Grassroots letter to Farage

Anthony Butcher · 12-11-2007, 06:55 PM

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Quote:

GRASSROOTS MEMBERS CONFERENCE
On the 4 Nov 2007 a grassroots member’s conference took place at Bournemouth, it was also attended by 3 of your NEC members. The purpose of the conference was to give a platform to the membership to discuss current party issues and policy; this free speech platform is not provided at the present UKIP party conferences because the motions are subjected to a filter process.

Most members expect the party to be directed by a bottom up methodology, not top down, which it now appears to be. There is an increasing consensus by the membership that UKIP is becoming a party without direction, single issue and lacking voter appeal.

Below are the motions and voting results from the Bournemouth conference. We submit these for your consideration for incorporation as official party policy. We hope that you see this process as one of democratic and positive engagement with the membership, rather than viewing it as a negative development.

We would also like your support for the party to employ a forensic accountant to audit the UKIP, Ashford call centre and SE Regional accounts. You will doubtless be aware that there is general feeling of grave dissatisfaction within the membership about the transparency of UKIP's accounts, with wild rumours circulating which are causing the party to be undermined. This matter will continue to fester unless it is addressed.

An overdue demonstration of financial probity will not only show that our accounting system is transparent but it will bring great benefit by establishing confidence in the accounts and the various beneficiaries thereof. That in turn will encourage a resumption of donations from those who question the expenditure of monies which, in the SE Regional Accounts for example, are described away as merely 'other costs'. There is no reason why UKIP should not conduct its financial affairs with the integrity and standards common in any public company.

We request that you reply with your decision on all the individual motions and the use of a forensic accountant by no later than midnight 19 November 2007.

Regards

David Abbott
Denis Brookes
John Galloway
Petrina Holdsworth
Geoffrey Kingscott
Steve Povey

PETWINA · 13-11-2007, 08:53 AM

The BNP are circulating what is apparently Farage's reply to Galloway---respect man!

Roger Gough · 13-11-2007, 05:58 PM

How inert the Party has become is seen by the fact that it still has not adopted a position on immigration. When the Lechlade Group was in existence I prepared a paper on this topic (and others) and by common consent of the Group it was worthy of further discussion and had many positive and worthwhile points. Has UKIP STILL not got it's finger out? We have wasted so much time and effort that it beggars belief. I may have only received a discredited Grammar school education but it must be worth something as whenever a point of public discussion arises in my field of expertise, the letters editor of a British newspaper with a considerable circulation rings me and asks me for input. It's rare for any of my contributions not to reach the letters page and one even elicited a full 'Opinion Page' response from the President of the Law Society. I am desperate to contribute something to a Party that genuinely wants to progress the causes which UKIP apparently stand for but I won't waste my time and effort for a so-called party which is so obviously a Trojan horse for the Tories.

Anthony Butcher · 13-11-2007, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Gough

How inert the Party has become is seen by the fact that it still has not adopted a position on immigration.

I would say that the recent announcements about immigration qualify as a 'position', if not a fully fledged policy.

Millennium3 · 13-11-2007, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Gough

How inert the Party has become is seen by the fact that it still has not adopted a position on immigration. When the Lechlade Group was in existence I prepared a paper on this topic (and others) and by common consent of the Group it was worthy of further discussion and had many positive and worthwhile points. Has UKIP STILL not got it's finger out? We have wasted so much time and effort that it beggars belief. I may have only received a discredited Grammar school education but it must be worth something as whenever a point of public discussion arises in my field of expertise, the letters editor of a British newspaper with a considerable circulation rings me and asks me for input. It's rare for any of my contributions not to reach the letters page and one even elicited a full 'Opinion Page' response from the President of the Law Society. I am desperate to contribute something to a Party that genuinely wants to progress the causes which UKIP apparently stand for but I won't waste my time and effort for a so-called party which is so obviously a Trojan horse for the Tories.

I think your experience is probably that of many. I submitted two papers on strategy [having been a respected member of strategic planning team of a significant organisation] - I didn't get a reply - I too gave up.

eublues · 13-11-2007, 09:15 PM

I think there will be numerous policy papers finalised soon.

sean43 · 13-11-2007, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PETWINA

The BNP are circulating what is apparently Farage's reply to Galloway---respect man!

Whats this about?

stathan · 14-11-2007, 12:04 AM

"How inert the Party has become is seen by the fact that it still has not adopted a position on immigration"

Thats strange, I could have sworn that I have been delivering hundreds of the party's 'Enough is Enough' Leaflets announcing our new policy on immigration for the past few days.

Maybe it was all a dream

Keep up at the back!!!

Chip · 14-11-2007, 12:25 AM

Please can you tell what is the point of placing this letter in the general public domain before you have rec. an answer?

Anthony Butcher · 14-11-2007, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stathan

Thats strange, I could have sworn that I have been delivering hundreds of the party's 'Enough is Enough' Leaflets announcing our new policy on immigration for the past few days.

I am being pedantic here, for which I apologise in advance, but UKIP doesn't yet have a proper policy on immigration, it has an outline policy.

At the moment, there are no details of how many less people would be coming to Britain, if any, under UKIP's scheme, or how many work visas would be issued. Would the visa scheme actually have any impact at all on the mass importation of migrant labour, given that many of them are only here to work for a while anyway, rather than settling as immigrants.

Nor do we know how many less asylum seekers there would be.

Nor is there any financial assesment of the impact of a change in policy. We don't know how much tripling the immigration staff would cost, where this money would come from, nor whether revenue would be lost or gained from less immigrants. We don't yet have an assessment on the increased burden on businesses that rely on migrant labour (the entire hospitality industry) since they will have to now arrange accomodation and work visas in advance and can't just advertise in Britain. What will the impact be on such businesses if they can't easily interview the staff beforehand, because they are in another country?

13-11-2007, 05:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
Roger Gough Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Hotel California Posts: 711	Grass roots How inert the Party has become is seen by the fact that it still has not adopted a position on immigration. When the Lechlade Group was in existence I prepared a paper on this topic (and others) and by common consent of the Group it was worthy of further discussion and had many positive and worthwhile points. Has UKIP STILL not got it's finger out? We have wasted so much time and effort that it beggars belief. I may have only received a discredited Grammar school education but it must be worth something as whenever a point of public discussion arises in my field of expertise, the letters editor of a British newspaper with a considerable circulation rings me and asks me for input. It's rare for any of my contributions not to reach the letters page and one even elicited a full 'Opinion Page' response from the President of the Law Society. I am desperate to contribute something to a Party that genuinely wants to progress the causes which UKIP apparently stand for but I won't waste my time and effort for a so-called party which is so obviously a Trojan horse for the Tories.

14-11-2007, 12:25 AM	#9 (permalink)
Chip Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North West UK Posts: 618	Your letter to Nigel Please can you tell what is the point of placing this letter in the general public domain before you have rec. an answer?

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13-11-2007, 08:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
PETWINA Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 155	The BNP are circulating what is apparently Farage's reply to Galloway---respect man!

13-11-2007, 09:15 PM	#6 (permalink)
eublues Uber Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,194	I think there will be numerous policy papers finalised soon.

14-11-2007, 12:04 AM	#8 (permalink)
stathan Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 423	"How inert the Party has become is seen by the fact that it still has not adopted a position on immigration" Thats strange, I could have sworn that I have been delivering hundreds of the party's 'Enough is Enough' Leaflets announcing our new policy on immigration for the past few days. Maybe it was all a dream Keep up at the back!!!