Millennium3

Any progress that UKIP makes will put pressure on the Tories. What is important is whether leadership decisions are made to achieve the steady development of UKIP or stunts for momentary political capital.

HarryUKIP

It is a pity that Richard has not only resigned from the NEC but also from the party.

However as he himself explains he was prepared to forgive Nigel for the disgraceful antics of his supporters providing they were reigned in and Nigel embraced his opposition to pull the party together.

Nigel told Richard that he will not be doing this and intends to settle scores and my prediction of a "night of the long knives" is sadly correct. Although most of the targets seem to be abandoning UKIP rather than stay in and be "punished".

Richard had one last go at using an olive branch with Nigel but Nigel trod on it and that has led to this resignation.

We are losing far too many able people. Right at the time when a reinvigorated UKIP could have seized the opportunity of the clustering of other parties at the Centre.

If all UKIP amounts to is "Nigel and chums", what happens if the "news of the screws" stuff does him terminal damage? A party needs to amount to more than one man to have a future.

jp

As an RS voter I would also like to identify myself with these comments

eublues

Richard could have hung on to try to influence events positively in a calm way. If he was determined to resign he could have couched his letter in less lurid, scattergun terms (especially when put into the public arena).

Some of his criticisms may have substance but I also think he inflates his own achievements and capabilities:

" I am pleased to have been able to help turn UKIP Wales around and put in place foundations for growth and success in the National Assembly Elections next May."

prober

Attempts to hide his letter of resignattion sent to ukip.org would not have worked anyway, and fed all sorts of rumours & conspiracy theories quickly leading to these being posted here. Better to get it in the open straight away. Its not news of the truth that damages UKIP but the truth itself. How many more of the photo line up for the conference will "not be there" ?

Anyway to Nigel's credit he has put or agreed to a "members democracy" item on the conference agenda in the form of the "Open Forum" item, with no restraint on putting ungagged questions to Delroy & Rachel on whats going on, what they see should be the NEC role, and where the NEC stands on thingsamidsts gfoings on and the grand plan. So get your questions ready for these 2.

mkpdavies

Del batting questions on members democracy on behalf of Nigel.

That says it all for me.

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B.A.Ware

I really cannot understand this, Richard stood on the grounds of openness and integrity he not only should tell us why he resigned he is obliged too.

If you people think that putting his resignation on an open forum is wrong do you also believe where Richard saw wrongdoing he is not obliged to inform the membership, you would be the first people to stand up for a whistle blower from within the EU but when it’s in your own party you want it all hushed up, hypocrisy beyond belief.


As someone that backed Richard for the NEC and his leadership challenge I am saddened to see another man of integrity having to leave this political battlefield because he has no faith in his Generals how long will it be before the trickle of foot soldiers turns into a flood.

I wish Richard all the best in his endeavours and hope he will carry on using his political skills to help in the cause we all believe in.

Tom Wilde

Sorry he has decided to go. UKIP needs the talents of people like Ski. I won't comment on his various reasons as I don't know enough. I think it is a shame that UKIP has fallen back into an old pattern in one sense. When Jeffrey Titford was elected leader in 2000, the runner-up acrimoniously resigned shortly afterwards. I was pleased that this had not happened this time, that Ski had the staying power and patience to stay aboard despite all provocations and help build UKIP up. I saw this as a sign of the growing maturity of UKIP's internal democracy.

Oh well.

Anthony Butcher

The problem is that he owes people an explanation for his resignation - and that means posting it publicly. If you aren't happy with what he says about the party, then you need to change the party, not shoot the messenger.

I was a lot more restrained in my letter of resignation, but I haven't been attacked anywhere near as much as Richard has. Let's remember that the Returning Officer investigated the BNP smears against Richard and judged that Mark Croucher, the UKIP Communications Director should be sacked for 'abusing' his position. Mark wasn't sacked at all, and indeed continues in the employment of the Ind Dem group (leader: Nigel Farage).

Not only was Geoffrey Kingscott's very serious recommendation ignored, the Party Chairman then put forward Mark Croucher's name to Geoffrey for a Gold Medal award at the conference. It is my conclusion that they were deliberately trying to drive Geoffrey out by insulting him.

But back to the point; nothing was ever done about the alleged involvement of the two UKIP press officer in a smear campaign. If there are no rules of conduct in an organisation all we have is tyranny, which is why I will no longer have anything to do with it.

So before criticising Richard for his letter, please do consider what he has had to put up with.

Simon Muir

I have also tendered my resignation today, and my reasons are not secret. I won't bore the forum by posting the entire letter. It is long, and can be read here if you are so inclined.

In short, Tony Butcher is (as so often), bang on: the party has preferred style over truth and substance, and I will not support or work for an organisation that has now gone over to the other side.

Nobody is more disappointed than me, and I would ask those who remain just what principles of theirs have to be attacked for their own membership to become untenable?

The raison d'etre of UKIP was to make a principled stand against what we see happening in government, especially vis a viz the EU. If UKIP itself operates amorally, it has no purpose.

Matters need to be brought to a head, and procrastination (or the Nelsonian blind eye) merely forestall the inevitable and wast time and resources. If Nigel lasts two years, that's two years of waste, during which time the EU will have continued to advance. It will be hard for UKIP to operate from either offshore or from prison. Make no mistake, the UK's enemies are determined that all opposition to the EU will be illegal in due course.

Get it right now, or expect our children to put it right in blood.