UKIP Uncovered

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

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Precis of a speech to UKIP's Medway Branch

This speech has found its way to me, by one route or another. If the author recognises his words and sentiments and wishes to be acknowledged and recognised here - I will gladly add his name as he might wish. Meantime it must remain anonymous, though the sentiments expressed are shared by many - not least this blogger!

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Subject: UKIP Medway Branch: speech

Précis of speech to committee

18 November 2004

We achieved a great success on 10 June 2004 with 12 MEPs elected. Like all other members of UKIP, I expected great results to follow, allowing for at least a few days interval while MEPs made their domestic arrangements and the party leadership organised its new flock in Strasbourg.

A few days went by, a few weeks went by and several months went by. Nothing happened. We have had no new policies or manifesto ironed out or communicated to the membership. At the very least we should know who the various spokesmen are. We don’t even know we if have any or what their policies are.

We are forced to conclude from this that the party leadership has been moribund or incompetent. Either this or they are traitors.

When Roger Knapman was elected unopposed to the party leadership he seemed the right man for the job at the time and he probably was. He had a background as a parliamentarian and Maastricht rebel and represented a step-up for the party. However, recent events have shown he is not suited to the current task. The party machinery needs organisation into spokesmen and policy areas. This can and should have happened in the immediate aftermath of 10 June. We need a leader who will organise the party accordingly and us to capitalise on the results of 12 June.

I am 43 years of age and when I watched Kilroy’s performance on Question Time with Michael Ancram (Conservative) and Patricia Hewitt, Home Office Minister, I witnessed a confrontation the like of which I have not seen for decades. Nowadays it is rare to see a political spokesman or minister physically and visibly squirm in their seat but this is what Patricia Hewitt did and I enjoyed watching it. Her lips trembled and she looked very frightened. Her body language gave away her fear of the Government’s Europhile policies being found out and exposed. We need to see this more often, as politicians like Blair and Alistair Campbell are elitist, arrogant riff raff who reject all accountability to the people.

The only way we are going to see this happen is if we have Kilroy as our leader. Can any of you see Roger Knapman having the same effect on Patricia Hewitt and the other Blairite politicians as Kilroy?

As regards the circulars from the NEC and Roger Knapman, these seem to be part of the leadership’s crude tactics to win support. We know the NEC is not unanimous in their support for Knapman as suggested, by virtue of the fact Craig Mackinlay is openly supporting Kilroy.

The ring-around by Nigel Farage achieved a biased result for the present leadership. It is imperative we in the branches now stand up for ourselves.

They say all is fair in love and war. I am afraid the situation is like that in politics. Knapman must go because in crude tactical terms, even if we accept Kilroy is egotistical, he will achieve good electoral results for us in the General Election and referenda on the Euro and Constitution. Only Kilroy can enable the party to move closer towards its goal of getting the UK out of the EU. It is an opportunity we must not let slip.

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posted by Martin |8:10 PM