John Page

In this thread I'd like to give examples of press releases I wish UKIP had issued.

Please don't get hung up on the exact wording. These are not designed to be professional, finished articles, just examples of what I think could be done.

It would be good to see more ideas for press releases posted in this thread.

If you have a comment on the substance of what I've written, could you use another thread? Then we can keep this one free for the subject of Press Releases.

To stress for casual readers, nothing in this thread has been issued by UKIP.

John Page

John Page

This is not a UKIP press release.

UKIP, the anti-EU party which gained over 600,000 votes in the general election, commented today on reports of the UK's budget proposals for the European Union.

The party called on the government to spell out how much taxpayers' money it proposes to pay towards structural improvements and farming subsidies in the new East European entrant countries.

A spokesman said:

"Britain is a generous nation. UKIP supports donations of aid to disaster victims and poor countries in cost effective ways.

"There are many countries in the world that are poorer than Poland and other recent entrants to the European Union. We do not believe that these European nations are the best candidates for UK aid donations to other countries.

"UKIP also opposes the moral obscenity of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy in subsidising farmers in wealthy countries, to the disadvantage of the world's poor."

This is not a UKIP press release.

John Page

This is not a UKIP press release.

UKIP, the anti-EU party which gained over 600,000 votes in the general election, commented today on the proposed European Evidence Warrant (EEW).

The party called on the government to veto the proposal when it is debated this week.

A UKIP spokesman said:"Should European Union countries have the automatic right to gather evidence in the UK to support allegations of activities which may not even be illegal here? We say No.

"UKIP believes in civil liberties. This proposal would give more rights to European Union countries, and reduce the rights of British citizens.

"We urge all parties to join with us in opposing it."

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Note to Editors:

A House of Commons Committee has expressed "grave doubts about applying the principle of mutual recognition to orders which are made without the person affected being given an opportunity to be heard in his defence.... These doubts would be substantial enough if the foreign orders were made by a court or a similar body having recognisably judicial functions. They are made the more serious by the possibility under this proposal that the orders of a foreign police force, customs or border authority would have to be given effect in this country with no further judicial validation here."

They added that "We ... have expressed in the strongest terms our concern that the measure could and would be used by foreign authorities to subject persons in this country to the exercise of police powers when, under the laws of the various parts of the United Kingdom, they have done nothing wrong."

The Commons Commitee pointed out that "Above all is the consideration that it is for the foreign issuing authority to classify the conduct as one of the offences in the list. For example, if a foreign authority were to regard the publishing by a journalist of an article trivialising war crimes as the offence of "racism and xenophobia", or the paying of officials for information about fraud or mismanagement by public bodies as "corruption", then under the EEW a journalist who had written such an article or arranged for such payments here would be at risk of a search of his home and office in this country in support of the foreign criminal proceedings."

The Committee's full comments are at http://www.publications.parliament.u...34-ix/3403.htm

This is not a UKIP press release.

David Holland

That is one reason why I left the Lib Dems and joined UKIP. I can see the case why we should give aid to poor countries (lets not debate the pros and cons in this thread) but to Spain !
Come on why ? Although one Lib Dem told me, maybe Spain buys more from us that we give to them, which I think is rubbish !

John Page

This is not a UKIP press release.

UKIP, the anti-EU party which gained over 600,000 votes in the general election, has criticised the government decision not to widen the M11 north of Stansted.

A UKIP spokesman said:

"This decision will astonish anyone who uses that stretch of the M11 regularly. Even with the planned expansion of Stansted Airport, the government claims this section of the M11 will not reach capacity until 2021. This is nonsense.

"The government pays our money to the European Union to subsidise motorway building in Hungary, but it seems we cannot afford a proper motorway network here.

"This decision was announced to the government's East of England Regional Office. Once again this costly, unnecessary layer of government has proved itself ineffective."

This is not a UKIP press release.

==========

Comments:

This builds on my blog at http://eastofenglandregionnothanks.b...-strategy.html - are there sources for announcements about other Regions?

At the moment we seem to have an issue with national media in that the debate may have moved on by the time we are ready to comment. But most local papers publish weekly, so we should often have time to issue something. And local radio stations are often keen for material.

Maybe we just need one volunteer to monitor each Region and liaise with whoever in UKIP to get something out to local media.

If we start sending comments to them, they will start coming to us.

Hopefully this is an example of what could be done.

Regards


John Page

Phat Boy Fat

John, I like your ideas mate, your 'Press releases' are well punchy ! Perhaps you should send 'em to head office rather than posting them here !

John Page

This is not a UKIP press release.

UKIP, the party which advocates withdrawal from the EU and gained over 600,000 votes in the last general election, called on the Prime Minister to justify paying more for membership of the European Union..

"Membership of the European Union is already a net cost to each of us of £XXX a year", a UKIP spokesman said. "That is £XXXx4 a year for a family of four. And we see no benefits.

"Now Mr Blair wants to give in to pressure from other members of the European Union and increase this cost still further. He says he wants to help East European countries.

"We all agree with aid to poor nations. But our overseas aid should go to poor people in the third world, rather than to subsidise projects like the building of motorways in Hungary and increasing competitive pressures on the UK from within Europe.

"Why does the Prime Minister think this is good use of UK taxpayers' money?

"We say it is not. It is a weak gesture from a Prime Minister in a hurry."

This is not a UKIP press release.


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Poster's comments -

I'm not saying my suggestions for press releases are perfect. What I *am* saying is that we should be getting stuff out there.

For goodness sake, for once the European Union is at the centre of the news. And where are we?

Phat Boy Fat - thanks for your encouragement. That's two of us who think we should be out there!


John Page

scotgirl

slight issue i have the raising the amount of votes UKIP recived in every brief may not be the answer an immediate parady would be

and UKIP who recieved 2.2% of the vote, so not so good and in my opinion not the way to go

however the real issue isnt the content of the updates the real question is why they are not getting done already

John Page

*** This is not a UKIP press release ***

UKIP, the party which advocates withdrawal from the EU and gained over 600,000 votes in the last general election, has rejected Peter Mandelson's defence of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) yesterday.

A UKIP spokesman said, "The Common Agricultural Policy costs each of us in this country £X a year. For a family of four that is £(Xx4) annually.

"We pay that partly through higher food prices, and partly as direct subsidies to inefficient European farmers.

"Commissioner Mandelson accepts that 'the CAP needs reform and spending needs lowering'. But he seems to be satisfied that there are what he calls small revolutions going on in the CAP.

"We should scrap the Common Agricultural Policy entirely. If a country wants to subsidise its farmers, it should use its own money.

"Most British taxpayers earn a lot less than Mr Mandelson. Why should they have to pay this expensive subsidy to European farmers year after year?"

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Note to editors:

Mr Mandelson's comments were reported widely. See for instance http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/2005...5683a03754.htm

*** This is not a UKIP press release ***

John Page

A look at this morning's papers shows many of them reporting what Peter Mandelson said on television yesterday, Sunday. (See my post above.)

Sunday is a slow news day, hence they have someone watching TV for material!

Why can't we do this, and then get comment out in time for the press deadlines? That would give us several hours!

Probably there are only about 10 important programmes to cover. UKIP just needs a group of volunteers who will agree among themselves each week who will cover which programme, and when they find something useful report it and possibly draft a release.

Is this so hard to arrange? We might even get more coverage as Monday mornings are light news times.


John Page