ROBERT FLAVELL

Exactly.

Doing a reverse Dick Taverne just wouldn't work.

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\'\'Give me a Ping and one Ping only\'\' - Sean Connery, Red October

Niall Warry

From my perspective UKIP are only one element in helping to get the UK out the EU. UKIP have no hope of forming the government in time to take us out on their own. We are the main party advocating withdrawal from the EU and as a small force we need to use a strategy and tactics which get us noticed by getting under the skin of the EU establishment as often as possible. UKIP's trouble is that under the current leadership we appear to have no idea of what to do to assist our cause apart from trying to actually work within the frame work of the EU institutions. Sadly, and I am NOT alone in this view, UKIP MEPs have gone native and unless and until they can be brought to account by the party membership UKIP's contribution to getting the UK out the EU will at best be negligible. :evil:

The only reason I publish my views on this forum and elsewhere is to try and strengthen UKIP.

Populist Lee

I endorse the sentiments in the post above.

I'll add:-
If UKIP's higher-ups continue with the foolish attitude that UKIP is the only anti-EU player in town, we are not going to get anywhere.

komerad

Populist Lee - point taken, but what are your ideas / suggestions to improve this situation?

Mikeuk

UKIPers need a broader view of the situation. Too many people seem to want to sit in their own little world and repel boarders.

That's probably much less true of the ex-Tory element (maybe the ex LibDems as well) but the sort of fellow who really believes (or rather believed) that UKIP will suddenly win loads of parliamentary seats, and who has no experience of political tribalism or knowledge of the first-past-the-post system is more likely to have this narrow view.

My loyalty was always to my country, and later personally to Margaret Thatcher. It was NEVER to the Conservative Party in all the 30+ years I was in it, and I simply became involved with UKIP when I could no longer tolerate the Tories.

Parties are nothing more than tools to enable us to achieve our political objectives. I'm suspicious of people who prate about 'Party Loyalty'

Phil Sheldon

Did'nt a certain Austro-German, with a silly moustache and flat hair, express a similar phrase?
Not that I would bracket you,or anyone, with him,but it's rather chilling.

I take the view that loyalty works both ways: if your party is to achieve power then it follows that party loyalty is paramount.
Once in power however then individual's can offer a slightly less rigid adherence but, Big but- if the governing party is then seen as fractious and/or drifting trouble will rear it's head.

For a very good lesson in this analogy see:The Labour Party, 1995-2006.

Unless you want to introduce'Idealogical Commissars' the(Any) party has to be a broad church. How long is the 'Long Term' view to make a real impact on British politics and the British people?

Mikeuk

I don't know, but I'm not sure he's have tolerated a lack of 'Party Loyalty'

Don't forget the words of Rudolf Hess, Cameron seems to have much the same view.