Maybe I was even wrong to include Michael Pagram as a UKIP Councillor? If I may return your comment, conceivably you are a trifle too ready to accept dubious evidence that someone is truly a UKIP Councillor?
See this exchange on 7 September 2006 on this Forum:
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Tom Wilde - Senior Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2004 - Posts: 1672
Location: London. "More UKIP, more freedom!"
Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 5:17 pm Post subject:
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A while back somebody asked me whether the three UKIP district councillors in North Devon in the list at the start of this thread really are still UKIP, as they now sit as part of a larger group of independents. However, this letter by Cllr Michael Pagram in yesterday's North Devon Gazette shows clearly that he is still very UKIP. Great letter, too! It's about the South West Regional Assembly. I won't repost it here as that would take us too far off the subject of this thread. I'll just say it is always nice to see a UKIP district councillor writing an intelligent and effective letter to the local press.
http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/n...A16%3A37%3A510
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andypandy - Full Member
Joined: 13 May 2006 - Posts: 698
Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 5:36 pm Post subject:
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I have read the gentleman's letter, and nowhere in that letter does he either say he is a member of UKIP or even sign it as a UKIP councillor. He just states at the very end of his letter, in one sentence, that UKIP is very much part of the UK political scene, but does not clarify what he personally means by that. As such, the letter is a wasted opportunity to promote UKIP, instead of which, he attacks the big three parties and the EU, and reduces the mention of UKIP to an afterthought.
No doubt the letter is excellent, but why are 'UKIP' councillors so unwilling to identify themselves as such, and opt for the easy option of classing themselves as independents?
Why does UKIP allow its elected members to sit as independents and not under the party banner, especially if a fuss had been made making the public aware of a UKIP connection at some previous time?
Does this suggest that UKIP consider the party name a liability in local elections?
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