Kilroy-Silk. End of a beautiful relationship?

johnwest · 29-10-2004, 01:36 PM

I must say that Kilroy has acted with little regard for the party or the country. He is like a spoilt child who can't have all his toys at once. It was madness for him to expect to take over the party after being a member for only a few months. Why should the party constitution be torn up just because Kilroy wants to be leader now? He now claims he does not even agree with UKIP policies.
I have no doubt the 'Kilroy' fan club will cry 'how dare you attack our wonderful MEP and future leader'. The fact remains he has caused the party great harm over the last few weeks. If he was commited to getting our country back he would have accepted the postion of deputy leader and waited two years. The press have now jumped on this sorry business in order to make us look like idiots. All Kilroy has done is put back our cause by months if not years.
In short I would suggest we concentrate on the next election and try to forget this sorry mess.

mkpdavies · 29-10-2004, 01:53 PM

I kind of agree with your sentiment, but I do think we should not let the media convince us that this has caused us any real damage.

Look at the facts, RKS wanted to get the leadership, probably with good intentions as he believes he can run it better. The party asked it's branches and most of them agreed that we should not go against our constitution and have a premature election. RKS takes a step back, we all know that we get the chance to vote him in or not after the election

So we are all here still, still trying to pull us out of the EU. No real damage.

Carl Faulkner · 29-10-2004, 02:01 PM

He couldn't just 'take over' the party...he could only have become leader by virue of a popular vote of the membership. Quite obviously, Kilroy thought he could win; Knapamn was afraid he might lose.

He has exposed the undemocratic nature of the party leadership. An unelected leader who became leader when membership was probably 20% of what it is now.

Whether you want Knapman or Kilroy, this was the first time in the party's history that there was a genuine choice between two experienced politicians.

The next general election with a newly elected leader could be over 6 years from now.

Imgine the damage the Labour /Tories and Liberals can do in that time. If someone is in a position to challenge for the leadership because they feel they can do a better job of increasing votes who in their right mind would wait knowing it would be 6 years before they could deliver.

By then, it might be all over for Britain bar the shouting.

Time is running out.

Tony Gardner · 29-10-2004, 02:11 PM

RKS has NOT caused the damage. He is only the catylyst. The current leadership have made a mess of this whole business by not calling an immediate leadership election when the subject was first broached. It seems to me that the current incumbents are determined to 'ride out the storm' and then sit with the other fat cats in EU institutional luxury.

As has happened so often before with others sent to Brussels - they have gone native!

Tony Gardner

johnwest · 29-10-2004, 02:17 PM

I DO believe that Kilroy has a lot to offer the party. I just wish he would stop acting like a loose cannon. As I said before he was offered the position of deputy leader and the chance to run the campaign. This should have been enough in the short term. I know there are problems with the leader's profile at the moment but I still think that Kilroy should prove himself over the few few months before being handed the leadership on a plate by his followers. Is he really commited to our cause or is he just on a ego trip? Only time will tell.

Anthony Butcher · 29-10-2004, 02:41 PM

I don't think that any damage has been done. In fact, over the past few weeks, the party has demonstrated that it can't be bought by donors (unlike the other parties) and can't be brow-beaten by celebrities. I think that is a pretty good public image.

The public row over the leadership has created lots of media interest, and to some extent, that is always good for creating awareness of UKIP as a serious political player.

ldatakiller · 29-10-2004, 03:46 PM

To John West,
I have been in business for many years & I believe that "loose cannons" can be good for either a business or a Political party. If you have a party that "just bobs along, then you are in danger of it becoming stale & hence lose votes. A Loose Cannon stirs things up & allows all concerned people (members, incumbent leaders & non-affiliates etc), to re-evaluate the situation & that can olny ever be for the good. It stops people getting away with things they ought not to be getting away with.
In the case of UKIP, the current leadership needs a good kick up it's collective **** & this should (in my opinion), be done by a leadership challenge NOW so that at the end, we can all get behind the new leader (whoever it is), & get on with the job of getting us the hell out of Europe.

29-10-2004, 01:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
johnwest Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Suffolk Posts: 827 Party: UKIP	Kilroy-Silk. End of a beautiful relationship? I must say that Kilroy has acted with little regard for the party or the country. He is like a spoilt child who can't have all his toys at once. It was madness for him to expect to take over the party after being a member for only a few months. Why should the party constitution be torn up just because Kilroy wants to be leader now? He now claims he does not even agree with UKIP policies. I have no doubt the 'Kilroy' fan club will cry 'how dare you attack our wonderful MEP and future leader'. The fact remains he has caused the party great harm over the last few weeks. If he was commited to getting our country back he would have accepted the postion of deputy leader and waited two years. The press have now jumped on this sorry business in order to make us look like idiots. All Kilroy has done is put back our cause by months if not years. In short I would suggest we concentrate on the next election and try to forget this sorry mess.

29-10-2004, 01:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,615	I kind of agree with your sentiment, but I do think we should not let the media convince us that this has caused us any real damage. Look at the facts, RKS wanted to get the leadership, probably with good intentions as he believes he can run it better. The party asked it's branches and most of them agreed that we should not go against our constitution and have a premature election. RKS takes a step back, we all know that we get the chance to vote him in or not after the election So we are all here still, still trying to pull us out of the EU. No real damage. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

29-10-2004, 02:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
Tony Gardner Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 21	Total aggreement RKS has NOT caused the damage. He is only the catylyst. The current leadership have made a mess of this whole business by not calling an immediate leadership election when the subject was first broached. It seems to me that the current incumbents are determined to 'ride out the storm' and then sit with the other fat cats in EU institutional luxury. As has happened so often before with others sent to Brussels - they have gone native! Tony Gardner

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29-10-2004, 02:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
Carl Faulkner Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 352	He couldn't just 'take over' the party...he could only have become leader by virue of a popular vote of the membership. Quite obviously, Kilroy thought he could win; Knapamn was afraid he might lose. He has exposed the undemocratic nature of the party leadership. An unelected leader who became leader when membership was probably 20% of what it is now. Whether you want Knapman or Kilroy, this was the first time in the party's history that there was a genuine choice between two experienced politicians. The next general election with a newly elected leader could be over 6 years from now. Imgine the damage the Labour /Tories and Liberals can do in that time. If someone is in a position to challenge for the leadership because they feel they can do a better job of increasing votes who in their right mind would wait knowing it would be 6 years before they could deliver. By then, it might be all over for Britain bar the shouting. Time is running out.

29-10-2004, 02:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
johnwest Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Suffolk Posts: 827 Party: UKIP	I DO believe that Kilroy has a lot to offer the party. I just wish he would stop acting like a loose cannon. As I said before he was offered the position of deputy leader and the chance to run the campaign. This should have been enough in the short term. I know there are problems with the leader's profile at the moment but I still think that Kilroy should prove himself over the few few months before being handed the leadership on a plate by his followers. Is he really commited to our cause or is he just on a ego trip? Only time will tell.

29-10-2004, 02:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
Anthony Butcher Administrator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Long Ashton, Bristol Posts: 9,537 Party: None	I don't think that any damage has been done. In fact, over the past few weeks, the party has demonstrated that it can't be bought by donors (unlike the other parties) and can't be brow-beaten by celebrities. I think that is a pretty good public image. The public row over the leadership has created lots of media interest, and to some extent, that is always good for creating awareness of UKIP as a serious political player.

29-10-2004, 03:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
ldatakiller Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 25	To John West, I have been in business for many years & I believe that "loose cannons" can be good for either a business or a Political party. If you have a party that "just bobs along, then you are in danger of it becoming stale & hence lose votes. A Loose Cannon stirs things up & allows all concerned people (members, incumbent leaders & non-affiliates etc), to re-evaluate the situation & that can olny ever be for the good. It stops people getting away with things they ought not to be getting away with. In the case of UKIP, the current leadership needs a good kick up it's collective **** & this should (in my opinion), be done by a leadership challenge NOW so that at the end, we can all get behind the new leader (whoever it is), & get on with the job of getting us the hell out of Europe.