Members Association banned from the conference

Anthony Butcher · 08-10-2005, 10:20 PM

Despite having widespread support from senior party members for our objectives, and despite having permission for a stall at the conference, we were banned from handing out any literature at all.

The order came from Mark Croucher. We believe that Mark deliberately waited until the Saturday morning to inform us so that we had no time to contact anyone to support our case. He informed us that if we attempted to hand out any leaflets they would all be confiscated. This is a terrible way to treat loyal party members, I think that you will agree.

However, we obliged, and duly didn't hand out any leaflets or kick up a fuss. That isn't what the Members Association is about.

Then, to our amazement, during his main speach at the end of the day Nigel Farage berated the Members Association for handing out leaflets outside the conference hall!

It is possible that he confused us with the Conservative party members (Richard North) handing out some anti-UKIP leaflets outside the hall, but I certainly don't feel that to be an adequate excuse. If you are going to have a go at another group of members, you should always check your facts first. Nigel did apparently apologise for this to David Lamb afterwards, but he had already damaged the group unfairly.

Tom Wilde · 08-10-2005, 11:18 PM

This is pretty poor. Any comments, Mark? Why was the Members Association banned from handing out literature?

Also, if Nigel Farage mistakenly attacked the Members Association in his conference speech for something they hadn't done, I think it is only fair that this confusion be put right by a note from him in the next magazine.

Anthony Butcher · 08-10-2005, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Wilde

This is pretty poor. Any comments, Mark? Why was the Members Association banned from handing out literature?

The explanation that he gave was that they didn't like the first leaflet, despite the fact that we had changed the "offending" bits.

It wasn't so much that we were stopped from handing them out, as much as the fact that he left it until we turned up to tell us. This meant that we wasted many hours, and an awful lot of paper and ink. I reckon that Mark owes us some cash to cover:

500 newsletters
500 pamphlets
500 application forms
1 laminated sign
4 sheets of stickers

B.A.Ware · 09-10-2005, 01:09 AM

I really can’t believe you stood for it you had a verbal contract for a table and you should have told them to get stuffed and done what you wanted to do.
I really can’t believe these reports on one hand the biscuitman says it was great and on this post it says the opposite.

Anthony Butcher · 09-10-2005, 01:26 AM

We could have had a big row about it, walked around handing leaflets to as many people as possible and then been evicted from the conference. I am not sure how that would help to improve the party in the long run.

The MA isn't about causing trouble, it is about improving the party. We got a lot of support from senior UKIPpers, and I don't think that Mark and Nigel will have done themselves any favours by taking this stance. It is clearly choking positive ideas and projects from the party.

However, I hope that our civil response has demonstrated our sincerity, rather than making us look like trouble makers. I was really proud of our bunch. Having been so badly treated, they took it with a smile, and we all went of for a long lunch/drink later.

In the future, if we handle things better, we may not see this kind of resistance. We have learned a hard lesson today about how to go about making these changes.

B.A.Ware · 09-10-2005, 01:41 AM

You can go away for as many lunch breaks as you want, pat each other on the back and say well we are righteous we did nothing that Nigel didn’t want us to do, and where does that get you bloody nowhere.
Perhaps I’m to direct for this I’m glad I wasn’t there because perhaps I would have done the cause more harm than good.
Doubt it though

Bluemerle · 09-10-2005, 10:16 AM

Nigel sounds as though he was acting like a Stalinist, clamping down on free speech, ban the MA. He needs to be told that it isn't the "Farage" party.

No wonder the party is in a mess, the leadership are causing all the mess in my opinion. :twisted:

Anthony Butcher · 09-10-2005, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluemerle

Nigel sounds as though he was acting like a Stalinist, clamping down on free speech, ban the MA. He needs to be told that it isn't the "Farage" party.

No wonder the party is in a mess, the leadership are causing all the mess in my opinion. :twisted:

I can understand where Nigel was coming from on this. He is protecting the UKIP name from being used by other groups. There is indeed a chance that someone else could cause real embarrassment if using the name in an official sounding way. It was the way we were treated that bothered me, rather than his objections themselves.

komerad · 09-10-2005, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

We could have had a big row about it, walked around handing leaflets to as many people as possible and then been evicted from the conference. I am not sure how that would help to improve the party in the long run.
. We have learned a hard lesson today about how to go about making these changes.

I agree with your commemts above,although it must have been extremely
disapointing & very ,very fraustrating.
To be told the decision on the morning of Conference,shows a lack of professionalism on the part of the party hierachy and indeed, a lack of respect for the members of the Association.
It appears sometimes, in fact quite often, that Farage considers UKIP is his personal property & whatever he says, goes. Democracy?
He should remember,without us, the membership, he's out of a job come the next elections.

arden forester · 09-10-2005, 11:43 AM

Mark Croucher and Wallace Hobson! Good thing you didn't heckle, Anthony!

Quote:

One of the over-zealous bouncers was named yesterday as Wallace Hobson, a former Labour councillor from South Shields, Tyne and Wear. Party colleagues declined to comment on the affair, although one described him as "nice and gentle".

http://www.stoppoliticalterror.com/i...geid=5&id=1796

08-10-2005, 10:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
Anthony Butcher Administrator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Long Ashton, Bristol Posts: 10,208 Party: None	Members Association banned from the conference Despite having widespread support from senior party members for our objectives, and despite having permission for a stall at the conference, we were banned from handing out any literature at all. The order came from Mark Croucher. We believe that Mark deliberately waited until the Saturday morning to inform us so that we had no time to contact anyone to support our case. He informed us that if we attempted to hand out any leaflets they would all be confiscated. This is a terrible way to treat loyal party members, I think that you will agree. However, we obliged, and duly didn't hand out any leaflets or kick up a fuss. That isn't what the Members Association is about. Then, to our amazement, during his main speach at the end of the day Nigel Farage berated the Members Association for handing out leaflets outside the conference hall! It is possible that he confused us with the Conservative party members (Richard North) handing out some anti-UKIP leaflets outside the hall, but I certainly don't feel that to be an adequate excuse. If you are going to have a go at another group of members, you should always check your facts first. Nigel did apparently apologise for this to David Lamb afterwards, but he had already damaged the group unfairly.

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08-10-2005, 11:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tom Wilde Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: London. Posts: 2,914	This is pretty poor. Any comments, Mark? Why was the Members Association banned from handing out literature? Also, if Nigel Farage mistakenly attacked the Members Association in his conference speech for something they hadn't done, I think it is only fair that this confusion be put right by a note from him in the next magazine.

09-10-2005, 01:09 AM	#4 (permalink)
B.A.Ware Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Birmingham Posts: 4,640 Party: UKIP	I really can’t believe you stood for it you had a verbal contract for a table and you should have told them to get stuffed and done what you wanted to do. I really can’t believe these reports on one hand the biscuitman says it was great and on this post it says the opposite.

09-10-2005, 01:26 AM	#5 (permalink)
Anthony Butcher Administrator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Long Ashton, Bristol Posts: 10,208 Party: None	We could have had a big row about it, walked around handing leaflets to as many people as possible and then been evicted from the conference. I am not sure how that would help to improve the party in the long run. The MA isn't about causing trouble, it is about improving the party. We got a lot of support from senior UKIPpers, and I don't think that Mark and Nigel will have done themselves any favours by taking this stance. It is clearly choking positive ideas and projects from the party. However, I hope that our civil response has demonstrated our sincerity, rather than making us look like trouble makers. I was really proud of our bunch. Having been so badly treated, they took it with a smile, and we all went of for a long lunch/drink later. In the future, if we handle things better, we may not see this kind of resistance. We have learned a hard lesson today about how to go about making these changes.

09-10-2005, 01:41 AM	#6 (permalink)
B.A.Ware Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Birmingham Posts: 4,640 Party: UKIP	You can go away for as many lunch breaks as you want, pat each other on the back and say well we are righteous we did nothing that Nigel didn’t want us to do, and where does that get you bloody nowhere. Perhaps I’m to direct for this I’m glad I wasn’t there because perhaps I would have done the cause more harm than good. Doubt it though

09-10-2005, 10:16 AM	#7 (permalink)
Bluemerle Uber Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dorset. Posts: 3,252	Nigel sounds as though he was acting like a Stalinist, clamping down on free speech, ban the MA. He needs to be told that it isn't the "Farage" party. No wonder the party is in a mess, the leadership are causing all the mess in my opinion. :twisted: