Nigel offered safe tory seat

Britannist · 05-12-2006, 07:40 PM

From BBC 1 Ceefax analogue page 113, 5.12.2006 at 7.32 pm:

UKIP leader ‘offered Tory (Conservative) seat’

Nigel Farage, the new leader of the UK Independence Party, has claimed he was offered a safe Conservative seat ahead of last year’s General Election.

Mr. Farage, who is now trying to tempt Tory and Labour MPs and councillors to join UKIP, said he received a “strong approach” about a “very safe seat.”

He told the BBC he rejected the offer because he could not join a party that went against his core beliefs.

The Tories said it was the first they had “heard of this bizarre claim”.

Petrina · 05-12-2006, 08:34 PM

First I`ve heard about it too.I wonder if Roger was put in the picture?

Petrina · 05-12-2006, 08:58 PM

Having given it some thought only seat I can think of was Arundel .The local Tory Party was in a bit of a state after Howard Flight`s moment of truth resulted in his deselection by order of Michael Howard .

I know that we would have offered Flight the chance to come on board if he had been interested - maybe the locals wanted NF for themselves but this would not have been "ahead " of the election .

Independent UKIP · 05-12-2006, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Mr. Farage, who is now trying to tempt Tory and Labour MPs and councillors to join UKIP, said he received a “strong approach” about a “very safe seat.”

The two situations might appear together here to counter criticism of the attempted UKIP poaching of councillors by email. I would think the vast majority of councillors would be a bit annoyed with it (to say the least) and saying the tories tried to poach him is a way of deflecting criticism of the email. I note the article doesn't suggest any positive response to the email but hopefully that reflects a desire to maximise publicity from any defections to UKIP rather than predicting it is going to happen and hoping for another report 'when' it does happen.

Tom Wilde · 05-12-2006, 11:57 PM

Offering Nigel Farage a safe Tory seat just before the Gen Election would certainly have been a smart tactical move by the Tories nationally. They were worried about losing votes to UKIP and hence failing to take marginal seats (which actually happened, of course). By recruiting the leader of UKIP's MEPs at the last moment, they would have given themselves a crucially-timed boost and given UKIP an equally crucially-timed kick in the goolies. It would have depressed the UKIP vote across the country as a whole and that might have been enough to let the Tories win in some seats which (in fact) they lost.

I'm not saying Tory Central Office did do this - just that they had a motive to do so, and would also have a motive to deny all knowledge of it now.

Britannist · 06-12-2006, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkpdavies

It would destroy him. His credibility would be in tatters and at that point the Tories (Conservatives) would laugh in his face and dispose of him.

He (UKIP leader Mr. Nigel Farage MEP) did the right thing (by refusing to accept the alleged offer from the Conservatives of a 'safe' Parliamentary seat prior to the May 2005 General Election).

I agree with what MKP writes (above). Mr. Farage would have harmed his own reputation by joining the Conservatives - after all the criticisms he had made of them.

As a member of the EU 'Parliament', he would also have had to switch to the Conservative group in Brussels. I don't think people like Caroline Jackson or Robert Atkins (europhile members of the UK Conservative group in Brussels) would have been too pleased to find themselves with Mr. Farage as a colleague. And he certainly would not see eye-to-eye, politically, with them.

BASILDON BOY · 06-12-2006, 08:29 AM

Frankly who cares if this story is a big pack of lies. Its achieved its aim and got some great publicity for UKIP. What can the tories do? Deny it and continue the story and give UKIP more publicity? One good thing is that this story has ruined Camerons publicity for being tory leader for a year! Lets hope it is picked up by the other newspapers today so the publicity continues.

harryaldridge · 06-12-2006, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petrina

Having given it some thought only seat I can think of was Arundel .The local Tory Party was in a bit of a state after Howard Flight`s moment of truth resulted in his deselection by order of Michael Howard .

I know that we would have offered Flight the chance to come on board if he had been interested - maybe the locals wanted NF for themselves but this would not have been "ahead " of the election .

Petrina,

We tried to get Howard Flight to come across to UKIP but he refused on the grounds of loyalty to the Tory party.

It is quite possibble it was the seat on offer to Nigel, but considering the party made every effort to surpress the issue of Europe i am surprised they would make such an offer.

ChrisB · 06-12-2006, 10:33 AM

The way I read it, I thought it sounded like they offered him the Bromley seat?

Petrina · 07-12-2006, 09:01 AM

Not a chance ,anyway he says it was "ahead of the GE ."
Battle perhaps but not Bromley .

From my take on the upper echelons of the Tory Party at the last election whatever a local constituency party might have wanted would soon have been trashed by HQ if it looked like they were braking ranks .NF would have known this .
No point even considering such an offer if it ain`t sanctioned by the big boys as one would lose one`s own party and not gain another .

05-12-2006, 07:40 PM	#11 (permalink)
Britannist Uber Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: London Posts: 22,896	'UKIP leader offered Tory seat' claim From BBC 1 Ceefax analogue page 113, 5.12.2006 at 7.32 pm: UKIP leader ‘offered Tory (Conservative) seat’ Nigel Farage, the new leader of the UK Independence Party, has claimed he was offered a safe Conservative seat ahead of last year’s General Election. Mr. Farage, who is now trying to tempt Tory and Labour MPs and councillors to join UKIP, said he received a “strong approach” about a “very safe seat.” He told the BBC he rejected the offer because he could not join a party that went against his core beliefs. The Tories said it was the first they had “heard of this bizarre claim”.

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05-12-2006, 08:34 PM	#12 (permalink)
Petrina Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: sussex Posts: 1,036	First I`ve heard about it too.I wonder if Roger was put in the picture?

05-12-2006, 08:58 PM	#13 (permalink)
Petrina Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: sussex Posts: 1,036	Having given it some thought only seat I can think of was Arundel .The local Tory Party was in a bit of a state after Howard Flight`s moment of truth resulted in his deselection by order of Michael Howard . I know that we would have offered Flight the chance to come on board if he had been interested - maybe the locals wanted NF for themselves but this would not have been "ahead " of the election .

05-12-2006, 11:57 PM	#15 (permalink)
Tom Wilde Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: London. Posts: 2,911	Offering Nigel Farage a safe Tory seat just before the Gen Election would certainly have been a smart tactical move by the Tories nationally. They were worried about losing votes to UKIP and hence failing to take marginal seats (which actually happened, of course). By recruiting the leader of UKIP's MEPs at the last moment, they would have given themselves a crucially-timed boost and given UKIP an equally crucially-timed kick in the goolies. It would have depressed the UKIP vote across the country as a whole and that might have been enough to let the Tories win in some seats which (in fact) they lost. I'm not saying Tory Central Office did do this - just that they had a motive to do so, and would also have a motive to deny all knowledge of it now.

06-12-2006, 08:29 AM	#17 (permalink)
BASILDON BOY Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: N'Djamena, Chad Posts: 1,819	Frankly who cares if this story is a big pack of lies. Its achieved its aim and got some great publicity for UKIP. What can the tories do? Deny it and continue the story and give UKIP more publicity? One good thing is that this story has ruined Camerons publicity for being tory leader for a year! Lets hope it is picked up by the other newspapers today so the publicity continues.

06-12-2006, 10:33 AM	#19 (permalink)
ChrisB Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 130	The way I read it, I thought it sounded like they offered him the Bromley seat?

07-12-2006, 09:01 AM	#20 (permalink)
Petrina Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: sussex Posts: 1,036	Not a chance ,anyway he says it was "ahead of the GE ." Battle perhaps but not Bromley . From my take on the upper echelons of the Tory Party at the last election whatever a local constituency party might have wanted would soon have been trashed by HQ if it looked like they were braking ranks .NF would have known this . No point even considering such an offer if it ain`t sanctioned by the big boys as one would lose one`s own party and not gain another .