Thread: Graham Booth Resigns !

Originally Posted by Aardvark

s4e, Don't understand your point. If he feared rejection he could stay as MEP until June and retire then without being 'rejected'. If Booth hasn't put himself forward as a candidate for the SW he won't be elected or rejected.

The candidates putting themselves forward for the SW list are Jeffrey Beer, Trevor Colman, William, Earl of Dartmouth, Eric Edmond, Julie Harrison, Stephanie McWilliam, Julia Reid, Rachel Tingle, Gawain Towler, Alan Wood. Since Booth will not be a candidate it is a physical impossibility for him to be rejected.

You are assuming, like me, reasons why he may have "feared" a particular outcome. You suggest if he does not put himself forward as a candidate, he can't be elected or rejected, and that by staying on until June he could have retired anyway. Along with the family health issue, all very possible reasons to go early.

On the other hand, who is to say that by staying on until June, even if retiring was a long term aim regardless of his wife's health, he would not want to be remembered as having retired when, say for example, UKIP suffered a possible collapse of support and major loss of all or many of its MEP presence in the EU Parliament? Better to get out early before the publicity of national failure sours his retirement.

It was mentioned that the decision to retire was only made "several weeks ago", all within a potential time span of a number of poor electoral showings by UKIP, including being beaten by both the BNP, Greens and the Labour Party.

It also does not resolve the issue of what happens between September and next June as regards to who would take his place, assuming that there is a procedure in place for that? Why leave a party knowing that there would be important issues at stake in terms possible important votes, and other related matters between September and June? After all, he is not ill, it is his wife, and what is his wife's opinion? Is she the sort to say "stay and fight the corner for UKIP and Britain in its time of need" etc, or is she the sort who would say "no, get out now whilst you can, you can comfort me in MY time of need".

I suspect there is more to this than meets the eye.

Whether you care what I think or not, I will add my opinion regardless. As for bomber admirer, that is a bit of a slant and a rather cheap insult. This on a day when the world honours a 90 year old Mandela with a previous taste for supporting violence in HIS struggle for BLACK liberation:

"Mandela did support violence in the past - a fact that is largely forgotten or trivialized. Indeed, in 1961 he was the founder of Umkhonto we Siswe ("Spear of the People"), ANC's terrorist arm, and never during his long years in prison did he condemn that organisation's acts of indiscriminate terrorism. Moreover, throughout his career Mandela has remained close to regimes actively supporting terrorism - the former Soviet Union, Libya and Cuba."

Originally Posted by stathan

I'd have thought that this is a wise move now if Booth was retiring anyway, it gives Coleman the best part of a year to make an impact and to raise both his own and UKIPs profile before next June.

I agree 100%! I think Trevor will make a first class MEP! Nobody has worked harder for the party!

Stanton thank you so much for your kind remarks .I note with interest that no one who has posted actually went to the meeting in question so we are ALL dealing with second hand information .
If my information is wrong then of course I apologise but I`m not sure that it is .As I have stated we can agree on the two facts ,GB left early and indicated that he was resigning .

One of the primary functions of the meeting was to use the Electoral Commisssion in the MEP list elections in the South West ,sadly that has been rejected by the management .

Trevor Coleman is a likeable chap and gave Tilly a lift in his brand-new, shining motor.

It was a Scabbard Pixel DL.

But getting back on topic. I do believe that the MEP list should be shortened to allow the competing members (and ex-members) to debate on a "level playing field". If there are two representatives and one seconder then Head Office could use those to draw up a provisional list of suitably qualified high-fliers that would be able to promote the UKIP method and message.

I was talking to Mark Croucher and Clive Cussler. They felt that between now and the beginnings of the hustings for the general election was an excellent time to contact the El Com and lead us into the long line of things that we can achieve to better the country (UK and GB)

Ps - Gordon Brown will not be voted back in

"One of the primary functions of the meeting was to use the Electoral Commisssion in the MEP list elections in the South West ,sadly that has been rejected by the management ."

Petrina,do you mean the Electoral Reform Society/Sevices?
I cannot imagine ElComm would wish to involve themselves in internal party politics whilst ERS provide INDEPENDENT ballots--------but at not insignificant cost.