Edward Longshanks

I would merely opine that they seem somewhat inconsistent with the most recent forays into the electoral arena! 8)

mkpdavies

I thought they had a better rep than most.

Because they are internet based, I think they are a bit biased in favour of the more cynical net user, who has easy access to lots of info, instead of what Sky and his papers tells him.


When they start putting all the parties on the front page, instead of making people click through others. Then the results will be even more interesting.

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Tom Wilde

You are sadly deluded, nazi-boy. Just because you throw the kitchen sink at a district council byelection and come second, that doesn't mean you have made any sort of gain at national level, where 99.997% of the UK population remain unaware that there ever was a byelection in Bede. Similarly just because UKIP doesn't campaign in that byelection and thus get a laughable 8 votes doesn't mean we aren't doing rather better than usual at the national level at present. I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this - I've no doubt that over at nazi central the message is that the relative votes mean UKIP is finished and the BNP are one step from Downing Street, but any normal person who listens to the story of your great victory and its cosmic importance will, as their eyes glaze over, simply wonder about your sanity.

I'd put the 5% down to repeated recent media exposure, particularly the occasional sympathetic articles in the Torygraph and decent coverage in the red-tops too.

Edward Longshanks

Sour grapes springs to mind. :roll:

Britannist

There are some in the English Democrats who are partly Scottish so I believe. I'm not suggesting in this posting merger between UKIP and the English Democrats (although I would like to see a single, unifed pro-England and anti-EU electoral force) - I am hoping that the two parties can agree - at the very least in local elections - to work together and not run candidates against other.

Britannist

Yes, the last two results wre not good.

All the more reason for UKIP to either fully support candidates with professional campaigns and lots of volunteers brought in to canvass. Or not running in wards at all if there are no resources to run a proper campaign.

Getting 8 votes and 40 votes just embarrasses the party. But there have been poor results for the other parties in recent months if one looks through all the results of local By-Elections.

Britannist

It is time for UKIP to set up a special unit for local elections and to get volunteers into local ward By-Elections.

And it is time for UKIP to concentrate on targeting its key areas of support for local and national elections.

cookie65

Britannist,

Was your last post just about by elections, or do you believe the same principles apply in the big May elections?
I am concerned that we stand to get a kicking in some wards, come May. Yet the more wards we stand year on year, the better the results, and the big prize should be a party broadcast.
Do you believe paper candidates do more harm than good in all situations or just by elections?

mkpdavies

Personally I think just by-election. There is no excuse for a party of UKIPs size not to put in a decent effort at all by-elections. It's shoddy organisation.

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Britannist

You've asked interesting questions, Cookie 65. 8)

It's a difficult one - the prospect of UKIP getting a party election broadcast is extremely tempting. But it does involve fielding lots of candidates (to meet the required target for getting an election broadcast) and some candidates may not do well this time (because they will be standing in areas for the first time).

I think I would suggest the following:

1.

Field as many candidates as is required for UKIP this May to get a local election broadcast on television and radio (making sure, of course, that everyone puts in their nomination papers well on time and correctly filled in!). This all depends on the party being able to get the required number of candidates.

Target the 20 wards across the country (if they are all up for election) where UKIP has managed to get its highest vote over the last 13 years - and get the UKIP MEPs to help out in those seats in the coming local election campaign.

There may be a case - if UKIP is not anywhere near reaching the required total of seats contested to get a party election broadcast - to simply put up candidates in the 'best' wards for UKIP in each locality where council elections are to take place this May (in order to avoid the possible 'kicking' referred to above). And to still target the ten or best 20 wards for UKIP across the country as I suggested above.

2.

Only stand in local council By-Elections if the candidate has the resources and abilities to run a professional campaign. No paper candidates in local By-Elections as UKIP just ends up (in some cases) getting a very low vote which opponents of the party then poke fun at (while hiding the fact that some of their candidates did even worse in the main May local elections).

UKIP needs to win some more council seats this May - and, if not, it needs to start moving into third and second place in some wards where it has previously come fifth or fourth (or not contested at all).

So, in brief, what I am saying is - target the strongest UKIP areas and only stand lots of candidates this May if it gets the party an election broadcast. And only stand in local By-Elections is UKIP head office can get lots of volunteers to go in and help the UKIP candidate.