a gulf of misunderstanding that you still don't get. UKIP are NOT an offshoot of the Tories. We are a separate party with our own agenda. End of.
On the PM show yesterday Farage - made-it-up-as-he-went-along. His policies are not costed and he can't answer the questions as he just makes it up! Whenever Farage speaks the membership of UKIP await to hear what their policies are supposed to be!
Recall during the General ELection where a local radio station or newspaper asked UKIP candidates seperately what UKIPs policies were on a number of issues and the candidates said completely different things resulting in the candidates being made to look fools and comletely ridiculed!
Credibility out the door!
Dont know if youve noticed but cameron is properly more anti europe than the party was when UKIP started so if you wanna sort the counrty dont vote for UKIP it just lets labour in. There are seats in the country, eg hove, where the ukip vote was enough to stop the tories winning
Dave Cameron is the new Edward Heath. Only difference is that he'll never be Prime Minister.
It's no good people bleating on about how awfully beastly and unfair it is of UKIP to stand against Tory MPs who are anti-EU. If those Tory MPs had enough guts, they'd leave their party and stand as independents. Or join UKIP if their policies reflect their views more closely than the Tories. They're more concerned with position than principles, which if they'd acted on them, they might have changed Tory policy.
As for someone saying that Cameron is more anti-EU than the Tories of '97, could someone possibly show me a confirmed policy objective which backs up that claim ? No. I didn't think so.
Just remember the reneged upon EPP pledge ? As he doesn't want to leave the grouping, he must support it.
Farage sounds very good indeed, and judging by those YouTube clips, he has given Bliar the verbal bashing that Cameron and the other wets in the Tory-lite brigade could only dream of.
When we were at school with Nigel Falange, he was known for his links with the party which bears his initials. I think he is like a stick of rock. Those initials go all the way through and cannot be removed until he is eaten up and excreted out.
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