UKIP Uncovered

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

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

What Commitment to EU Withdrawal?

Barbara Booker considers a new party leaflet, recalls an earlier failed attempt to dilute the party's commitment to EU withdrawal and reminds us of some earlier extremely important but unanswered questions.

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'Passport to a Sell-out'

There is also a new recruiting leaflet which fails to say that UKIP will withdraw from the EU. It is an A4 glossy folded card, giving party name and phone no. 0800 107 0690. On the front is "SAY NO to European Union". On the back, "Immigration to soar!", with details and a cartoon about enlargement allowing in 73 million from Eastern Europe, and the words "Say NO to EU immigration rules with the UK Independence Party".

Inside is "It is time to send our politicians a message that we will not put up with their lies and deceit over who governs Britain", followed by some good points re the constitution, cost of membership, loss of our national assets etc, plus another crack about immigration and a coupon to send to a Freepost address in Herne Bay for a free colour brochure. In all this the only reference to leaving the EU is "the UK Independence Party is convinced that we will be Better off Out of the EU and that the best people to govern Britain are the British". The wording here is interesting - UKIP is 'convinced' we would be better off out; it does not say the party will take us out.

The words 'withdraw from' or 'leave' the EU do not appear anywhere.

It is extraordinary that a political party which insists it is not just a pressure group, but constantly proclaims its full manifesto, should produce a leaflet that makes no policy statement whatever.

How is one supposed to 'say no' to the European Union and to EU immigration rules? Sign a petition? Go on a demonstration? Wave a placard?

I am reminded of the time in 1997 when Nigel Farage and David Lott were among those who tried to kill off UKIP and replace it with a new party into which UKIP and the remnants of the Referendum Party were to be absorbed. At a by-election in Winchester in November that year
UKIP's NEC endorsed Robin Page, who I believe was not then a UKIP member, as candidate for the 'Referendum /UK Independence Alliance'.
As in the new leaflet, Mr Page's election communication made some good anti-EU points, but no policy statement and no mention of leaving or withdrawing from the EU. The closest he got was: "No other candidate promotes Britain as an outward looking country, trading freely throughout the world, while maintaining it's status as an independent nation state" (note 'maintaining' its status, not changing it by withdrawal); and in a forerunner to the 'Say No'
leaflet he said, "Use your vote to send a message to complacent career politicians that you want your MP to represent you - not betray you" (the Alliance vote dropped to 521 from a combined RP and UKIP total of 2,074 six months earlier).

I am wondering if, as in 1997, the ground is now being prepared for UKIP's absorption into some bigger alliance of parties, this time European ones. As withdrawal is unlikely to find favour with MEPs from other member states, UKIP's representatives may be forced to compromise on it to gain entry to a new EU grouping. When setting out their political programme, the party's 'Say No' leaflet will give proof of UKIP's sceptic and anti-immigration stance, but not a single
policy that might disbar its MEPs from joining an otherwise integrationist European party. My questions to Damian Hockney regarding UKIP's negotiations with other parties, his own role as a potential GLA member, and the possibility of forming an EP group with the BNP are still unanswered. Are not UKIP donors, party workers and voters entitled to know exactly what they are supporting?

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The questions put to Damian Hockney, were published on the Blog on 22nd March in a post titled 'Considerations a Competent UKIP Leadership should now be Debating'

posted by Martin |8:11 AM