Today's telegraph

mark starr · 06-01-2007, 07:28 AM

Good article and also leader in today's Telegraph re progress of UKIP, perhaps someone with more technical knowledge than I can print link/article.

Alex McKee · 06-01-2007, 07:34 AM

Telegraph | Ukip pledges not to fight Eurosceptic MPs

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ukip pledges not to fight Eurosceptic MPs | Telegraph

David Cameron faces further desertions by traditional Conservative members after the UK Independence Party announced a decisive move to capture support from disaffected Right-wingers.

Nigel Farage Ukip leader
Nigel Farage wrote to all MPs declaring that the old policy was dead

At least two peers are poised to sever links with the Tories next week and join Ukip as the anti-EU party tries to capitalise on Mr Cameron's alleged "Brussels-friendly" strategy. The Daily Telegraph understands Lord Pearson of Rannoch and Lord Willoughby de Broke are expected to join Ukip after Nigel Farage, its leader, wrote to all 646 MPs to announce that he would no longer field candidates against proven Eurosceptics.

The strategy is designed to woo disaffected Tories by ridding Ukip of its reputation as a party bent on destroying the Conservatives.

Ukip may also rebrand itself as The Independence Party to broaden its base and mount serious challenges in local and general elections. The moves come amid increasing realisation on the Tory Right that Mr Cameron, elected leader in December 2005, will not waver in his mission to put the Tories in the centre ground.

Ukip shook the political establishment in 2004 by coming third in the European elections, ahead of the Liberal Democrats. But it fell far short of a similar breakthrough in the 2005 general election, and Mr Cameron felt confident enough to dismiss its members as "fruitcakes and loonies and closet racists, basically".
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The Tory leader's determination to end his party's perceived obsession with Europe, together with controversial decisions to downgrade tax-cut pledges, now appears to be driving traditional party members into Ukip's arms.

Last month, Toby Horton, a former chairman of William Hague's Richmond constituency, and Mark Hudson, a vice-president of the Bank of America and an approved Tory candidate, quit to join Ukip. Now the two peers — both stripped of the Tory whip in 2004 for aiding Ukip in the European elections but still sitting as Independent Conservatives – are expected to sign up.

Neither was available for comment yesterday but Mr Farage confirmed he had been persuading them to defect to Ukip for months.

The Daily Telegraph understands that Lord Pearson insisted that as a condition of joining, Ukip drop its policy of fielding general election candidates against even arch-Eurosceptic sitting MPs. The policy was adopted after Robert Kilroy-Silk, the former BBC presenter and anti-EU campaigner, urged Ukip to "kill" the Tory party.

But in what appeared to be an announcement to pave the way to defections next week, Mr Farage wrote to all MPs yesterday declaring that the old policy was dead.

MPs would have to demonstrate their Eurosceptic credentials by signing up to the Better Off Out campaign by June this year after which Ukip would begin selecting general election candidates, Mr Farage said. The Better Off Out campaign, set up last year by the Freedom Association, advertises itself as a "non-party organisation committed to making the case for leaving the European Union".

mark starr · 06-01-2007, 10:06 AM

Also Leading article in Editorial column.

Tom Wilde · 06-01-2007, 11:15 AM

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...6/nukip206.xml

Also in yesterday's Telegraph - the text of the letter sent by Nige to all MPs.

All in all, this is the best newspaper publicity UKIP has had in a very long time.

Tom Wilde · 06-01-2007, 11:23 AM

What is particularly clever is this UKIP message to Tory MPs, summarised in the main Telegraph article:

Quote:

MPs would have to demonstrate their Eurosceptic credentials by signing up to the Better Off Out campaign by June this year after which Ukip would begin selecting general election candidates, Mr Farage said. The Better Off Out campaign, set up last year by the Freedom Association, advertises itself as a "non-party organisation committed to making the case for leaving the European Union".

Putting a deadline of June is tactically brilliant. Until June, it puts real pressure on the Tories. It will be a real temptation for Tories in marginal seats to sign up to BOO, and that temptation is likely to bring Tory divisions over the EU back into prominence. It also means that after June, local UKIP branches can get on with preparing for the General Election without worrying about being asked to stand their candidate down at a later date.

There are also probably a handful of constituencies where a eurosceptical Labour MP, facing a europhile Tory challenger, might be tempted. We'll see.

This piece of news is also very good if it turns out to be correct:

Quote:

At least two peers are poised to sever links with the Tories next week and join Ukip as the anti-EU party tries to capitalise on Mr Cameron's alleged "Brussels-friendly" strategy. The Daily Telegraph understands Lord Pearson of Rannoch and Lord Willoughby de Broke are expected to join Ukip after Nigel Farage, its leader, wrote to all 646 MPs to announce that he would no longer field candidates against proven Eurosceptics.

This would give UKIP its frst official representation in the House of Lords. In fact, its first official representation anywhere in Parliament!

C_steam · 06-01-2007, 12:03 PM

Quote:

It will be a real temptation for Tories in marginal seats to sign up to BOO, and that temptation is likely to bring Tory divisions over the EU back into prominence.

Agreed. It makes things pretty clear - impact is that the tories put BOO candidates into their marginals, where they won't be affected by the UKIP vote (as there won't be one).

This, hopefully, increases the number of eurosceptic MP's in the tory party, putting pressure on the tory party to move to a more overt eurosceptic position.

And thus proving that Nigel's plan is - still - for UKIP to be a tory pressure group.

Or, to put it another way:- Come a GE, many of the few seats UKIP could win, the tory marginals, are now out of bounds to be fought. In the majority of other seats, UKIP doesn't stand a prayer anyway, so fighting them could be viewed as pretty pointless.

Quote:

It also means that after June, local UKIP branches can get on with preparing for the General Election without worrying about being asked to stand their candidate down at a later date

More like "without worrying about any possibility of winning"

So why bother to have a thriving and active UKIP constituency association? What purpose does it serve? Answer - none. All UKIP needs to be is a vehicle for Farage, the activists on the ground are mere window dressing. Unless of course you are going to campaign for your local tory 'BOO'.

UKIP MAN · 06-01-2007, 12:16 PM

Quote:

So why bother to have a thriving and active UKIP constituency association? What purpose does it serve? Answer - none. All UKIP needs to be is a vehicle for Farage, the activists on the ground are mere window dressing. Unless of course you are going to campaign for your local tory 'BOO'.

this is why UKIP man SAYS no TO BOO

http://www.democracyforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=16863

http://voteukip.blogspot.com/

eublues · 06-01-2007, 12:18 PM

This is arguable but is the gloomy view.

On the other side of the argument UKIP will get valuable publicity from a good tactical stunt as the Tories are encouraged to tear themselves apart.

In reality there will be hardly any sitting Tory MPs reselected who have signed up to BOO. With luck there will be a couple of Labour people who have, which will remove the Tory pressure group tag.

C_steam · 06-01-2007, 12:25 PM

Quote:

This is arguable but is the gloomy view.

Yes, it is. But I'm not convinced by the other argument. having said that, the goal is to be out of the EU, and this (the boo candidate idea) is a pragmatic method of Making it more likely.

But it completely reinforces the 'pressure group' view of UKIP. And this is the issue that has divided many here for some time, should UKIP be a 'proper' anti-eu libertarian based, small government, small managed immigration party, then it is reasonable to fight every seat, have a strong party machine, well managed and supported election system and so on, or a light party with only one aim?

I think the whole 'Boo' thing makes the answer pretty clear.

mkpdavies · 06-01-2007, 01:42 PM

I don't think it is black and white and with UKIPs current position, is the pragmatic choice to make.

In reality this will mean UKIP divert attention from a tiny fraction of seats.

06-01-2007, 07:28 AM	#1 (permalink)
mark starr Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 645	Today's telegraph Good article and also leader in today's Telegraph re progress of UKIP, perhaps someone with more technical knowledge than I can print link/article.

06-01-2007, 01:42 PM	#10 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 32,078 Party: Libertarian Party	I don't think it is black and white and with UKIPs current position, is the pragmatic choice to make. In reality this will mean UKIP divert attention from a tiny fraction of seats. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Lib Dems

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06-01-2007, 10:06 AM	#3 (permalink)
mark starr Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 645	Also Leading article in Editorial column.

06-01-2007, 11:15 AM	#4 (permalink)
Tom Wilde Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: London. Posts: 2,924	http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...6/nukip206.xml Also in yesterday's Telegraph - the text of the letter sent by Nige to all MPs. All in all, this is the best newspaper publicity UKIP has had in a very long time.

06-01-2007, 12:18 PM	#8 (permalink)
eublues Uber Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,194	This is arguable but is the gloomy view. On the other side of the argument UKIP will get valuable publicity from a good tactical stunt as the Tories are encouraged to tear themselves apart. In reality there will be hardly any sitting Tory MPs reselected who have signed up to BOO. With luck there will be a couple of Labour people who have, which will remove the Tory pressure group tag.