UKIP Uncovered
What motivates the leaders of the United Kingdom Independence Party?


Wednesday, October 15, 2003 

UKIP's Ineffective MEPs

The office of Neil Parish MEP, Conservative Agriculture and Fisheries Spokesman in the European Parliament, issued the following response to a UKIP press statement :-

'Nigel who?'

"I do not normally respond to personal attacks, but seeing Mr Farage's comments about the Irish box, I just could not resist. Mr Farage should really be careful about calling people hypocrites. The Report on Management of the fishing effort was adopted by the European Parliament on 4th June 2003. On the key amendment relating to the 'Irish box', Nigel Farage did not vote. If he was so concerned about protecting the fishing stocks, perhaps he should have bothered to a. read the report and b. Vote to protect the Irish box.

UKIP have done very little to fight for British interests - since 1999 only 1 UKIP Member has written a report; they are invisible and irrelevant in the European Parliament. On the great bulk of votes, they have either been absent or abstained - including on such key issues as asylum and immigration, energy tax harmonisation, and the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Perhaps Mr Farage should consult a dictionary before he uses big words.

Yours sincerely,

Neil Parish MEP

PS. In case you hadn't realised Mr Farage, I was not elected thirty years ago, and the world has moved on. The current Conservative Policy is repatriation of the CFP, which can only occur if and when the Tories are elected to government. UKIP can jump up and down all they like but nothing will happen. Vote Conservative if you really want to make a difference.


Office of Neil Parish MEP
Conservative Agriculture and Fisheries Spokesman in the European Parliament"



The following was the UKIP Press Release, to which the response relates:-

Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - 01:05 pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY
& EDD Group in the European Parliament
Reg. Office: 2 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AA
Tel. 01322-278878 Fax 01322-272958


For Immediate Release – 14th October 2003

Tory memory problem as MEP condemns policy approved by Tory government

The U.K. Independence Party today branded Tory European fisheries spokesman Neil Parrish MEP a ‘hypocrite’ for condemning a deal to open up fisheries within the ‘Irish box’ to other EU nations when it was Conservative governments which had negotiated the original agreements.

UKIP said that equal access to the area was a condition of the Common Fisheries Policy that the Conservatives had agreed to 30 years ago, and that it was then Tory Agriculture minister William Waldegrave who had negotiated Spanish access to the ‘Irish box’ as part of an accelerated access programme in 1996. For Mr Parrish to condemn now something his party had introduced was ‘absurd and an indication of just how muddled the Conservative Party is over Europe’.

U.K. Independence Party MEP Nigel Farage, a member of the European Parliament’s fisheries committee, said, “We have known for three decades that the Irish box would be opened to other EU nations under the equal access arrangements, so it can hardly be described as a surprise.

“It is all very well Mr Parrish calling the Commission hypocritical for opening access at a time when there are precious few fish stocks which have not been devastated by the Common Fisheries Policy, but it really is the pot calling the kettle black.

“His comments lack even the redeeming feature of a solution to the problem, but of course there is only one, and that is to withdraw from the Common Fisheries Policy, which would mean withdrawal from the EU. He may be concerned for the fate of British fishermen, but obviously not so concerned as to highlight the absurdity of Tory fisheries policy.” ENDS


posted by Martin |2:51 PM
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