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


Saturday, February 21, 2004 

UKIP's Anti-racist Pledge - a tool for outside extremist control?

On UKIP's new web site the only reference to the once strong commitment of the party to the absolute exclusion of all who might at one time had connections with racist organisations that I can now find, is this, taken from 'The Party' page, linked here :-

All prospective candidates and constituency office bearers must sign declarations confirming that they have no criminal record, no record of serious mental illness and no previous association with extremist political groups of right and left.

Although weaker than earlier pledges, this commitment is still sufficient to confront an elected candidate with some such past association (even if comparatively innocent in his own view) with the daily fear of exposure, resulting in the possible loss of office, and in the case of an MEP, also an exceptionally lucrative livelihood.

Just as the illegality of homosexuality in Britain once provided the KGB with the means of control of some of our civil servants in the past, so could this stipulation of the UKIP constitution, with its draconian consequences of immediate expulsion from the party, potentially provide extremist groups (perhaps merely holding some inside knowledge or evidence of possible youthful folly), with the ability to make UKIP dance to their own tune.

We have often posted on the previous association of senior UKIP members with the far right New Britain Party - on 27th September 'How Far Right?' -28th September Racism and Corrupt Practises - 4th October New Britain Partyand on 9th October 2003 New Britain Re-visited. In spite of the leftish press having clearly labelled New Britain extremist, one ex-member maintains that it was not so and demands legal proof to the contrary while permitting such descriptions as avowedly racist party to apparently remain unchallenged. In my view this is in clear conflict with the intent of the declaration at the very least and a poor example to others signing this pledge.

Other questions arise. In 'Notes from the Borderland' referenced here yesterday, a letter from Ian Anderson of the 'National Democrats' to "Mr Farage" makes reference to three of UKIP's MEP candidates in the last European Elections having been former National Front members. We presume that, if true, they have since been found, rooted out and will not be appearing on next June's candidate list.

posted by Martin |8:29 AM
Google
www Ukip Uncovered
This site is a member of WebRing.
To browse visit Here.
Copyright © 2006 Martin Cole.
archives
contact us
my other blogs
nigel farage
landmark links
fired treasurer
glw incitement
booker/jamieson
glw & farage
a complaint
a neutered nec
graham booth
derek clark
mark croucher
michael harvey
roger knapman
mike nattrass
links
blogs
press
broadcasters
google
buy my book
technorati
Copyright © 2003/6 Martin Cole.