Spreading the Word: USA delegation

Anthony Butcher · 09-11-2005, 05:13 PM

http://www.ukip.org/abc_news/gen12.php?t=1&id=1680

Quote:

A small delegation of MEPs visited Washington last week, to introduce the ideas and position of the group to a broad cross section of US opinion formers, journalists and legislators.

Their meetings included visiting Congressman Elton Gallegly, Chairman of the "Europe and Emerging Threats" Committee in the US House of Representatives. They also visited distinguished think-tanks like the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation in order to exchange ideas.

Nigel Farage said "We have met a significant number of new contacts which will prove useful in the future, and let the Washington political set know that we and not the Conservative Party are the real voice of opposition".

The delegation consisted of:

Nigel Farage MEP
Godfrey Bloom MEP
Vladimìr Železný MEP
Mrs. Godfrey Bloom
Gawain Towler, Head of Media for IND/DEM Group (Brussels)
Stephen Sobey, Press Secretary for IND/DEM (London)
Emma Brader, Assistant to Godfrey Bloom.
The trip was funded exclusively by the TBO Group.

mkpdavies · 09-11-2005, 05:37 PM

Good work. We need all the support we can get.

Roger Gough · 10-11-2005, 05:10 PM

I can authoritatively reveal to them that Arnold Schwarzenegger is not, at present, prepared to reply to letters from UKIP supporters asking for support against an anti-democratic organisation called the 'EU'. He gave me a complete blank (if my letter got to him :? ). I did not refer to him as an Austrian corporal either.

mkpdavies · 10-11-2005, 05:11 PM

He's too busy building his Arnie for president campaign in 2012.

Sarumano · 12-11-2005, 04:53 PM

I like the sound of "Europe and Emerging Threats Committee"

Do we think UKIP could have a permanent seat on it?

Anthony Butcher · 12-11-2005, 11:47 PM

Quote:

UKIP visit to Washington DC

31st October – 4th November 2005

The Visit

The Group consisted of the MEPs Nigel Farage, Godfrey Bloom and Vladimir Zelezny. Mrs Bloom also attended.

Staff taken on the trip: Gawain Towler (Head of Media Ind/Dem Group), Stephen Sobey (Press Secretary) and Emma Brader (PA to Godfrey Bloom and trip organiser). The trip was sponsored by the TBO Group.

Objectives

The principle objective of the trip was to introduce UKIP and the Ind/Dem Group to the top table of the American political establishment, by meeting think tanks, the media and politicians.

Agenda

Monday

The group paid its respects at the grave of Field Marshall Sir John Dill, British WWII liaison officer with the US at the American National War Memorial Arlington (see photo above).

Meetings were held with the American Enterprise Institute and the Project for a New American Century. Both organisations are key advisors to the White House and the State Department on general foreign policy, with particular reference to US policy towards Europe. There was a strong broad agreement about the growing threat that the current policy direction of the EU posed to US interests. Simultaneously there was a broad agreement that an independent Britain would be no bad thing.

Tuesday

The group held an in depth discussion with Dan Mitchell at the Heritage Foundation. Mitchell is possibly the world's leading practical authority on flat taxes, he has advised many of the Eastern European governments who have already introduced the policy. Following the vote at UKIP's annual conference it is important for UKIP to be able to access the very best brains the world has to offer on such a contentious and important policy area.

A round table discussion was held at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. The discussions centred on the precautionary principle and the way in which the EU used regulation to stifle business, close down competition and damage the third world. The participants at the discussion were a cross section of business lobbyists and think tank personnel.

This was followed by a long meeting with the Brookings Institute. This is a more stability focussed organisation with strong links to EU associated bodies. They clung to the idea that the EU promotes peace, prosperity and harmony. Indeed, when it was suggested that the proposed EU army might in the long term provide a strategic threat to US military interests, the response was the almost criminally negligent "we will worry about that when it happens".

Wednesday

Nigel Farage spoke at the Wednesday Morning Meeting organised by Grover Norquist. These meetings are the epicentre of centre right political life in Washington. The White House, the Senate, businesses (big and small), think tanks, journalists, Senators and Congressmen upwards of 150 strong cram INTO phpbb_a meeting room to hear what is happening in town. Farage's speech received the loudest and longest applause out of over 30 that took place. It was very apparent that Washington is ripe for the UKIP message of a free and open United Kingdom deciding its own interests and allies.

The group then visited the Cato Institute where further discussions took place surrounding issues such as state interference in the personal life of its citizens, levels of fraud and corruption within the EU, and national self determination.

Later at the Centre for Security Policy we discussed global strategy and the problems involved with being heavily dependent on a hostile middle east for our energy needs.

The day's meetings were rounded off with a discussion with John Fonte at the Hudson Institute. Fonte is the leading intellectual critic of what is described as the "post democratic society". This formulation dreamt up by Eurocrats in Brussels is their excuse for refusing to listen to democratic voices. His analysis of the situation in the EU chimed wholeheartedly with ours.

Nigel Farage and Vladimir Zelezny returned to Europe at this point

Thursday

The group met with Congressman Elton Gallegly (R), Chairman of the Europe Committee in the US House of Representatives. It was apparent from his lines of questioning that he was highly sympathetic with the UKIP position on withdrawal, but would not be drawn INTO phpbb_outright backing. The official name of the Committee "Europe and Emerging Threats" was named deliberately, thus alerting us to the general position of the Committee.

Discussions with Senator Trent Lott, set up by Dick Morris followed. Senator Lott is a former Republican Party leader in the US Senate. He was particularly interested in the issues of defence interoperability between UK forces and US forces, the way in which the EU has been manoeuvring the UK INTO phpbb_a buy European first policy, and the ramifications for both the Atlantic alliance and NATO in general. Here again the group was pleased to note a great deal of sympathy and nascent support for the UKIP approach to the future of the UK.

Friday

Gawain Towler had further meetings with Eagle Publishing and Emmet Tyrrell, editor and publisher of the American Spectator. In both cases the meetings were very positive.

Results

UKIP, its policies and its grass roots approach are now well and truly planted in the minds of many of the key foreign policy institutes and politicians within Washington.

We have promises of assistance on policy from the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute and the Hudson Institute.

Nigel Farage is now a weekly commentator on EU politics for Radio America, a syndicated radio station with an audited audience of 12 million listeners, the only elected UK politician with such media access.

http://www.radioamerica.org/Program2003/battleline.htm

We are writing an EU column for Human Events, the oldest centre right weekly newspaper in the US.

http://www.humaneventsonline.com

mkpdavies · 13-11-2005, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Project for a New American Century

:shock:

Lawrie Boxall · 13-11-2005, 12:31 PM

Congratulations to Godfrey Bloom for taking this initiative at long last - why UKIP has ignored the US dimension for so long is yet another mistery. My only criticism is that UKIP also needs to take its pro-democracy arguments to think tanks and leaders of the Democrats. Please correct me if I am wrong but it looks like UKIPs audience was exclusively Republican.

09-11-2005, 05:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 31,182 Party: Libertarian Party	Good work. We need all the support we can get. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

10-11-2005, 05:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 31,182 Party: Libertarian Party	He's too busy building his Arnie for president campaign in 2012. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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10-11-2005, 05:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
Roger Gough Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Hotel California Posts: 708	I can authoritatively reveal to them that Arnold Schwarzenegger is not, at present, prepared to reply to letters from UKIP supporters asking for support against an anti-democratic organisation called the 'EU'. He gave me a complete blank (if my letter got to him :? ). I did not refer to him as an Austrian corporal either.

12-11-2005, 04:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
Sarumano Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Salisbury Posts: 309	I like the sound of "Europe and Emerging Threats Committee" Do we think UKIP could have a permanent seat on it?

13-11-2005, 12:31 PM	#8 (permalink)
Lawrie Boxall Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sandhurst Posts: 1,015	Congratulations to Godfrey Bloom for taking this initiative at long last - why UKIP has ignored the US dimension for so long is yet another mistery. My only criticism is that UKIP also needs to take its pro-democracy arguments to think tanks and leaders of the Democrats. Please correct me if I am wrong but it looks like UKIPs audience was exclusively Republican.