Britannist

Channel Four Television News have just announced that the Earl of Dartmouth, a Hereditary Peer, has defected from the Conservative Party and joined UKIP.

The Earl, a former Conservative Association President, told Channel Four Television News at 7.30 pm on 19.1.2007 "I am fed up with Cameron's leadership - for want of a better term :twisted: - of the Conservative Party. He has become a slave to political correctness :evil: . He backs things like 'hug-a-hoodie' and 'green' taxes - things which have appeal or interest to voters outside the Notting Hill circles he mixes in." :x

Reporter Kathy Newman said "David Cameron won't be bothered by the defection of a Hereditary Peer to UKIP."

Won't he?

Britannist

This appeared on the official UKIP website shortly before Channel Four Television news this evening. I expect the report will shortly be updated to include the details I have just posted (above):

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

SponPlague

From UKIP.ORG:

Westcountryman

Of course not, we're all fruitcakes, closet racists, cranks and gadflies after all :P

__________________
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Alex McKee

Great news.

Anthony Butcher

This is the first proper Parliamentary defection from the Conservatives, despite the lie on the UKIP website that claimed the first two were Tory defections.

Cameron has to be worried about this, given its significance. He could ignore the first two because they had left the Tories more than two years ago.

Has he gained any MPs or peers at the other end of the spectrum? If he is shifting the party into a supposed middle ground where more voters reside, then surely he should be attracting MPs and Lords?

Was there a Lib Dem MP who swiched recently?

Britannist

The Telegraph reported just after Christmas that the Conservative Party membership is 15, 000 down and now no higher than it was when David Cameron became Conservative leader.

There's a report I've yet to post to the forum which says that the Conservative vote/support in the large county of Yorkshire (an area with many Conservative target seats) is not a single point higher now than before David Cameron took over from Michael Howard.

As for Liberal Dim party defections. There is a row building up in Conservative circles (according to Conservative Home) about an ex-Liberal Dim party member becoming Conservative candidate for Wirral South (I've just posted a thread on this matter into the Conservative section of the forum).

g hall

Would the last Conservative to leave the tory party turn out the light

Hereward77

Wishful-thinking on ITN's part I think.

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Westcountryman

Interesting unofficial news coming out of the Tory Party, this is from an ex-candidate I know in the Essex area, who recently fell out of favour with his local association after he spoke out against Cameron.

This is part of our conversation - Red is me, Blue is him. We were discussing the defection of yet another Lord to UKIP.