Monday, January 08, 2007

Another Mass Resignation from UKIP Tonight?

You may remember a whole constituency association of UKIP resigning en masse a few months ago in West Dorset. They were followed by the Southend constituency association. According to the ever excellent West Brom Blog the 120 members of the Plymouth constituency will be departing tonight. Three down, 656 to go...

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes - the nutters should get back to the Tories where they belong!

Anonymous said...

Er...what policies do we believe in and argue for that were not received wisdom across the whole of the country 40 years ago. Let's see:

.Parliamentary democracy
.Grammar schools
.Minimal state funding for politics
.Control over fisheries & farming
.Transparency of governmental accounts
.Respect for the working class through controls on immigration and especially the award of nationality

People who don't believe in this programme, which is almost the British Constitution, are surely taking a bit of a risk with the future.

Anonymous said...

On the BBC before lunchtime:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6240565.stm

Anonymous said...

If Dave gave the Tories some policies to disagree with their departures might start eclipsing UKIP.

Anonymous said...

Ha hahahahahaaaaaaaa.

USKIP?

Ha ha ha ha.

That is all.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't celebrate too much. It's just a whole bunch more people left disenfranchised and with no choice but to write 'None of the Above' on their ballots. And some will probably hold their noses and defect to the BNP in order to register a protest.

Anonymous said...

I read that UKIP are thinking of a name change.

UKIPless?

or

RPPLneedaKIP

to reflect their age range)

Anonymous said...

Think this has already happened, check out; vote 2007 discussion forum, plymouth thread

Anonymous said...

And yet we still witness a steady stream of ex-Tories leaving the Conservative Party in favour of UKIP in defiance of Cameron's blatant Blairism. We need a return to true Toryism, not more of the same from Cameron and his ilk.

Anonymous said...

UKIP - all spin and no substance. Its like watching a car crash in slow motion!

Anonymous said...

But surely, everyone knows Farage is actually King Edward VIII, just out of cryogenic storage . . .

http://www.northwing.org/wp/?p=200

It can be the only explanation for the recent policy shift ;-)

Anonymous said...

I am starting a collection to buy Nigel Farage and his dwindling band a map book so they can locate where their membership is going. However, I don't trust him with money - he will mislay this as well!

Anonymous said...

I can recall an incident in Falmouth and Camborne two years ago when the party and an incumbent PPC accused a group of leading Conservatives of conspiring with UKIP.The Party went into a state of fear and paranoia.
After extensive investigation not a scrap of evidence was produced or names given, to prove that there was a conspiracy, and I believe that remains the situation today-- except Conservatism does not exist because of the heavy and underhand way the Party went about exorcising it from the Party.
It is interesting to see if these UKIP defectors will be welcome into the Conservative Party after the history of incidents like Falmouth and Camborne.

Manfarang said...

As you said Henry Mayhew- 40 years ago. The world has changed since then.The seas are all fished out and the world has becomed a lot more globalised.Multi-national companies can just move production abroad.No amount of immigration controls will stop that.
Democracy?How democratic is an unelected House of Lords?UKIP now has two old farts there so your lot Iain will still have a lot to worry about.

Anonymous said...

Nobody's going to leave UKIP for the Tories.

Anonymous said...

Aah we lost a branch that doesn't like the broad, libertarian low tax change going on in UKIP but we have gained our first foothold in Parliament with two Peers who continue the stream of defections from the Tories.

Even you can't twist that into an anti-UKIP story Iain. (Although, of course it is consistent for you to try!)

:-)

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be more informative if we could find out why these people resigned en masse and to which party they have transferred their allegience?

On a more personal note, this sort of thing I why I dispair for the country. My historical party of choice seems intent on becoming a clone of the NuLabour, statist monstrosity. Sadly, the only alternative, which does seem to express ideas and policies more in line with my own thinking doesn't seem to be able to lift itself above the level of childish squabbles and infighting.

Please can we have a grown up party that represents the non-statist, classic liberal voters of this country? A party of lower taxes, reduced state interference and greater national independence. That's not much to ask is it?

Anonymous said...

Now even the LibDems are saying a vote for UKIP is a vote for Labour.

http://e-ukip-home.blogspot.com/

ian said...

Is this what you meant, Iain?

Anonymous said...

How many Tory associations have less than 120 members I wonder?
The first 30 on the list should be interesting!

Iain Dale said...

Anonymous 9.50am, I think you mean "fewer than" :)

Anonymous said...

But two former Tories form the UKIP party in the Lords!!!

Anonymous said...

Fewer will do!
PS-how many with less than 12 members I wonder?

Anonymous said...

"I think you mean "fewer than"

You trying to become Dennis Skinner, Iain?

Anonymous said...

I/D 9.52
Fewer is fine.
How many associations have less than even a dozen members on their membership list I wonder?

Anonymous said...

Iain - aren't you going to mention the two Tory peers who've defected to UKIP? After all, real live peers rank higher in the food-chain than ex-PPCs (don't they?).

Anonymous said...

Fred, an independent panel did find such evidence and it led to the suspension and then expulsion of several members thereafter by the Party. The case was not about sympathy with UKIP, it was about taking that one stage further and actually using Party resources to help get UKIP elected.

Anonymous said...

Can anyone recall who served on the independent panel?

Anonymous said...

UPDATE that post Iain.

It's 4 branches down:

http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/archives/pages/news%20stories/2006/07_2006/invites_out_for_new_shetland_party.htm

And are you sure they have one in every constituency? You're being over generous with 656.

Trixy said...

Wrong, I'm afraid.

120 members did not resign en mass. The 140 strong branch in Plymouth is still active, with a new acting chairman. To date, there have only been 2 resignations received and the maximum number would be no more than 10 in total. One tried to resign, without realising his membership had already lapsed. oops.

As for West Devon, once again not quite accurate. The committee of 5 resigned, and the branch moved swiftly on with their business. In Southend, only 3 people resigned.

Defections not ideal, but if they are simply trouble makers then it's best they go and let the rest of us to get on with our business. It's not like we can rely on any other political party to get us out of the EU, is it?