B.A.Ware

We have designed printed and distributed our own leaflets, the trouble is it is the national image UKIP have that lets us down as soon as people see the UKIP logo it says anti-EU to them and they instantly become disinterested. And this new leaflet will just re-enforce the message that we are a single issue party.

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We’re not just about Europe.

Bob FM

Perhaps it's the inability of some activists to explain where the EU issue fits with local and national issues that is the problem, rather than the public,s perception. I think everyone needs to understand these things otherwise we end up communicating a one party issue message. It's quite ironic that the very people who criticised us for not being seen to be leading the Reform Treaty campaign now condemn us for appearing to anti EU, quite bizarre.

mrabody

The only way this leaflet can reinforce the message is if local branches distribute it. I'm pretty sure that we won't be distributing in either of the branches where I am active.

The fact is, the leadership of the party has little power to create or reinforce any particular message. The main communication voters have from UKIP is from leafleting by local branches or through the letters pages of their local newspapers. If UKIP members such as yourself want to change the perception of UKIP in the geographical area covered by your own branch, there is nothing stopping you.

Bob FM

mrabody, totally agree, but that has one inherent danger. The message could get 'skewed' When you have areas who view UKIP as a narrow party and others who view UKIP as a very broad church there is a danger of a confused message at a National Level. It would be far better is policy was made by the NEC and all Chairman know what it actually is. This does not happen at the moment and is something I have privately taken up on a number of occasions when conflicting signals are being sent out, as in the case of local elections (the should we or shouldn't we camps).

B.A.Ware

Thats exactly what we have been doing and the few people that follow politics understand but the vast majority get their perception from the media ie Tanks on lawns posters saying "NO TO THE EU".

I am not saying this for sayings sake i am saying it because that is what my work colleagues tell me, my friends tell me and it what your average punter tells me.

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We’re not just about Europe.

jim h

Pressure groups get nowhere, the only time the bigger political parties start getting worried is when they know they stand a chance of losing votes. e.g Referendum Party ,UKIP. You can bet your bottom dollar that next year for the EU elections the Conservatives in particular will adopt a much more Eurosceptic line than they would have if UKIP was not standing. UKIP is a very important political party.
Re leaflets the Alan Bown's are good but focussed ones are even better e.g the one which various branches are producing which targets local Post Office closures by name

Adam Smith

Why produce a leaflet at all?

UKIP should move all its advertising to the web, and spend everything on Google.

For instance: I have just Googled ‘Post Office closures’ on Google – there is not a single sponsored link!

UKIP could get one very cheaply, just reading:

Post Office closure are due to the EU: read the inside story.

And then give a link to the UKIP pages, where there must be a very low key, very factual account of the real reasons behind the post office closures.

This is the sort of advertising we should be doing!

(Incidentally, this is one of the reasons for Barack Obama’s success in America – he has been using the web properly).

eublues

The leaflet is excellent. It keeps to the essential critical message. Everything hinges on regaining control of our own country.

If UKIP doesn't bang on about this no one else will do the job instead.

B.A.Ware

I wonder why everyone else doesn't bang on about this issue, perhaps because they don't wont to be labeled as a single issue party or perhaps they are addressing the the real issues that affect peoples daily lives.

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We’re not just about Europe.

kernow

Hear! Hear!