Anthony Butcher

Telegraph Opinion
And it ends with:

Tom Wilde

All very true and nicely put. Daniel Hannan seems like a good guy. Can't imagine why he is with the Tories rather than in UKIP.

EP Employee

Because he realises that reforming the Tory Party is currently the only long-term hope of getting the UK out of the EU; UKIP aren't going to win a button in the General Election, never mind a seat - and never mind the parliamentary majority needed to get the UK out.

That said, the Tories are a very slim hope indeed and I for one have little faith in them - although I still maintain that UKIP are an electoral non-entity come the enxt election. I think the only way it's ever going to happen is if the Tories voluntarily disband and set up a new centre-right Party. The Conservatives are too broad a church ever to be able to have a proper anti-EU policy; the leadership will always have to compromise to pacify the rabid leftists on the Tory benches.

Nigel Garage

I agree that UKIP probably won't get seats under the present leader. I believe we would have a very good chance of gaining 2 or 3 under RKS, however.

And then the fun will begin! 8)

Bellatrix

Then you are mistaken.

Dan Hannan isn't in UKIP because he wants to be a career politician, I suspect.
I reject the notion that the Tories are the only way out of the EU. They are spineless, scared and drifting around on the politican sea like driftwood. After all, 5 MEPs voted for the commission, and Howard told the rest to abstain. How is that a Eurosceptic party in any way?

mkpdavies

Care to expand on why UKIP wouldn't win anything. Is the rapidly incresing vote and success going to implode then? Are vast numbers of UKIP supporters going to turn their back on the party now and stop working for it?

At least UKIP give the option to people to pull out of the EU. The Tories never will, they have to many members this would upset and are too deeply entrenched in the EU system. UKIP or nothing as far as I can see if you want the UK to pull out of the EU, convince me otherwise.

__________________
http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/
http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/
http://lpuk.org

My ignore list

Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

EP Employee

Simple. UKIP won't win seats at the General Election as we have first-past.the-post voting in the UK; minority parties have never won seats in General Elections, and never will. The electorate use "other" elections (EU, Council, parliamentary by-elections and the like) to protest, but always revert to two-and-a-half partyism when it comes to choosing the next government.

And say UKIP do win a seat. What then? That's one MP, as good as having none in terms of what can realistically be achieved.

The only hope of the UK ever leaving the EU is for the Tory Party to give up the ghost, disband, and let a true centre-right party spring up in their stead.

mkpdavies

I can't agree with this. Yes the established parties always have a big headstart, but once in a while a new party does make a breakthrough. The Labour party didn't just materialise out of nowhere. They built up a movement over time, and eventualy became a big party. Shame they have gone back on all they stand for, but that signals it's time for another new party. The Lib-Dems were nowhere not so long ago, but they have built a movement. There is no reason why UKIP cannot do the same, indeed over the last few years we have seen a ramp up in support and recognition. Thats not to say it won't be all thrown away, but I believe we can really do something with the message we have!

I would hope we can win more than one seat. But any breakthrough would be massive. The Tories are already concerned with us, if we won seats it could cause the party to implode. From this we could well see UKIP stepping INTO phpbb_the void, not as a centre-right party but a party that does not constrain itself to any particular wing. People will actualy have a choice of growing, honest party that wants to keep the governkment of Britain accountable to the British people, while staying friendly with as much of the world as possible.

That is a powerful message, and one I believe could see the change in British politics that DOES happen from time to time, and one that is well overdue!

__________________
http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/
http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/
http://lpuk.org

My ignore list

Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

Nigel Garage

I agree that what you say happened in the past, but things are changing rapidly. Old party loyalties are breaking down. I was talking to a LibDem councillor last night who told me the same thing - that the political landscape is undergoing a fundamental change, and smaller parties are going to be the way of the future. Look at the Kidderminster Hospital MP.

If we get Kilroy INTO phpbb_the hotseat, I believe he can get us 2 or 3 MPs. Like it or not, celebrity sells political parties just as it sells commercial products. Look at Schwarzenegger, elected as a Republican governor in an overwhelmingly Democrat state.

If we do win a couple of seats, we will have an unprecedented public platform for our message, greatly increased credibility and resources, and if there's a hung parliament...... work it out yourself!

Intbel

That is nonsense, it really is.

One MP, asking the right questions at the right moment in Primeminister's Question time can cause havoc.

Getting out of the €U is not dependent upon anything the Conservative party may or may not do - it is dependent upon what the UKIP can do and upon how many votes it can and will get.

If everyone who wants out of the €U votes for the party which will give them what they want - then we will be out of the €U.

It is up to the electorate ...