John Page

Who am I?

After graduating from Oxford, I worked for NatWest. I now have a banking consultancy business - http://www.bankexperts.co.uk

Separately, I run a group of self-help web sites for people short-changed by personal finance products - http://www.financevictims.co.uk

I hope to start a UKIP branch in Welwyn Hatfield.

[At the E Counties meeting I had the distinction of getting a (friendly) heckle from John Youles, and at Lechlade I did the short final spot.]

Why did I join UKIP?

Historically, we joined a Common Market to stem our economic decline. That decline was reversed, but that was thanks to UK government policies, not thanks to the European project.

We are now in a political European Union, where most governments favour ever closer political union.

• It's hurting our living standards (e.g. through dearer food), not improving them. This will get worse.
  
  Its governments are run by economic illiterates who didn't realise what harm the Euro would do
  
  They spend our money badly, for instance subsidising countries like Spain, Greece and Ireland. I agree with aid to the third world properly delivered, but not to countries that are already quite rich. Aid to Spain or Greece or Ireland is not money well spent
  
  And how much of our money is spent fraudulently? Nobody knows.

So increasingly we are governed by incompetent, invisible, unaccountable bureaucrats from other countries who want to increase their control over us.

Our main parties won't reverse this. The Labour hierarchy are going with the flow, the Lib Dems actually support this mess, and the Tories are so split that they can't have any meaningful policy about it at all.

The European Union is the single worst thing that's happened to this country for decades.

Where next?

Some people ask if UKIP should be a pressure group or a political party. It's a false choice. The pressure group that other parties fear most is a new political party which takes votes from them.

Credible mainstream parties need more than one policy. UKIP hasn't got the resources to have a detailed policy on everything. Anyway, we don't want so many policies that they dilute our central message.

Personally I favour smaller government, simpler government (including tax simplification), deregulation, and a fairer voting system. I oppose trendy gesture politics, and political correctness for its own sake. Much of this agenda is impossible inside the European Union.

I'm not interested in a party that looks to the past, or in a party that is racist, or in a party that is insular.

Let's say for the sake of argument that we favour deregulation and we're against PC gesture politics. Those two principles alone should give us plenty of opportunities for rapid response media releases as the government announces new, ill thought out initiatives off its own bat.

Combine this with highlighting implementation of instructions from the European Union, and we have plenty of opportunities for media releases.

Actions

In the short term, let's target the Centre to get out rapid response media releases in those areas, with simultaneous emails to branches so that they can cascade to their local media - and keep their branch web sites updated. Suggestions for topics from members INTO phpbb_the Centre should be encouraged, as a quick informal way of showing what issues we consider important, and whether party opinion is strongly divided.

Unlike the big parties, we don't have to release blizzards of media releases about everything. Good. That lets us concentrate our releases on issues relevant to our core principles (I suggested some above). Every release can highlight the relevant core principle.

Maybe this week by week activity will start to highlight areas where we should consider working up more detailed policies in the medium term.

This action programme should be manageable within central resources (though maybe the structure would have to be looked at). Importantly, branches will be involved on a week by week basis.

Let's use the internet to unite branches and the centre regularly in shared actions, and work together for the future together as one party.

Regards


John Page

mkpdavies

Welcome and good intro!

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Hartlepool

Welcome to the Forum,John.

Cyburn

Welcome to UKIPForum.

Percentage

That is actualy a very good point!
Fine,no problem,but UKIP & ALL its members should put its/there money where its/there mouth is & cut out/say NO to dual membership!

Welcome to the forum by the way!

McUkip man

Welcome to the forum bro. Dont be shy once you have upset your first person and survived you will be fine and enjoy it. Its good to know we are all in this fight together.

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Phat Boy Fat

Aid is good, when properly directed. Better still is trade. All over Africa there are farmers who could provide cheap food for Europe, but are not allowed to trade with the Euroreich because of import tarrifs and other trade barriers. Unfortunately, as you probably know, the cowardly leaders of the EU would rather apply the sticking plaster of aid (with taxpayers money) to impoverished African countries than reform the CAP. After all if the French get upset they set fire to things, (who says the offspring off France's immigrants aren't properly intergrated INTO phpbb_the French way of life ). basically I see the CAP as a bribe, paying rural French voters, and those of Italy and Greece, plus of course their leaders, to support political intergration. Unfortunately most aid never reaches the people it is intended for, most of it ends up as 'Mercs for Jerks'.

You are right about UKIP needing to change from a pressure group INTO phpbb_a fully fledged political party.

John, welcome to UKIP, welcome to the forum, I look forward to reading your postings, but above all have fun :!:

dave grylls

Welcome John Page,Sir!

Hey guys what about his introduction! Wow we sure as hell need him on the team!!!!!


Dave Grylls

John Page

Thanks for the kind comments, guys, I keep following the thread.

I really do think we could aim to issue several media releases a week and cascade them to branches by email, for them to use.

Spent an interesting day today at the Bruges Group meeting and bumped INTO phpbb_a couple of people from Lechlade. Will try to post something in the next few days.

Also hoping to look INTO phpbb_starting a branch in Welwyn Hatfield. If anyone local reads this, please feel free to call - 01707 658285.

Regards

John Page

McUkip man

You are right about the media releases however you need not wait for the people at the top to catch up.

If you keep a weekly or daily tab on the following websites you can then issue press realises to your local paper as UKIP Welwyn. They have some good quotes as well.

www.ukip.org www.democracy-movement.org.uk www.cibhq.co.uk www.news.bbc.co.uk and if you are so inclined as we are in Shetland www.christian.org.uk

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