Breaking News - Earl of Dartmouth dumps Tories for UKIP

Britannist · 19-01-2007, 09:13 PM

The official UKIP website has just put this report up in which (now it has been announced on Channel Four Television news) the party confirms that the Earl of Dartmouth has become a member 8) :

:arrow:
http://www.ukip.org/ukip_news/gen12.php?t=1&id=2833

eublues · 19-01-2007, 09:19 PM

I thought Nigel was looking quietly confident about things when he was on Sky News earlier this evening.

BASILDON BOY · 19-01-2007, 09:21 PM

Who? Never heard of him? But more great publicity

Britannist · 19-01-2007, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eublues

I thought Nigel was looking quietly confident about things when he was on Sky News earlier this evening.

He has no reason to be in any way disappointed with developments for UKIP in recent weeks.

Britannist · 19-01-2007, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BASILDON BOY

Who? Never heard of him?

Lots of strongly eurosceptic Conservatives have heard of the Earl of Dartmouth and some may take the view that if UKIP is good enough for him - it's good enough for them.

Anthony Butcher · 19-01-2007, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Another senior Conservative has decided to move to UKIP. The Earl of Dartmouth made the announcement in a Channel 4 News interview on Friday (19 January).

Afterwards he said: ”I have twice been a Conservative candidate for the House of Commons, the first time at 24, a Conservative candidate for the European Parliament (in June 1999), I took the Conservative Whip when I was in the House of Lords and until last week, when I resigned, I was honorary President of a Conservative Association.

“However - enough is enough.

“David Cameron’s Conservative Party is a slave to political correctness.

David Cameron is turning the Conservatives into an anti-US and anti-business party. They now support almost any extra tax so long as the tax is labelled “Green”.

“The real ‘inconvenient truth’ is that Britain and Northern Ireland would be better off outside the European Union.

“We would no longer be paying £11billion a year . We would no longer be subjected to ill considered job-destroying regulation. We regain control of our borders. We could engage with the world outside the EU, in particular the fast-growing economies of India and China, on our own terms and in our own way.

“That is why I am joining a group of people that I respect and have today enrolled as a member of UKIP.”

UKIP Leader Nigel Farage said: “I am delighted to welcome William to UKIP. He brings valuable political experience, a fine brain and business experience. This move is another indication of the disarray in the Conservative Party and the discontent with Cameron’s leadership and the direction he is taking the Conservative Party.”

I really think that they need to work on these resignation statements. There is barely a positive word there for UKIP - it is all about bashing the Tories (and the EU). It is hardly a great endorsement for UKIP, and yet again suggests that if Cameron was replaced by Liam Fox, for example, these defectors would soon return to the Tory fold.

In other words, these people are clearly stating that they are joining as a last resort protest against Cameron, rather than the Tory party and certainly not because they feel any great lure into UKIP. That needs to change. Surely he can say something more about UKIP than "a group of people I respect"?

Or is this the Farage "Tory pressure group" plan in action?

eublues · 19-01-2007, 09:40 PM

Do you think that Nigel will be dissolving UKIP quite soon and taking over from Dave?

Britannist · 19-01-2007, 09:42 PM

The newest member of UKIP is William Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth (b.1949).

The family seat is in Yorkshire. There's a little history about the Earldom at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Dartmouth

Britannist · 19-01-2007, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eublues

Do you think that Nigel will be dissolving UKIP quite soon and taking over from Dave?

The europhile impostors in the Conservative Party would rather have the Conservatives lose a General Election with a europhile leader than win one with an anti-EU leader.

John Youles · 20-01-2007, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Britannist

The newest member of UKIP is William Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth (b.1949).

The family seat is in Yorkshire. There's a little history about the Earldom at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Dartmouth

Wasn't his grandmother Barbara Cartland ? My opinion of her went up when I heard that, as a councillor in the 1930s, she ensured that the gypsy children were able to attend school.

19-01-2007, 09:13 PM	#21 (permalink)
Britannist Uber Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: London Posts: 23,176	UKIP website confirms the Earl of Dartmouth has joined UKIP The official UKIP website has just put this report up in which (now it has been announced on Channel Four Television news) the party confirms that the Earl of Dartmouth has become a member 8) : :arrow: http://www.ukip.org/ukip_news/gen12.php?t=1&id=2833

19-01-2007, 09:42 PM	#28 (permalink)
Britannist Uber Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: London Posts: 23,176	The 10th Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge - now in UKIP The newest member of UKIP is William Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth (b.1949). The family seat is in Yorkshire. There's a little history about the Earldom at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Dartmouth

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19-01-2007, 09:19 PM	#22 (permalink)
eublues Uber Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,194	I thought Nigel was looking quietly confident about things when he was on Sky News earlier this evening.

19-01-2007, 09:21 PM	#23 (permalink)
BASILDON BOY Uber Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: N'Djamena, Chad Posts: 2,055	Who? Never heard of him? But more great publicity

19-01-2007, 09:40 PM	#27 (permalink)
eublues Uber Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,194	Do you think that Nigel will be dissolving UKIP quite soon and taking over from Dave?