UKIP Branch Startups Support

Percy the Poodle · 01-10-2005, 06:52 PM

In my view the reason for branches is simple and irrefutable and is supported the use of them by the three traditional parties.

As we have a constituency system in this country, what better way to organise people to fight General Election campaigns. It is blindingly obvious.

To fight election you need as Steve says, money. You also need an appealling message and manifesto to sell to voters as all the money in the world won't win if people think you're wrong.

To keep enough people on board you also need as Matt suggested fun that goes beyond the drudge activities. You have to keep people motivated to do the leafletting and the car boot sales by giving them meetings, debates and booze-ups (if that is what it takes) to develop a sense of community between them. The best branches I have seen are the ones where the members are good friends with each other - they deliver the most leaflets and raise the most cash because they are enjoying what they're doing. It is nice to have one member doing a car boot once a month but its much better to have two because it minimises the chances of the one getting fed up and leaving.

It is obvious that where there are tiny numbers of active members a branch may not be viable to create the necessary community or raise the necessary amount of money. But even if you then draw together resources at a higher level to get a big enough organisation then the political weight (and money) should be directed INTO phpbb_the best seat in that area to maximise the electoral impact.

It is also obvious that people who are motivated to do fund raising etc. are very interested in politics and need opportunities to discuss and even rant about their views. Its their time and money that they are giving after all and they should be listened to. If they don't get these opportunities they will most likely feel abused and unvalued. Volunteers need cherishing.

B.A.Ware · 02-10-2005, 02:32 AM

You can still have a branch that does not stand in elections but increases the overall vote in the country.

Oliver · 02-10-2005, 02:50 PM

Hello Lads would have been here earlier but just finished and excellent door stop sandwich it was at least 3" thick tuna beetroot and onion, oh and it was made with a "Grand Rustique" not quite a stotty and wrong shape, but a passable substitute, xenophobe, not in this house. Better get to the thread or Anthony's twitchy delete finger might be finding work!
Branches should not be called branches but roots! we are not sticky out bits of a tree (Head Office can never be that), also the ukip tree has a few woodworm and is not supporting anything.the tree is every member Roots however are the things that draw up nourishent (Money if you like, Steve) but much more than that As an ASSOCIATION we are the party at any given location. We are equals are we not? do we stay mute until Nige or Roge etc say something, get real! All the political monoliths are centralizing and making head office the party. No I say, we are trying to represent ukip as different lets start here, the Association is the unit.We as a party want to represent direct democracy, not pyramid heirarchies. We have presumed too much in the past, now the cabal have us over a barrel and dont we know it. I begin to understand S Allisons appointment better if we are to be regarded as fund raisers and nothing much more. But for crying out loud, all local branches must realise at their begining they have hard work to do to fund not only themselves but also the bigger picture. We are still a very young party, but some of us have experienced life before UKIP. I dont like it when paid party workers pressume we are a bit wooden or worse and need to be told which way is up. I am root material not branch if you get my drift.

Also I want peace to break out in UKIP surely non of us is wanting to drive others away even if there is personality politics from time to time, of all parties surely we should be able to find grounds for tolerance of each other for we serve a good cause, a nations cause. Let us root those pillocks out who constantly cause division and weaken the partyand put its very existence at risk let us get our party back.

Tom Wilde · 02-10-2005, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oliver

Branches should not be called branches but roots! we are not sticky out bits of a tree (Head Office can never be that), also the ukip tree has a few woodworm and is not supporting anything.the tree is every member Roots however are the things that draw up nourishent

I really like this. Roots not branches. I'm going to remember that.

C_steam · 02-10-2005, 03:35 PM

On the other hand, braches may be more appropriate. There is a current corporate craze for organisations to draw their org charts 'upside down' so to speak, to try to demonstrate how higher management 'supports' those 'above'.

All a bit too David Brent for me though!

Clippo · 04-10-2005, 08:04 PM

There's no hidden inferences in this question but could somebody tell me where UKIP's money goes ?
A recent thread (can't remember which one) implied that there were 20,000+ members. At what, an average of ? £15 ? membership fee (is this realistic), by my maths that a big pile of cash. I know fighting elections is expensive - how many UKIP candidates stumped up their own cash?

mkpdavies · 04-10-2005, 08:06 PM

Near as damn it all of them.

Gotta admit, I do wonder about money.

Alex McKee · 04-10-2005, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oliver

Hello Lads would have been here earlier but just finished and excellent door stop sandwich it was at least 3" thick tuna beetroot and onion, oh and it was made with a "Grand Rustique" not quite a stotty and wrong shape, but a passable substitute, xenophobe, not in this house. Better get to the thread or Anthony's twitchy delete finger might be finding work!
Branches should not be called branches but roots! we are not sticky out bits of a tree (Head Office can never be that), also the ukip tree has a few woodworm and is not supporting anything.the tree is every member Roots however are the things that draw up nourishent (Money if you like, Steve) but much more than that As an ASSOCIATION we are the party at any given location. We are equals are we not? do we stay mute until Nige or Roge etc say something, get real! All the political monoliths are centralizing and making head office the party. No I say, we are trying to represent ukip as different lets start here, the Association is the unit.We as a party want to represent direct democracy, not pyramid heirarchies. We have presumed too much in the past, now the cabal have us over a barrel and dont we know it. I begin to understand S Allisons appointment better if we are to be regarded as fund raisers and nothing much more. But for crying out loud, all local branches must realise at their begining they have hard work to do to fund not only themselves but also the bigger picture. We are still a very young party, but some of us have experienced life before UKIP. I dont like it when paid party workers pressume we are a bit wooden or worse and need to be told which way is up. I am root material not branch if you get my drift.

Also I want peace to break out in UKIP surely non of us is wanting to drive others away even if there is personality politics from time to time, of all parties surely we should be able to find grounds for tolerance of each other for we serve a good cause, a nations cause. Let us root those pillocks out who constantly cause division and weaken the partyand put its very existence at risk let us get our party back.

Hurrah! I quite agree! Well said that man.

This is what I mean though. People can work well together, certainly I would have packed up long ago without other members in the area, and/or this forum.

Alex

steve allison · 04-10-2005, 09:35 PM

Branches (or roots if you prefer) are obviously about more than just raising money BUT like it or not money is the nourishment that feeds any political party, especially one like ours. We wouldn't have to complain about the press not covering us if we could afford to buy space. Instead of working our backsides off to get a snippet here and a snippet there just think how nice it would be to phone up the Times or The Sun and dictate the copy exactly as you wanted it.......cost unfortunately, well above our heads.

In any organisation you have to have objectives. What are the Branch Objectives? If you say it is to have fun then why bother with the politics at all? Anyone who has delivered leaflets in the pouring rain, had yet another 5 minute conversation on a door step that culminated in "Well I agree with you about Europe but I'm voting Lib-Dem to get the Tories/Labour out" will know that fun is often hard to come by. Do Branches exist to raise awareness of the Party? If so why? Thousands of people are aware of UKIP but don't vote for use.

I agree that volunteers need to be cherished but you don't cherish people by telling them half truths to keep them happy. This is short term thinking that inevitably leads to disappointment when reality raises its head, the over hyped expectations of the 2005 General Election being the obvious example.

As regards “starting to understand my appointment as By-elections Campaign Manager”. I assure you there is no hidden agenda, well not from me anyway, if you suspect there is one then please let me know what you think it is???? I am a professional project manager and my appointment is purely aimed at trying to make UKIP more efficient. A by-election campaign is very short, a matter of a few weeks only and they can come up at a moment’s notice. There isn't time to recover if you make any serious mistakes, the financial position, legal requirements, key dates/times and of course the volunteers all need to be co-ordinated and re-inventing the wheel every time we fight a by-election is not an efficient way to use our resources. The party are already considering the lessons of South Staffs and Livingston and I hope to run by-election training sessions in the near future to pass on the learning experience. There are several things I would do very differently next time!

What we do need is a fighting fund (sorry to be back to money) and a core team ready to go at a moment's notice. This means getting the call on a Tuesday afternoon and being in the constituency putting up posters on Wednesday. Spending the first few days of a campaign raising money misses the vital early start. Lib-dems, the acknowledged by-election masters, will have an advance team in the constituency setting up while the late MP is still warm! We also need reliable teams of volunteers who can turn up when required to canvas, deliver leaflets, put up posters. Anyone who fancies it please contact me! It can actually be fun!

mkpdavies · 04-10-2005, 09:38 PM

I would be up for some hit squad stuff, doing leaflets and canvassing, but I can't say I am fully reliable, as I work!

I do shift work though, so I do get windows of opportunity nearly every month.

Certainly bear me in mind.

04-10-2005, 08:06 PM	#27 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 31,182 Party: Libertarian Party	Near as damn it all of them. Gotta admit, I do wonder about money. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

04-10-2005, 09:38 PM	#30 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 31,182 Party: Libertarian Party	I would be up for some hit squad stuff, doing leaflets and canvassing, but I can't say I am fully reliable, as I work! I do shift work though, so I do get windows of opportunity nearly every month. Certainly bear me in mind. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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01-10-2005, 06:52 PM	#21 (permalink)
Percy the Poodle Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: East Devon Posts: 362	In my view the reason for branches is simple and irrefutable and is supported the use of them by the three traditional parties. As we have a constituency system in this country, what better way to organise people to fight General Election campaigns. It is blindingly obvious. To fight election you need as Steve says, money. You also need an appealling message and manifesto to sell to voters as all the money in the world won't win if people think you're wrong. To keep enough people on board you also need as Matt suggested fun that goes beyond the drudge activities. You have to keep people motivated to do the leafletting and the car boot sales by giving them meetings, debates and booze-ups (if that is what it takes) to develop a sense of community between them. The best branches I have seen are the ones where the members are good friends with each other - they deliver the most leaflets and raise the most cash because they are enjoying what they're doing. It is nice to have one member doing a car boot once a month but its much better to have two because it minimises the chances of the one getting fed up and leaving. It is obvious that where there are tiny numbers of active members a branch may not be viable to create the necessary community or raise the necessary amount of money. But even if you then draw together resources at a higher level to get a big enough organisation then the political weight (and money) should be directed INTO phpbb_the best seat in that area to maximise the electoral impact. It is also obvious that people who are motivated to do fund raising etc. are very interested in politics and need opportunities to discuss and even rant about their views. Its their time and money that they are giving after all and they should be listened to. If they don't get these opportunities they will most likely feel abused and unvalued. Volunteers need cherishing.

02-10-2005, 02:32 AM	#22 (permalink)
B.A.Ware Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Birmingham Posts: 4,640 Party: UKIP	You can still have a branch that does not stand in elections but increases the overall vote in the country.

02-10-2005, 02:50 PM	#23 (permalink)
Oliver Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: WHITBY North Yorkshire (but my heart is in Woking) Posts: 1,062	Hello Lads would have been here earlier but just finished and excellent door stop sandwich it was at least 3" thick tuna beetroot and onion, oh and it was made with a "Grand Rustique" not quite a stotty and wrong shape, but a passable substitute, xenophobe, not in this house. Better get to the thread or Anthony's twitchy delete finger might be finding work! Branches should not be called branches but roots! we are not sticky out bits of a tree (Head Office can never be that), also the ukip tree has a few woodworm and is not supporting anything.the tree is every member Roots however are the things that draw up nourishent (Money if you like, Steve) but much more than that As an ASSOCIATION we are the party at any given location. We are equals are we not? do we stay mute until Nige or Roge etc say something, get real! All the political monoliths are centralizing and making head office the party. No I say, we are trying to represent ukip as different lets start here, the Association is the unit.We as a party want to represent direct democracy, not pyramid heirarchies. We have presumed too much in the past, now the cabal have us over a barrel and dont we know it. I begin to understand S Allisons appointment better if we are to be regarded as fund raisers and nothing much more. But for crying out loud, all local branches must realise at their begining they have hard work to do to fund not only themselves but also the bigger picture. We are still a very young party, but some of us have experienced life before UKIP. I dont like it when paid party workers pressume we are a bit wooden or worse and need to be told which way is up. I am root material not branch if you get my drift. Also I want peace to break out in UKIP surely non of us is wanting to drive others away even if there is personality politics from time to time, of all parties surely we should be able to find grounds for tolerance of each other for we serve a good cause, a nations cause. Let us root those pillocks out who constantly cause division and weaken the partyand put its very existence at risk let us get our party back.

02-10-2005, 03:35 PM	#25 (permalink)
C_steam Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Paddling up 5hit creek..... Posts: 7,803	On the other hand, braches may be more appropriate. There is a current corporate craze for organisations to draw their org charts 'upside down' so to speak, to try to demonstrate how higher management 'supports' those 'above'. All a bit too David Brent for me though!

04-10-2005, 08:04 PM	#26 (permalink)
Clippo Uber Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Cheshire Posts: 2,273	There's no hidden inferences in this question but could somebody tell me where UKIP's money goes ? A recent thread (can't remember which one) implied that there were 20,000+ members. At what, an average of ? £15 ? membership fee (is this realistic), by my maths that a big pile of cash. I know fighting elections is expensive - how many UKIP candidates stumped up their own cash?

04-10-2005, 09:35 PM	#29 (permalink)
steve allison Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 125	Branches (or roots if you prefer) are obviously about more than just raising money BUT like it or not money is the nourishment that feeds any political party, especially one like ours. We wouldn't have to complain about the press not covering us if we could afford to buy space. Instead of working our backsides off to get a snippet here and a snippet there just think how nice it would be to phone up the Times or The Sun and dictate the copy exactly as you wanted it.......cost unfortunately, well above our heads. In any organisation you have to have objectives. What are the Branch Objectives? If you say it is to have fun then why bother with the politics at all? Anyone who has delivered leaflets in the pouring rain, had yet another 5 minute conversation on a door step that culminated in "Well I agree with you about Europe but I'm voting Lib-Dem to get the Tories/Labour out" will know that fun is often hard to come by. Do Branches exist to raise awareness of the Party? If so why? Thousands of people are aware of UKIP but don't vote for use. I agree that volunteers need to be cherished but you don't cherish people by telling them half truths to keep them happy. This is short term thinking that inevitably leads to disappointment when reality raises its head, the over hyped expectations of the 2005 General Election being the obvious example. As regards “starting to understand my appointment as By-elections Campaign Manager”. I assure you there is no hidden agenda, well not from me anyway, if you suspect there is one then please let me know what you think it is???? I am a professional project manager and my appointment is purely aimed at trying to make UKIP more efficient. A by-election campaign is very short, a matter of a few weeks only and they can come up at a moment’s notice. There isn't time to recover if you make any serious mistakes, the financial position, legal requirements, key dates/times and of course the volunteers all need to be co-ordinated and re-inventing the wheel every time we fight a by-election is not an efficient way to use our resources. The party are already considering the lessons of South Staffs and Livingston and I hope to run by-election training sessions in the near future to pass on the learning experience. There are several things I would do very differently next time! What we do need is a fighting fund (sorry to be back to money) and a core team ready to go at a moment's notice. This means getting the call on a Tuesday afternoon and being in the constituency putting up posters on Wednesday. Spending the first few days of a campaign raising money misses the vital early start. Lib-dems, the acknowledged by-election masters, will have an advance team in the constituency setting up while the late MP is still warm! We also need reliable teams of volunteers who can turn up when required to canvas, deliver leaflets, put up posters. Anyone who fancies it please contact me! It can actually be fun!