UKIP Uncovered

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

Friday, July 02, 2004

Major row on eve of close of nominations for Hodge Hill

A major row has now taken place in UKIP over the undemocratic attempt by the party leadership to stop the party contesting the Hodge Hill and Leicester by-elections.

With the majority of the NEC now in favour of capitalising upon the momentum gained from victories in the European and Greater London Assembly elections three weeks ago, the Political Committee (Farage and Knapman presiding) has tried to take a clearly undemocratic decision NOT to fight.

The Political Committee does not have the power under the constitution to override the NEC and to make such decisions. The decision lies squarely with the local party and/or the NEC. And this situation over the use of so-called "political powers" is an uncomfortable re-run of the problems which the party experienced last year before the NEC unanimously stripped the leadership of these powers. The leadership abused these powers during the Welsh and Scottish elections and could have bankrupted the party's NEC through their claims that these political powers had given them rights to spend and make the NEC liable for any debts. Damian Hockney's lawyers pointed this out over a year ago and the NEC took the sensible decision to back his motion to unanimously scrap the special powers. Now these powers have re-emerged under another guise.

And now it has led to a full-blown row between over half the NEC on one side and the leadership on the other. It is unclear, when the body count is done this morning, who will have won the day, but the row has been serious.

"We have to do the by-elections," says one NEC member. "If we are seriously saying as a party that we did so well a few weeks ago that we can't spoil it now by possibly not doing as well, we are creating a momentum with a set of rigid brakes attached. It means that every time we do well, we have to shove our feet down hard on the brakes and say we must not carry on fighting, in order to protect the reputations of the poor lambs who have been elected. We have got to get this resolved or we are going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."

Damian Hockney, who was recently elected to the London Assembly and who was recently described by the Evening Standard as London's most high profile Assembly Member, sent a private memo to the NEC about this earlier in the week. It bears repeating part of what he wrote:

"...of course I see that we have been caught on the back foot and someone here at City Hall actually told me that this was done by the Government on purpose. To stop our momentum because of the polls which are telling them that we can retain our percentage of the vote in a General Election. To then say that if we do not fight we are a busted flush. It clearly is a major task for us all to rev back into top gear just after what we have all been through, but I must tell you frankly that we really should do it. We are a political party and fighting elections is what we are for.The usual problem we have had is that in by-elections we get squeezed between two parties perceived "most likely to win" and end up with tiny votes. Although I have always believed we should still fight, I can see why this ritual slaughter has sometimes been unpopular. My advice has to be seen in this light. But this is silly season for the media, and they want a bit of spice. If we get this right, choose a lively and interesting candidate...then I can tell you that the media would want to make these contests between UKIP and Labour, and they would hype us accordingly. It would then be the others that would be fighting to keep their deposits. Remember Labour at the Winchester by-election in 1997. They had just won a massive victory at the General Election and almost lost their deposit a few weeks later in a by-election grudge match between the Tories and LibDems. No-one said it was the end of Labour. We have everything to gain by fighting and nothing to lose. Lack of money? Hello?! If we are not going to fight, let's at least make a convincing excuse!!... I will support the campaign financially, but it has to have the backing of the NEC..."

QUOTE FROM HOCKNEY E-MAIL TO NEC ENDS

Now the NEC have just a few hours to show their teeth and ensure that a campaign is run. Nominations close today. It is understood that a candidate is ready to run and that the party could run a serious and major campaign. Will they do it?

posted by Martin |5:20 AM