John Smith

Anthony Butcher · 21-07-2008, 12:18 PM

Received by email so it is in the public domain:

Quote:

Despondent member

Dear friends and colleagues, it is with a heavy heart that I send this essage, especially as it may upset some of you. I have thought long and hard about matters, but in all conscience I would fail in my duty if I did not convey to you my thoughts and feelings.

I invite you to respond with any constructive criticism.

You see I am in despair about what's happening to our country, and simply beside myself with frustration at the continuing decline of our party - UKIP, in which we have invested much time and money over the past 10 or so years.

What has gone wrong? One reason is the decline in our membership, and, more importantly, the decline in our active members - both of which have paradoxically reduced inversely to the growing power and influence of the EU. In election after election we are turning out derisory results.

Last Thursday, the latest UKIP candidate to have a go trailed in at 5th place, behind the BNP candidate for heavens sake!

Such things shouldn't be happening! We have more resources than they have, our leader is frequently seen on the television, and we have a presence in both Houses of Parliament. So why are we not the ones pushing at the heels of the big three? There has to be a reason!

And reluctantly I've reached the conclusion that the problem lies with the leadership of our party. Or should I say the lack of leadership. Well that and the seemingly constant revelations of dubious financial activities amongst MEP's and/or their employees.

This lack of involvement became very apparent to me during the recent Henley by-election. We'd all been told that this election -in our SE stronghold - was important for us, and that a good result would provide a springboard for next year's Euro

elections. Yet how many NEC members came to help? How many of our remaining MEP's came down and got stuck in to help. If like myself you were one of those who turned out onto the streets in support of Chris Adams, you will know the answer! Mind you, given thatour region is supposedly one of the most active, there were nowhere near enough ordinary members willing to turn out either? Why? It is evident that as our leadership seems indifferent to our needs, and are more interested in the the Brussels gravy train than they are with getting their hands dirty to help the declining branches? Actions speak louder than words after all!

As I think back, from the glory days of 2004, right up to today, it has been a saga of gradual decline. Just think of how many friends and colleagues that have left us over this time. I learnt recently that Greenwich branch is now closed, and that my friend Jens has walked away
from

Lewisham, whilst the Croydon chairman has done likewise. We returned no members to the London Assembly this year, compared with two in 2004, and Gerard Batten will almost certainly loose his seat in next year's Euro elections.

Chichester branch, once the largest branch in the country, it is now but a shell of its former self.. The leading light of the branch for so long, Doug Denny, having been deselected as PPC has moved down to Bognor/Littlehampton to become their PPC instead. We can only hope that he does better there than in Chichester! Then there's the collapse of the Hastings & Bexhill branch, which once gave us our strongest vote in 2001.

(Who remembers working alongside Charles Wardle, the ex Tory MP who campaigned for Nigel, during that campaign. Was that really only seven years ago?)

Yet the above are all fairly recent events, but do you member names such as these:
Christopher Cooke, Delphine, Gray-Fisk, Linda Guest, Damian Hockney, Bruce Lawson, Judith Longman, Tony Scholefield, Rodney Atkinson, and so very many more of ability, competence, energy and intelligence. All of them gone!

I've even been told that our own Steve Harris is more than a little unhappy - and few come more hard working and dedicated than Steve!

My friends, if you are still with me, I have to say that at the root of the leadership problem is our own Nigel Farage. I, in company with many of you, voted for Nigel to be our leader. I now believe we were wrong to do so. For despite his abilities on a public platform, he has turned out not to be a leader of men. He cannot work with others, cannot abide competition or criticism, and has proved to be vindictive to those who disagree with him. Sadly we have to accept that Nigel is not a team player and to top it all is handicapped by an oversized ego. How often are any of our spokesmen, other than Nigel interviewed in the media?

Over the last years we've been bombarded with e-mails telling us all how useless he is, and along with you I've tried to ignore them. Putting it down to the outpourings of malcontent's, cranks such as Greg Lance-Watkins, and those such as Andy E. who seems to have a bee in his bonnet about Nigel in particular. But of late I've been finding it harder and harder to refute what these people say. Whatever their motivation, they all say that the problem is Nigel, so too do most of the senior members and activists who have either walked away or been forced away. To the detriment of our party and its performance in elections. Can they all be wrong? I no longer believe that they are!

Whilst it's true that Nigel is seen ever more frequently on the box, his promotion is not translating

into votes. Could it be that he, and therefore by association UKIP, are now seen as being in the same stable as the Tories, Labour and the Lib/Dems, but unlike them, seen not only as a pale imitation but also as being a single interest group, with little hope of getting elected. So why waste your vote on the UKIP candidate!

Whatever the reason, or reasons, we have to accept that we have not had any truly inspirational leadership since 2004, and the resultant decline and demoralisation is there for all to see. We have not seen the creation and development of the party infrastructure that was needed to build on the successes of 2004.

After 2004 we needed to develop a body to nurture and train up a collection of members to provide in-depth political leadership - it didn't happen. Our MEP's should have invested far more time and money in their regions, aiding branches, and providing focus.
But it hasn't happened has it? At election after election, the group most noticeable by their absence has been the MEP group.

Occasional speeches to the faithful at Conference time, and the odd letter in the press, whilst useful for general morale boosting, are no substitute for hard graft at branch level. The MEP's have let us down badly in this respect.

Finally in specific regard to Nigel, there are the continuing unresolved issues of the accounts for the Ashford Call centre, and the unexplained £200,000 plus of 'other expenses in our SE regional accounts. Now I've been more than willing to give Nigel the benefit of the doubt on these issues, but, wouldn't it be sensible to cut the ground from under the rumour mongers and lay out the facts for us all to see? If nothing untoward has taken place, then surely there's nothing to be gained from continuing to refuse to provide an explanation. From memory, this saga began back in the time of John de Roeck, when he was denied sight of the Ashford accounts. Recently NEC member Dr Abbott also asked for these matters to be cleared up, but still there is no response.

Nigel, if you read this, why are you so obstinate on this?

Good friends and colleagues I'm afraid I've gone on somewhat, but I believe that we have to face what confronts us and deal with it. For if we don't, we might as well all give up right now and take gardening leave or join some other group.

Indeed, if we continue to remain silent, then before long the BNP really will be the only game in town for those of us who put our country first.
Is that what we want? Have we really worked for the UKIP ideal for all these years only to let them sweep past us to collect the kudos for saving Britain?

Yet as matters stand, our party, UKIP, will be fortunate to return any MEP's to Brussels next year, and, certainly no more than a fraction of those we returned in 2004

I've not finally decided if I will remain within UKIP, a lot will depend on the sort of response I get from circulating this e-mail. Forgive me please if until I've had some feedback I hide my identity. Of course, I will reveal my full name once I've received your feedback, whatever my decision.

Thank you one and all for your comradeship and friendship over the past 12 years. It's been a privilege to have known so many of you..

My best regards

A UKIP Patriot and supporter - South East Region

Earthling · 21-07-2008, 04:20 PM

If UKIP falls apart then the EU has basically won

kernow · 21-07-2008, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earthling

If UKIP falls apart then the EU has basically won

Unfortunately I think you're right! Still there will be many on this forum who will be absolutely delighted should that happen!

Barboo · 21-07-2008, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

Received by email so it is in the public domain:

He says he is hiding his identity, so why have you called this thread 'John Smith' - Despondent member? Have you discovered that John Smith is in fact his name, or did he call himself that whilst making clear it's an alias?

Not sure why, but I'm put in mind of the hinglis e-mails which Andy Edwards was taken in by just before the last Euros.

Westcountryman · 21-07-2008, 06:12 PM

John Smith is just an accepted name for a person with no apparent identity, along with John/Jane Doe etc.

Populist Lee · 21-07-2008, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earthling

If UKIP falls apart then the EU has basically won

Why do you reckon that?

Face it. We are no closer to leaving the EU than the day UKIP was founded.
Maybe it's UKIP that's been holding back the Liberation.

Niall Warry · 21-07-2008, 06:16 PM

[quote=Earthling;526162]If UKIP falls apart then the EU has basically won[/QUOTE

Rubbish with UKIP gone a Party of probity, adopting our cause, would spring up over night IMO.

Anthony Butcher · 21-07-2008, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barboo

He says he is hiding his identity, so why have you called this thread 'John Smith' - Despondent member? Have you discovered that John Smith is in fact his name, or did he call himself that whilst making clear it's an alias?

I just needed a title for the thread. It didn't occur to me that it was a spoof, but you are of course correct - it could be someone just pretending.

Westcountryman · 21-07-2008, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T.N.Warry

If UKIP falls apart then the EU has basically won[/QUOTE

Rubbish with UKIP gone a Party of probity, adopting our cause, would spring up over night IMO.

You mean like Vanitas?

Millennium3 · 21-07-2008, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westcountryman

You mean like Vanitas?

That was formed when UKIP was riding high - it has been downhill ever since, so different judgements are being formed as to who is the culprit for the failings.

21-07-2008, 04:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
Earthling Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cheshire Posts: 292 Party: UKIP	If UKIP falls apart then the EU has basically won __________________ Earthling's Blog Don't let EU rule Britannia! Vote UKIP and say NO to Brussels Bureaucracy.

21-07-2008, 06:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
Westcountryman Uber Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: The Westcountry. Posts: 5,922 Party: None	John Smith is just an accepted name for a person with no apparent identity, along with John/Jane Doe etc. __________________ Manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietam - "This hand of mine, which is hostile to tyrants, seeks by the sword quiet peace under liberty."

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21-07-2008, 06:16 PM	#7 (permalink)
Niall Warry Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Somerset Posts: 1,675	[quote=Earthling;526162]If UKIP falls apart then the EU has basically won[/QUOTE Rubbish with UKIP gone a Party of probity, adopting our cause, would spring up over night IMO.