BASILDON BOY

Lets unite now and attack the real enemy...

...the tories!

Independent UKIP

As UKIP will now not oppose any Tory candidate who signs up to the better off out campaign I think your more usual suggestion of attacking the Lib Dems is more apt at this time!

Britannist

One person that UKIP should certainly not put up a candidate against at the next General Election is Bob Spink - Conservative MP at Canvey Island in Essex (Castle Point constituency).

Mr. Spink was the first Conservative MP to speak out in defence of UKIP when David Cameron made his foolish and misguided verbal attack on UKIP in a radio interview on 4.4.2006. Not only did Mr. Spink defend and praise UKIP (after anti-UKIP David Cameron had vilified UKIP) - but he kept on doing so .

UKIP should not use its resources fighting Mr. Spink. They should channel funds and efforts elsewhere in Essex 8) .

brian lee

Britannist wroteThanks for the advice Britannist. However, subject to the new Leader of the Party, the local UKIP branch will take a view on this matter in due course and in relation to the local circumstances which people outside the area are unlikely to know about.

Please bear in mind that at the last General Election, when UKIP stood against Bob Spink, he increased his majority 8 fold from 985 to to 8201. The UKIP vote increased from 1,273 to 3,431 = approximately 7.5% of the poll. The UKIP total spend was less than £1,000.

In contrast, in the recent Bromley by-election against a drop in the Tory vote of 50% from 21,412 to 11,621, Nigel Farage only managed to get 2,347 votes = 8.08% with a spend of upwards of £50,000.

At the 2005 General Election the South Essex Branch did as it was told and fought seven seats.

Michael Hillier

Independent UKIP:

Why should UKIP not oppose any other party. This should be a serious political party and should fight every seat. We should totally attack the tories as they are an opposition party.

How can you support UKIP and talk such rubbish about not opposing another candidate regardless of what party they are from.


Independent UKIP:

YOU SEEM TO KNOW SOMETHING THAT NOBODY ELSE KNOWS.

fARAGE IS NOW NOT OPPOSING TORIES?

tELL ME MORE.

Independent UKIP

Don't attack the messenger Michael! Nigel Farage is now the leader of UKIP. That is his stated position not mine. I want a UKIP candidate in every single local, national & european election that takes place unless it is in the positive interest of UKIP not to stand; regardless of the views of any tory candidate.

On your other point regarding tories that is fair criticism as I specifically referred to the tories because that was what Basildon Boy mentioned. UKIP will now not oppose any Tory, Labour or Lib Dem candidate who has signed up to the better off out campaign.

I spent time tonight listening to a recording of the Radio 4 PM interview with Nigel Farage and he reinforced that statement above. It is clear to me that any UKIP member who stands against a BOO supporter will be acting against the policy of the UK Independence party and presumably therefore subject to expulsion.

BASILDON BOY

UKIP shopuld stand against BobSpink MP - are we that stupid that we have swallowed hook line and sinker the platitudes Spink throws in the direction of UKIP?

He says these things so we dont stand against him - he is still a bloody tory and deserves to have somebody stand aainst him!

Independent UKIP

Regardless of my personal view the new leader of UKIP has clearly said that any candidate who is better placed to win a seat than UKIP who has also signed up to the BOO campaign should not be opposed by UKIP. If Spink has signed up to BOO and I don't know whether he has or not, UKIP cannot now stand a candidate against him. That was very clear from Farage before and has been reinforced by him now he is leader.

Simon Muir

Two comments on this:

Firstly, speaking as a trades unionist, the "Freedom Association" has a nasty, far right history. A "better off out" campaign is a good thing of itself, but if it gains momentum and the press rediscover their archives, things could turn nasty for those associated with it.

Secondly, those constituencies with eurosceptic MPs are often those with the strongest UKIP membership! The two things are interrelated, and not in a simplistic way either: if the area is especially eurosceptic to start with, you'd expect the Tories to reflect that in their choice of candidate/MP. Crucially too, having a credible UKIP opposition to the Tories in place has forced their hand, frequently getting more eurosceptic behaviour out of their people than would otherwise be the case.

So this policy risks damaging our strongest branches, and taking the heat off the Tories, the latter being exactly what Farage's critics have been saying he intended all along.

Not a good start, and this is but one statement!

'spect that's enough to firmly put me in the 'troublemaker' camp.

C_steam

..like you weren't already anyway....................