UKIP Uncovered

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

Monday, April 26, 2004

UKIP Today

Following yesterday's extensive e-mailing of some UKIP members, it might be helpful to provide a brief introduction to myself and this site. Followed by a summary of events leading to the present crisis point.

I have been concerned at the encroachments of the EU project for many years and wrote a fast-paced novel in1996/7 intended to highlight the dangers. This is now on sale from UKIP member Mike Rollings, who bought the remaining copies I had donated to UKIP and is now using the net proceeds to fight the EU and regionalisation in the North. Copies may be ordered by the link to the right. An introduction to the book and myself may be reached by clicking on the title - MILLENNIUM BLITZKRIEG

I determined in 2002 that IDS was not about to prove effective in resisting the EU and joined UKIP. I foresaw that matters would likely come to a climax around the time of the European Elections of this year and during the immediately following General Election. I set out a proposed strategy for the party in September 2002 (never acknowledeged by Chairman Nattrass, but copies now available on request) and applied to become a 2004 EP candidate. On discovering the extent of mismanagement and potentially far graver problems within the party I let it be known, just over one year ago that I could not continue my candidacy without a complete change in the very top leadership of UKIP. I was then pointlessly disqualified and I eventually resigned in disgust!

I started this blog around that time and by visiting the archive files and links on the right hand side-bar a full understanding of all the party's severe problems and the likely identities of those mainly responsible can quickly be gained. A brief summary might, however, be helpful.

Following the return of three MEPs to the present European Parliament vicious infighting continued into 2000 and resulted in the ousting of then leader Michael Holmes, who had earlier replaced the founding leader Dr Alan Sked amidst similar bitterness. Following an Extraordinary General Meeting of members Holmes himself was ousted and extraordinarily the party then found itself with its three most senior positions filled by one-time members of the small fringe 'New Britain Party' described as "avowedly racist" and "far-right" in the national press as can be read by clicking on this link on the articles title: 'Far Right invades anti-Europe party'.

The three ex-New Britain Members concerned were Jeffrey Titford MEP, who became leader and is now lead candidate in the Eastern Region, Mike Nattrass, who became Party Chairman, is now Deputy Party Leader and Bryan Smalley who was appointed Party Secretary, but to whose credit resigned after a few months following the illegalities of the BBC video tape copyright infringement involving Chairman Nattrass and Nigel Farage MEP, misuse of the membership database and various other difficulties too numerous to mention here.

The party in the hands of such individuals, who apart from the doubts over their political pasts also seem incapable of competent management, is today split and approaching disintegration. The illegal and unconstitutional suspension of the NE and Yorkshire Regional committees, the huge overspend in last year's regional elections by Chairman Lott (never adequately explained), firing and subsequent re-instatement of the Party Treasurer under legal threat, lock-out and removal of the Party General Secretary and permanent London staff from their office, disputed relocation to Birmingham in facilities controlled by the Deputy Party Leader Mike Nattrass - one of whose first acts was to try and ban party members form contacting the press other than through his designated nominee, fearful abuse of the Disciplinary Rules and procedures turning the panel into a weapon for the squashing of dissent and expulsion of critics, lost High Court action with damages with mysterious promotion and unconstitutional NEC extension for the successful litigant, all culminating in the extraordinary attempts to prevent the constitutional NEC elections proceeding, details of which may be read from the Returning Officer's statement further down the page made concurrent with his frustrated resignation.

Many other matters arise and are covered in detail on the pages of this blog. Not least is the question as to whether UKIP is any longer working towards EU withdrawal or has simply become a vehicle for its existing MEPs Farage, Titford and Booth to continue on the EU gravy train, joined they are hoping by their fellow incompetent and unscupulous colleagues who figure high on the candidate lists in other areas, namely: appointed Leader Knapman, Deputy Leader Nattrass, Former Party Secretary Clarke and so on.

posted by Martin |7:37 AM