UKIP Uncovered

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

Friday, December 31, 2004

How Knapman and Farage turned June's victory to DISASTER!

The Mail on Sunday on 20th June carried a column by Peter Hitchens which prophetically stated the following as quoted and commented upon in this blog:

Hitchens says UKIP is nevertheless doing a good job finishing off the Tories to make room for a new pro-British party, but it won't be the UKIP - the article finishes with:

''The movement will not be the UKIP, for it will need far more depth and breadth and height. But Robert Kilroy-Silk and the UKIP are clearing the way for it.''

Somebody should point the large UKIP sponsors Bown and Sykes to this blog before they throw more money at a party that would consider appointing the likes of Piers Merchant as their Chief Executive whilst planning to attack the existing political parties for their standards of behaviour and total lack of political propriety.

Following the precedent set on 31st December last year I will now detail the means by which Farage and Knapman have sought to sabotage the euro-sceptic movement within Britain, since the Kilroy wrought victory in June.

1. On Monday 21st June 2004, the 'cabal's attack hound' Greg Lance-Watkins was set loose on RKS as may be read from here.

2. At the first post-election NEC meeting the digraced and scandal-prone failed NE Region MEP candidate Piers Merchant was shoe-horned into the role of Acting Chief Executive. Read here.

3. At the same meeting, although no vote is taken John Harvey makes a presentation ruling out a by-election challenge at Leicester South - Hartlepool is suggested as the best option!

4. Before June is out Ashley Mote's legal problems become public. No explanation as to why these were not made known to either Farage, his closest supporter, or the broader party before the election has ever been provided.

5. By the end of June, in spite of massive pressure both locally and on this blog UKIP ducks out of the Hodge Hill by-election. Read here.

6. In spite of a majority of the NEC, the GLA members, the local constituency members and the broader membership pushing for UKIP to run in Hodge Hill, Knapman's Political Committee, with no authority prevails. Read that report from here.

7. Godfrey Bloom makes his 'behind the fridge' remarks.

8. By late July the Hartlepool by-election had been announced and it quickly became clear UKIP's leadership had no strategy prepared other than having the losing Scottish MEP candidate, who had earlier been stood down from the North East region, Peter Troy, apparently throw his hat into the ring. Read our report from here.

9. On 27th July, Knapman makes his first reference to a truce for Tory MPs. Read it from here.

10. On Sunday 8th August the Sunday Telegraph has the first report of a party split, linked here.

11 By August 12th it was clear UKIP would not run on national issues in Hartlepool - our posting "UKIP abandons any pretence of role in National Politics" may be read from here.

12. On 23rd August Roger Knapman was issuing a statement to the local press that Kilroy would stand for Totnes in the General Election. Read it from here.

13 August and the 'Silly Season' closed with reports that UKIP would not return a donation from an improper payment by the Kingston branch of the Democracy Movement. It is linked here and here.

14. In possibly one of the most treacherous acts of the year UKIP announced in mid-September that it would support the Tory led anti-regionalisation campaign in the North East, trying to sabotage the two years of high activity put in by many ex-UKIP activists and others led by Neil Herron in the North East Against Regional Authorities (NEARA) Campaign. Read here

15. Following the dreadful school massacre by actvists fron Chechnya in Russia, Deputy Leader Nattrass makes a speech apparently praising their methodology and suggesting Eurosceptics might have to adopt similar tactics. Read it here.

16. Party again in shambles as the Party Secretary and three conference organisers resign. Comment is here.

17. One piece of hope as Hartlepool result puts Tories fourth with credit due to Kilroy according to the report linked from here.

18. Another disgraced Tory ex-MP - Jonathan Aitkin at UKIP Conference. Link is here.

19. As the Leadership dispute and questions as to who was telling the truth hit the headlines Paul Sykes was reported at the Tory Conference to be now backing them!

20. Knapman and Farage report a highly suspect telephone poll giving support for Knapman.

21. Party Officials publicly admit misleading the press on leadership poll. Report linked from here.

22. By October's end, following much public and bitter disputation, and amid rumours of Robert Kilroy-Silk's imminent expulsion, the best known UKIP MEP resigns the EU Parliamentary whip.

(To be continued)

posted by Martin |11:43 AM