mkpdavies

I was having a chat with a Blue Labour activist the other day, who like a lot of grassroots Tories who actualy are activists, rather than just members along for the ride, are sick and tired of Cameron. He reckoned this grammar schools business is the final straw, but that the way the party is structured, there is very little chance of changing things until after the next election.

Like me though, he has come to the realisation that winning with Cameron, would actually be worse for Britain in the long run, as it will mean real Conservatives are sidelined even more and the shift to the left will be further entrenched.

He is of the opinion that as of this minute, Britain is still slightly left leaning, but that there is a huge build up of discontent and that when the economy takes a dive (which it will at some point), then Britain will see another shift back to the right, to undo all the damage that the left has done.

While I am not so hot on the left/right thing, I do think he is right to a degree.

However, this wasn't the most interesting thing he was telling me. He reckons that a decent sized group of Tory MP's have had enough. They know it's going to be very difficult to acheive anything within the party now, so they are looking for other options.

Most of them have a strong affinity with what UKIP says, but they feel UKIP really is a ragtag dad's army when it comes to organisation and leadership.

However, they also recognise the fact UKIP has a support base, some media sway now and potential. Therefore this guy reckons a group of MP's are already in talks with UKIP to do a "reverse takeover", where Nigel will step down for a place in the new shadow cabinet, while some of the top breakaway group take over and rebrand UKIP as a "Real Conservative" party.

He reckons there would be a decent number of MP's that would go for this, along with a lot of activists. The idea is that either David Davis or Liam Fox would be leader and that as time moved on, more and more MPs, Lords and Donors would switch to this "Real Conservative" party as it becomes clear that Britain economy is in trouble. The fact they will also take us out of the EU so we can do something about it, would be the selling point for UKIP to accept this move.

I told the guy he was living in a fantasy world, but he reckons it is happening. I wonder if Nigel would go for something like that, if it was put on the table.

I reckon it might be unlikely to win this election, but you would get a decent chunk of media, financial support and activists follow if it was a big enough breakaway.

Could you trust the buggers though?

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eublues

Nigel does say that the objective of getting out of the EU is more important than UKIP.

michael mcgough

When in the last chance saloon ALL is possible!I wouldn't discount it-----Nigel spoke of Tory cracks this morning on AM.

IndependentObserver

I'm afraid this is nothing but wishful thinking. I remember meeting Sir Teddy Taylor in 1992, and his words on the Maastricht Treaty - he said if it went through then it wouldn't matter which party you voted for afterwards. Since he purported to be so opposed to it, how could he continue to sit for the party which pushed it through. While I'm sure his opposition was genuine, he continued take the cash as a Tory MP instead of becomng independent and asserting his principles. No doubt he would say that he felt there was more opportunity of getting change by working within the party - well, he and others have done so all these years, and there has been no change, no sign of any change and they have signally failed even to hold the ground they had in 1992 as the Tory party slips irrevocably and inexorably leftwards and EU-wards. Today's dissenters wil doubtless spin the same yarn of "change from within". These Tories are actually more harm than good, as they preserve the illusion for many rank-and-file members that the party really is a conservative party, instead of the statist, socialist-leaning, metropolitan entity which it really is.

stathan

Wouldn't have thought that 'The real Conservative' party is a big selling point.

I think that people should get out of this idea that UKIP only appeal to former Conservatives. UKIPs policies appeal to all levels and parts of society, In my view in my area UKIP actually get marginally more former Labour support than Conservative.

mkpdavies

I don't know. I agree as things stand it probably isn't, but I am convinced there will be a swing when thinks do go pearshaped.

And they will go pearshaped, so being positioned as a real alternative at that point, would be very useful.

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tamashi

Not only these Tories but the plethora of other "non-political" Anti-EU Groups like Better Off Out, Campaign for an Independent Britain, Metric Martyrs, etc.

All of these allow people to feel they are doing their bit to fight against the EU while also allowing term to continue to vote Lib/Lab/Con.

The only moderate political party fighting the EU is UKIP. I've lost count of the people who tell me "I don't need to join UKIP because I'm supporting BOO, Campaign for Independent Britain or even worse the metric martyr" These organisations divide the anti EU effort and weaken the fight....divided we fall!

Millennium3

The trouble is, and the final consideration the for Tory MP's, they know that the most likely outcome of such a move is it will not be successful - which would mean the end of their, comfy, political careers.

tamashi

mkpdavies

Yes, that's why I told him he is living in a fantasy world.

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