Jon Conway asked us to publish the following clarification in regard to his statement as candidate for the NEC:
Sir,
It seems my statement ruffled a few feathers and Diane James is concerned the wording may be misinterpreted. I spoke with Paul Oakden for guidance and wonder if you could publish this clarification:
Further to my statement about using the Westminster ‘short’ money to fund UKIP Parliamentary business, this can be used to fund research and for travel expenses associated with developing alternative policies to the Government, but not for political party activists. It amounts to £670,000 , £16,689.13 per seat, plus £33.33 for every 200 voters. Our party deserves such funding because our MP represents 4.5 million voters, not just one constituency. Some MEP’s have now decided not to continue taking EU administration grants, that have previously paid for their own hard working staff. Many of these employees also had voluntary roles in the party, which may be under threat because of the need for them to find new jobs.
Respectfully, Jon Conway
Our reader Paul Foyster looks ahead to next year’s Council Elections and gives this extremely valuable advice:
Sir,
We’ll soon have a new leader and we can expect changes in our party. With the May Council elections (May 2017) looming, we have a perfect opportunity to demonstrate that we’ve recovered from our problem of internal disputes. Whoever wins our own election simply won’t be able to tolerate continued splits. After two years in office at District level and four in Parish, with that in mind I risk some advice for council candidates.
Those of us who have been elected to councils, and thus exposed daily to the public, establishment and local media outlets, get the full brunt of the perception of some of the electorate that we are somehow “nasty”. The hate campaign the establishment media has run over several years has been quite effective. It continues even now. For example, reporters will always seek to interview the most outspoken Ukipper they can find, “ranters” are the firm favourites. Interviews with national and local media are like walking over broken glass and any opportunity to edit statements, take comments out of context or concentrate on any “off the cuff” mistakes are nearly always seized with glee. One supporter who goes over the top damages us all.
It takes a lot of hard work and avoiding provocation to demonstrate that we are simply working for our wards, divisions or parishes and of course for our country. Entering into council committees, sitting on various boards and interacting with the non UKIP public, we tend to be at first treated with considerable suspicion. Once people grasp that we don’t have a tail and horns things improve but it’s not an easy process.
Listening to our colleagues from other parties in private, we soon discover their opinions are quite often just as fixed as our own, except that they avoid expressing them strongly in public because their parties so instruct them. It’s dishonest of course but it does not frighten the horses, or the voters. It’s worth remembering that portfolio holders on big allowances will do just about anything to hang on to their quite large incomes, both during and between elections.
It’s not a question of going native and it’s perfectly possible to remain true to our UKIP principles and to push our agenda without resorting to intemperate language, providing ammunition to those who hate and fear us – which is most of the existing political classes. Logic, reason and calm presentation are our best weapons, not outbursts of angry protest. For councillors and candidates a certain amount of stagecraft is useful too. It’s important to concentrate on local issues, do your research and become community champions, not just to shout about Brexit or immigration. These vital matters are best treated with care and our position presented firmly but diplomatically. We have a majority on our side just now and it must be cultivated, not scared off.
Respectfully, Paul Foyster.
Finally, our still continuing EU Membership means that we are still threatened by EU forces. Our contributor Torquil Dick-Erikson has this stark warning:
Sir,
Theresa May is to keep us in Europol even after Brexit!
Please have a look at this report, and this earlier one.
While everyone is looking the other way, at Foreign Policy, Trump, the Euro, Banking, Economics, Scotland, etc etc, it appears that we are – despite all the Brexit rhetoric – being signed up to the EU’s Policing System.
Policing, and more generally, criminal justice, means the power to use violence on citizens’ bodies, legally. Whoever controls the police department in a State, ultimately controls that State and all the people in it. They can then declare a State of Emergency, martial law… and once they can put their own armed police units with boots on our soil – they will own us.
That is how a democracy can be turned into a dictatorship, and freedom with its safeguards can be abolished. It has happened several times in the last century, in many European countries. We in Britain have never seen it. But now even we have the Civil Contingency Act (2006) which allows all that. The machinery is all in place. It only needs someone to pull the trigger.
In June 2012 Mrs May, through her mouthpiece James Brokenshire, answered a PQ from Dominic Raab MP, that “of course” she would welcome in lethally-armed paramilitary “special intervention units” from our EU “allies” onto British soil “if needed”. This means the Eurogendarmerie, who once inside, will only leave if told to by Brussels, for they will not accept the authority of Westminster. Ms May has not reneged on this statement, despite her changing her flag over Brexit. She has not even been asked to renege on it. Public opinion is totally and blissfully unaware of the danger!
Respectfully, Torquil Dick-Erikson
When my daughter joined Herts Constabulary and my nephew joined the Anglian Regiment (he later joined the police and became an instructor) they both pledged allegiance to HM the Queen.
If this country is to be coerced into the EU military and judicial forces, would they have to swear their allegiance to Brussels?
Perhaps the younger elements within British society thinking of a similar future might wish to consider just where their loyalty lays
If the great Donald Trump had taken Mister Foyster’s advice he would now be ancient history and reduced to a thing of ridicule by the bbc.
Mister Foyster is confusing village idiots who can be called upon to state outrageous and ridiculous allegations that the MSM can use to attack the UKIP army. Make no mistake about it we are engaged in a guerrilla war with the media but we need them to help challenge the rotten orthodoxies of the elites.
Simply tell the truth as Trump did and the people will understand – that was populism in action in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Our supporters want out of the EU and an end to open door immigration.
Our supporters want an absolute end to false asylum seekers and involvement of any kind in Middle Eastern wars.
Scrap the House of Lords
Scrap the bbc
Scrap Overseas Aid until we can again afford it ( private individuals are free to hand over as much as they have in private savings.
Scrap with immediate effect our net EU contribution
Scrap any form of EU control of police law and armed forces.
Shout it out loud. We will eventually be heared and proved right.
The clock is ticking and the EU will implode.
We need to be clearly seen as the only alternative voice to the Westminster swamp.
We can and will win
I have little argument with the policies you suggest, they are what most of our supporters want and some of those in other parties want them too. We have to make them abandon previous alliances and vote for us and for that we need to look electable. All I can say is that at least for me, a clam approach worked, I won my seat, more “loud” colleagues did not. Maybe it depends on the constituency, they are all different.
CK, I want all those things that you’ve listed as much as you do, but I don’t think that we’ll get the help of the MSM to challenge the rotten orthodoxies of the elite. Some of the papers rightly criticised the High Court Brexit judgement and look at what a furore that caused: manufactured outrage that anyone should doubt or challenge the holy INDEPENDENCE of the judiciary.
Funny that, because over the years I’ve noticed countless cases of judges taking apparent delight in thwarting governent attempts to eject undesirables from our country, and dragging out legal procedures on the deportation or imprisonment of islamic scum such as Hamza and Choudry. In the end, after years of damage caused by Choudry, he was given a paltry 5 years for polluting Britain and living on our taxes while he was at it. These ‘independent’ judges seem to prefer anything that will harm Britain and its people rather than protect them. And the Press have to be careful after the hacking scandals or they’ll find themselves tied up in more bureautic attempts to control them.
Plus, as Paul Foyster points out, “portfolio holders on big allowances will do just about anything to hold on to their quite large incomes, both during and between elections”. It’s all about vested interests, working hand in glove, slipping cash into pockets, turning a blind eye, scratching each other’s backs etc etc.
But I don’t agree with Paul Foyster’s conclusions that we should speak softly and avoid upsetting anyone. That’s not what UKIP is about. We’ve already upset the establishment applecart on a range of issues and we need to go on doing it. For example, Torquil Dick-Erikson’s warning about Europol is something that needs shouting from the rooftops and I hope our new leader will do so.