UKIP Uncovered

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

Saturday, January 15, 2005

More theorising from Mr Boxall on UKIP's plight.

The following are part of further thoughts posted on the same internet forum from which we earlier quoted this gentleman's earlier statement calling for a leadership change which may be found further down this page.

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**** said he thinks the other Nigel is working for others outside UKIP. I think it is far less complicated than that. I stress that what follows is only my personal opinion.

Nigel Farage wants UKIP only to be a lever to shift the Tory party to adopt our agenda - in fact he has hinted as much in private conversation. Presumably he would rejoin the Tories the day that happened. Dick Morris expressed similar opinions in a BBC News interview yesterday. This approach is justified with statements like "only the Tories can get Britain out of the EU".* Lord Pearson also expressed this opinion on Ruth Lea's BBC R4 programme This Sceptic Isle. Nigel F is I believe very close to Lord Pearson.

In the early years of UKIP most of us believed this approach was in fact our best chance of success and although not entirely happy, we were prepared to put up with it. However it became clear some time around 1999 that the Tory party was in terminal decline, making the tactic completely useless. In any case events had moved the political agenda forward and we saw that the EU was symptomatic of a greater milaise in the body politic - one which I believe only a party like UKIP can repair.

But Nigel has not deviated from his original position. In practice for Nigel this policy now means exercising a very tight control over UKIP - to make sure that we do not undermine the Tories chances of success in UK politics, i.e. become so successful that we replace them. For instance he is not above backing a UKIP candidate against a euro-sceptic Tory in a marginal seat. And I am sure he accepts that in order to maintain the appearance of a proper political party (essential to maintain motivation and keep the whole show on the road) he may have to take the occassional casualty - e.g. Hartlepool. But he has been very careful to make certain that in UK elections we do not really stand much chance of success. That is why after 10 years we have no spokesmen, why talented people are disposed of, why promising people are not brought on and given experience, why the NEC is sidelined, why the party finances are kept outside the visibility of members, why the foundations of a proper political party have not been built, and most importantly, why there is no real attempt to participate in UK politics. To allow these things would risk UKIP becoming a real threat.

And Nigel has up to now succeeded brilliantly. You have to realise that it is only in the last 2 years that he has been able to tie the Party leader in so closely, because whether he understands the full implications or not, it is Nigel's agenda which Roger is following.

I have previously used the analogy that UKIP is like a football team where the manager refuses to allow the players to cross the half way line. We have been held back and the time has come to decide how we want to go forward.
* If that was really the case we may as well give up now.
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posted by Martin |6:27 PM