The emergence of the Brexit party has, amongst many other things, proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that certain people, no names, here, have absolutely no loyalty in politics at all. Their ability with no emotion or care to jump ship quicker than captain Jack Sparrow is a very worrying trend.
Self -survival will always come first and they have no trouble at all in dumping loyal friends and supporters in the pursuit of maintaining a salary. Let us be honest here, it’s not so much power, the need to stay in place to help others they aim to keep, it’s the status and money that comes first.
Nick Bowles Conservative MP was for sure going to be de-selected by his constituency association because of his stance on Brexit, he astutely and quickly resigned from that association. Then being told he would not be denied the whip he further cocked a snook to his party and friends and walked across the floor of the house to the increasingly full independent benches, thereby ensuring he maintained his £79,000 salary and enormous expenses for a further few years.
Other Tories are looking likely to be de-selected within their own associations but have the comfort of knowing that they will not be kicked off the Government benches as decreed by the Tory party chairman. So, no pressure there then. It is a green light to do and say what they want with no fear or recriminations. Safe in the knowledge that they are financially safe until 2022.
Labour, Tories and others have left their parties to walk across the floor and start a new party, it isn’t faring very well but that is another topic for discussion. These politicians have decided that a new way of politics is needed, hurrah say the electorate.
However, it isn’t a new kind of politics is it, it is dishonest, self-serving and very selfish what they have done, for the simple reason that they cry foul on democracy not being heeded, as we have not had or we are not likely to have a second referendum on Brexit, yet at the same time, having left the party they were elected as part of, having walked away from the manifesto they stood on, they have not had the minerals to put themselves back up for the test of their electorate. Their new ‘democracy must survive’ stance, their ideas for the country and their own constituency have not been and will not be put to the test.
They continue to receive their salary, expenses and maintain their standing with no mandate at all. What of their constituency groups, the loyal activists that walked the streets, stuffed envelopes, manned phones and worked so hard for them, they have been tossed aside like a used napkin at an activist`s garden party!
Ukip MEP`s signed an agreement that they would, at the point where they find themselves being no longer in a position to keep the whip, hand back the seat won under a proportional representation to the next person on the Ukip list. It is a good system, fair and honest, the voter votes for the party, its principles, ethos and manifesto, less so the individual person.
None of the twenty or so MEP’s voted for under the Ukip banner that have left Ukip recently have been fair and honest as they have not done so, including one Nigel Farage. This is dishonest, unfair and to me goes to their person, who they are and more importantly what they will continue to be.
Certain members of this afore mentioned group joined other parties, smaller ones emerging through the political theatre and vying to find their place on the stage amongst the sudden proliferation of new small parties. Along comes Nigel on his white charger called Brexit Party and again they jump ship. Their loyalty to the smaller party that welcomed their name and stature as shallow as their character.
Loyalty within politics is as much a `thing` as is supporting your football team, you do not flip. There is though clearly, when it comes to money or the outside remotest possibility of remaining on the pitch and hanging around with the `elites` no loyalty at all, no they flip with ease.
This to me is a clear signpost to what you are getting when and if you make your X next to their name. The chances of them staying around for anytime diminishes the more times they have jumped the ship from one to another.
So do your research, help yourself by looking for the word loyalty amongst certain peoples’ Wikipedia or linkedin entries. I can guarantee that with a lot of our current political players you will not find it.
… “they cry foul on democracy not being heeded, as we have not had or we are not likely to have a second referendum on Brexit”…….. On the contrary, democracy will NOT be heeded if we do have a second referendum on Brexit. Democracy would have been heeded if the 23rd June 2016 Referendum result had been obeyed.
Suppose that Brexit had been allowed by Whitehall & Westminster, and Remainers had then begun to campaign after Brexit happened, to rejoin the European Union. In that case they would then be behaving in a democratic manner. But when Remainers campaign after 23rd June 2016 to stop Brexit happening before it has happened, then they are committing treason against democracy.
Maybe it’s a fashion that will catch on, who knows?…..Maybe the Tories will refuse to leave office if Labour win the next general election.
Many comments here sound like a ‘spilt milk’ syndrome. The latest development of the Brexit Party was spontaneous and quick, it shows their organisation is thinking on their feet, and can turn on a six-pence as events occur. Much admired and therefore will attract lots of followers of like-minded people, quick to see opportunities and can succeed where ditherers like Theresa May will inevitably fail to achieve any goals.
Look where that got the Tory Party for being stuck in the mud!
Unfortunately, UKIP – with loyal members – is not as lively and agile as those who are alert to opportunities, with the freedom to grab them as they fly into their orbit. But UKIP leaders must open their eyes and look beyond their own boundaries to see the bright lights and emulate successes without rancour!
For UKIP to succeed in a general election, the manifesto has to be brilliant and work across every other Party: to become a government the policies have to be cost effective, non-limiting and all embracing, much like the original UKIP manifesto that dealt with eliminating hospital parking especially for the poor, capping excessive pay for top brass and be seen to be equalising societies and closing the gaps between the haves and have-nots, promise climate change policy, etc.
There is a fine line between the UKIP and the Brexit Party, and we can erase that line by being generous and forward-looking, by throwing open our doors to aid our common goal with amalgamation and working together for our nation’s sovereignty, not for the individuals, nor for party politics but for the greater good of regaining control of our borders and money.
Our loyalty is to Great Britain and our enemy is not the Brexit Party, which has done exceptionally well to send a clear message to the bureaucrats across the Channel, and we must not denigrate that. Instead, we should applaud Nigel’s teamwork and generously offer our cooperation, and could look forward to becoming the future establishment government.
Loyalty or stubbornness are not necessarily virtues. Loyalty can be a fools errand but can provide stability. As we have seen from the disaster that was May, stubbornness can be a distinct ability not to learn from one’s actions. Indeed we say a sign of madness is to keep repeating the same actions and expect a different outcome, something she was understandably accused of.
Politics will I believe become more fluid if the two party system we have been subjected to starts to break down.
The integrity of a huge majority of MPs has come under the spotlight at least since the expenses scandal 2009. So nothing new there. We cannot dismiss the fluidity that comes with conscience because of the idiots we have in Parliament. They have caused enough distortion to the public’s awareness and judgement.
Am I justifying my own voting preference in the EP election which was in contradiction with my allegiances? No because voters choice is their prerogative. When it comes to party politics as an elected servant then surely one should honour one’s election promise or begin again.
This problem of fulfilling one’s remit poses another problem of accountability. The MPs in question have a primary responsibility to represent their constituents in the promises they made to be elected. It is inadequate in my opinion for that accountability to be the sole management of the party associations.
MPs ditching their promises seems to be another call for the public to recall an MP, a system by which a petition for complaint or action can be lodged, or a reduction of tenure.
To summarize my feelings on this subject, a political party should work as a democratic organisation or at least adhere to the rules it has made for itself. As members we have no commitment to that party other than a personal want to support ie our prerogative. As an elected servant one has a commitment to that party one serves and the collective members of that party and the electorate who voted for you.
What do I know, but that is how I see it..
Thank you for the article and argument.
I didn’t leave UKIP.
It left me & many others when Batten took the party lurching off into Tommy Robinson Land.
Thankfully, regarding the EU elections, we had an alternative appear in the form of the Brexit Party.
The difficulty will come if we DO finally break free from the EU’s clutches, as Farage has stated TBP will have fulfilled it’s aim should that happen.
I disagree with him on this point, as our democracy as it currently stands is unfit for purpose & rebuilding it needs a new force in politics (no; not UKIP, as they blew it with the aforementioned lurch to the right).
I agree that also I feel, on the whole, that UKIP left ME…with the unnecessary and provocative publicity around the Tommy Robinson connection (despite him being officially unwelcome!), then the nasty misogyny from a so-called comedian…..and other factors I find uncomfortable. In the London region we have been lucky to have had several good people but overall it is not the Party I knew in 2015. These are special and peculiar times and “jumping ship” can also be regarded in these times as the ability to react quickly (and bravely) to developments that would not have happened during traditional political times.
The moral of the story is do not join a party or play party politics in any form. Keep your associaitions local and with people you meet on a regular basis. Do NOT ever again place yourself under control of a stranger however glowing his image. Do Not join any party because ther whole party system is the “revolution agaisnt our legal English constituiton”. If you don’t understand what I mean please go to http://www.cravenfreedom.com as Viv won’t allow me the space to explain it all here.
Lastly; when you vote for a party you CONSENT (!!) to having to accept the whole package, in advance of any serious knowl;edg eof its consequences. Far better to have FREE INDEPENDENT MPS who examine eahc issue on its merits, not prepackaged pre-arramnged (by someone esle you never see) policies over which you have no control as you have agreed to the package!!! QED?Spot the difference.?? It really is that fuindamental.
Most UKIP mep’s jumped ship to the Brexit party with no say for the membership do agreements in writing mean nothing these days. It is all about money with no principles.
Agreed, the Brexit party is all about money and no principles, the money coming from Arron Banks and the no principles from Nigel Farage!
I think that is a daft comment. The Brexit fight — by whoever — needs funding given that the opponent has unlimited backing from the taxpayers! (and apparently a complete lack of red cards from the Electoral Commission despite their hasty bullying of others). How can you claim Nigel has no principles? He has a nice life anyway with or without his political activities. You don’t have to agree with everything he says — but he seems to have the knack of being the most effective influencer to get us out of the EU. That’s s ace card for me.
spot on sue
UKIP can rise again but only if we make it happen, sitting on our arses greeting about it and running off to join someone else will not help! On a side note has anyone else noticed the amount of foreign names complete with accents who were voted in as MEP’s
Graeme, you are right but where do we begin? Brexit has been stolen by NF, of course we have other worthy issues and policies, but no one seems to want to listen to them. We also need to drop our obsession and the therefore the media’s obsession with Tommy Robinson and idiots like Carl Benjamin and the other one with the Nazi saluting dog, they are toxic and unpalatable in my opinion and have done us no good what so ever, the polls and the results reflect that and it cannot be denied.
Your comments regarding TR, Benjamin and Meechum tell me you are just another MSM Brainwashed prig.
Oh really! There is a time and place for issues that TR et al were promoting and the EU elections were not it. Nigel Farage’s organisation were awash with money and his mouthing off was the catalyst in their demise. He ought to have been ashamed of himself. Don’t you love it when all the MSN still refer to him as “former leader of UKIP”!
Believe it or not, people with “foreign” names and non-Received pronounciation “accents” can be qualified to vote and be MEPs. Anyway, what qualifies as a foreign name nowadays? Some of our more loyal steadfast countrymen/women appreciate Britishness and want to protect it so what better sense — or are they names of Remainer-type MEPs I wonder?
With the local elections and European elections causing a major wipeout of the UKIP councillors and MEPs maybe the media focus will change from bashing that party and go for Farage and his supporters ( I mam not using the term party members),,when Farage gets his manifesto together ( I am sure he will take UKIP policies) there will be splits within the Brexit Party as they have so many diverse backgrounds agreement will be very difficult Therefore these politicians that jump ship will be seen as rats leaving their own party ships….are they trustworthy or not. Both the Conservatives and Labour have been deemed unsuitable their own core supporters as they are deemed unfit for purpose…the Libdums are basically doing well as they are seen as a protest vote by the remainer caucus….the Brexit Party are seen now as the main anti EU party but as I have said there will be splits the core policy of leaving the EU will not hold them together….UKIP though now maybe in the background can slowly and surely gain from this….keep the faith
Can anybody beleive there is any common policy agreemetns apart from LeavEU between Annunziata Rees-Mogg and Claire Fox/ This divide is wider than within Labour or Tory ranks.
Grumpy – where did you get the idea that the local elections were a wipeout this year? The MSM?
Convention is to compare seats won/lost with the last time the same seats were fought, i.e. 2015.
In 2015, when we had the GE where we did so well, we took control of Thanet, we did well in Tendring and Thurrock.
In 2016 with the referendum looming, we held our ground, In my branch we missed by 22 in one ward.
In 2017, with the referendum won, people gulled into thinking UKIP’s job was done and Paul Nuttall giving a less than stellar performance, the counties were going to be hard. Then May announced the snap GE just as the postal ballots went out. The mood on the doorstep changed overnight (I know, I was fighting to hold my seat.) The electorate treated it as a dress rehearsal for the GE and we lost all our sitting Cllrs – the County Council seat we won was a gain.
2018, we had reached a new low after Bolton almost did the job Nigel had put him up to – taking out UKIP. We fielded very few candidates and in Surrey our percentages, especially in ‘paper’ wards was dire (2-4% in those)
I am comparing 2019 with 2018. How many of the 2015 UKIP seats were still held by UKIP Cllrs? Bolton decimated Thanet and, fearful of the Bolton effect on their upcoming elections, Thurrock Cllrs became Thurrock Independents in early 2018. This year we were getting back in, or near double figures, even in paper wards and getting new Cllrs in Sunderland & Derby, plus 5 in Tendring. It’s a start – something to build on
What’s the betting that, having seen the resurgence of the LimpDims, the CHUKwits like Hairdo Allen, Ms Sobriety and Eumoaner will now jump ship yet again to them.
After the euphoria re TBP, will this be the next chapter, the next battle?
Jeff Taylor’s latest:
It has been noticeable that when politicians jump ship and join another party (Umunna, Soubry etc) that none of them do the honourable thing and resign their seats and re-stand on their new platform as Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless did when they moved from Tory to UKIP. It is also glaringly obvious that the media completely ignore this.