Britannist

That's what they said about Lord (David) Owen and George Galloway MP after they left the Labour Parliementary Party. Both retained/won their seats as candidates for smaller parties at the following General Election.

Mr. Spink has the advantage of a strong local UKIP which has already fought the constituency. Lord Owen and Galloway had to 'start from scratch' as candidates for small parties - but they still won.

If they can win - so can Mr. Bob Spink MP.

UKIP will make Mr. Spink's Castle Point (Canvey Island) constituency the party's number one target seat at the next General Election and party volunteers from up and down the land will canvass and leaflet in Mr. Spink's constituency when the campaign for the next General Election commences.

British-Conservatism

Good chance he could hold his seat.
It's perhaps one of the best areas this could have happened for UKIP.

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Wowbanger TIP

First of all you can not seriously believe that the BNP would have turned Spink down or that the Party, including you, would not now be celebrating in a way that would make this thread look like a Presbyterian funeral by comparison.

The BNP has almost no chance of winning a Parliamentary constituency under its present leadership. This will be graphically demonstrated when they get thrashed in Crewe, which is a solid working class town suffering a flood of cheap Polish labour and should be as natural BNP country as Henley on Thames is Tory, just the other side of the the GLA elections. That Griffin is predicting MPs at the next general now is irrelevant, he knows that the Party cant get near Westminster as long as he is leader and Sainsbury's is full of food. As he admits if you listen carefully to what he says. Griffin has been predicting great things for almost ten years and the BNP's progress has been lamentable given the stricken state of our country.

Spink's defection gives UKIP credibility, it means that people might be inclined to think they have a chance. However more importantly it gives the UKIP membership hope without which their Party would have been unlikely to survive being eclipsed by the BNP in the GLA elections and in next years Euros. The BNP was rather relying on becoming the major Party to the right of the Tories or Labour (which ever is further to the right at the moment) in order to gain the middle class activists it desperately needs. Most importantly UKIP will undoubtedly retain the support of the guy who funds them.

How will UKIP hold this seat? On their weak civic nationalist ticket I have no idea. However it is certainly a lesser challenge than dragging Griffin's reputation and hangers on past the winning post first in some terrifying Northern town or miserable city suburb. At least it has the merit of being a novel problem rather than the perennial one the BNP is faced with.

As for the GLAs if those who voted UKIP last time don't come over to the BNP then the BNP will leave empty handed, again. Whether you or Nick Griffin want to admit it or not UKIP has been far more successful than the BNP, if it were not for their gutless stance on the colonization of the UK they would be a serious force by now. The fact that Griffin's Nazi clique are not still the obscure political freaks they deserve to be is entirely a product of this failure on UKIPs part.

Britannist

I called earlier in this thread for other anti-EU parties - the English Democrats, Veritas, One London and the Free England Party - not to contest Mr. Spink's constituency at the next General Election in order to stop the anti-EU vote being split.

I am pleased to say that Mr. Andrew Constantine, of the Free England Party, has responded to this call by posting to this thread a commitment that his new party will not put up a candidate against UKIP MP Mr. Spink at Castle Point at the next General Election (if Mr. Spink contests the constituency again).

Anthony Butcher

Alternatively, Mr Spink might be parachuted to the top spot of the MEP list for the Eastern region.

I presume that there were some negotiations and incentives prior to his joining the party. While it is possible that he could hold his seat, the promise of a 'safe' MEP seat might have been more enticing. Pure speculation of course.

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Britannist

I agree with you British Conservatism.

Essex - and particulary South Essex (Basildon, Thurrock, Southend/Rochford, Canvey Island) as well as Clacton - are strongly eurosceptic.

Having an MP at Castle Point (Canvey Island) will also boost the UKIP profile throughout South and East Essex and in that part of Essex currently inside Greater London (Romford, Havering and Barking-Dagenham).

Britannist

I wrote in posting number 51 to this thread this morning: "I wonder if Mr. Spink might want to stand as a UKIP candidate in next year's EU Election too."

He has an established record of being a fine opponent of the vile EU and, with his other considerable political experience, is now (like former Conservative MP Mr. Christopher Gill) one of the leading members of UKIP.

I would imagine that there are large number in UKIP who would vote for Mr. Bob Spink MP should he put his name forward for consideration to be a candidate for the 2009 EU Elections.

I emphasise that Mr. Spink has not issued any statement saying that he is interested in being a candidate in next year's EU Election. I think he can retain Castle Point at the next General Election for UKIP thus becoming the first person to be elected to the House of Commons as a UKIP MP.

Britannist

Times political columnist Mr. Anthony Howard said on 11.6.2004 "UKIP are a now a permanent part of the British political scene."

a swansong 4 europe

To MikeUk "who the hell are you", I am glad that you give some one 100% support for having views on immigration that many consider match the vast majority of the population, but, like I said, why would UKIP, with its attempts over the years to distance themselves from those that might otherwise be proclaimed as "racist", welcome someone that courted "racist" controversy with an advert he ran some years ago?

Are UKIP really that desparate? Until UKIP, like any other party wins a seat legitimately such gains will only be of limited short term benefit, and are more likely to cause long-term problems due to the selfish and personal interests that Spink's actions demonstrate. He is potentially a loose cannon, that is why the Tories didn't want him, and UKIP should be more careful after the Kilroy saga.

UKIP might have gained far more by rejecting Spink, rather than accepting him as someone else's dirty washing. Spink is a spent force locally, he knew it, and the Tory Party knew it, that is why he was about to be deselected, whatever the official reasons.

It is nice, none the less, for UKIP to have the distinction of a Westminster MP, all they need is one more to gain parliamentary ppb, I just wish it had been a more high profile and distinguished character.

Britannist

UKIP do not hold two seats on the GLA (Greater London Assembly).

The two elected for UKIP defected to Veritas and then quit that party to form One London.

Everyone knows that this year's London Assembly election is a more difficult one for UKIP because - unlike the last one - it is not being held on the same day as an EU Election (meaning that the EU issue - which is a priority issue for the party - is not getting much publicity at this time).

If UKIP win one seat in next week's Greater London Assembly election - under the circumstances (of the media not covering the EU issue very much in this campaign) it will be the equivalent of UKIP winning two seats on the Greater London Assembly four years ago (when the EU issue was being covered widely by the media because the EU Election was held on the same day as the last Greater London Assembly election on 10.6.2004).

London Mayoral Election 2008 candidates: Richard Barnbrook - British National Party, Gerard Batten - UK Independence Party, Siân Berry - Green Party, Alan Craig - Christian Peoples Alliance and Christian Party , Lindsey German - Left List, Boris Johnson - Conservative Party, Ken Livingstone - The Labour Party, Winston McKenzie - Independent, Matt O'Connor - English Democrats, Brian Paddick - Liberal Democrats.

Full details of the London Mayoral and Assembly candidates for the 1.5.2008 London Elections at:

London Elects - The candidates

and in posting number three at:

UKIP Gerard Batten London mayor Election Broadcast