In view of the lock-down of the site tomorrow (see below), we’re publishing two “Letters” columns today. The selection of letters below address the burning issue of the EGM. The first letter comes from our contributor Julian Flood:
Sir,
“Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable — the art of the next best” (Otto von Bismarck)
Wouldn’t it be nice if we were in a stable and secure political haven,where senior Party members were not at each other’s throats, where the administration of our little bureaucracy was secure, and members past and present could refrain from bitching about their own particular bonnet bees! Alas, we aren’t, it isn’t and they won’t!
Given those three facts, the problems we face come into focus. If the EGM votes against Henry Bolton then a lot of good people will despair and leave UKIP, angered that a recently elected leader has been overthrown by a faceless cabal of bureaucrats, a cabal already criticised by some of the longest-serving and most respected of our members. If the EGM votes for Henry then we will lose those who despair at the hopeless task of working for a leader who has committed the worst sin of all — looking ridiculous in public – and whose tenure so far has not been marked in terms of sparkle.
Immovable object – meet irresistible force! Either way, UKIP will go into one of its periodic bursts of self-harm just before the next set of elections. When our ex-voters, our residents and our members tell us that we, a Party which wishes to change the face of UK politics, are not fit to clean a privy then we will have to agree.There is no route out of this maze unless we accept that no-one is going to win if we continue in this direction. Whichever way the EGM vote goes, UKIP will be out of the running for another five or ten years, and those years are vital for the well-being of the British people.
Allow Labour to dictate the path for five years and we will see huge damage to our economy. Let the Conservatives run free and watch the snouts go back into the troughs of over-development, into the money buckets of HS2 and the EPR reactor scandal, watch our countryside being sold to the highest bidder. Let the LibDems sniff power again (look out for flying pig muck) and they will invent some totally new way of damaging our country.
Where does duty lie in this situation? There has been a lot of criticism of the NEC, most of it made without any real awareness of the hard work those representatives of the membership put in year after year. There has been a lot of comment about Henry Bolton and his reckless choice of companion and about his commitment to UKIP at a time of crisis. They all have a duty: save the Party.
Where integrity? All concerned can demonstrate integrity by putting the needs of our country before their own interests, before the flattery of office and the self-importance of title.
Where loyalty? UKIP is very poor at loyalty. Sticking together, supporting each other in adversity, appreciating and rewarding hard work and commitment are rare in any sort of politics, but we aspire to be something better.
Politics is the art of the possible. It is possible to rescue something from the current slow-motion crash but to do so requires both sides of this dispute to demonstrate their acceptance of the prime moral and political virtues. Forget pride, forget the importance of presiding over a once proud political force: choose Service over Self.
Cancel the EGM. Both Henry Bolton and the NEC should immediately submit their resignations to the Chairman who will appoint an interim leader. Convene a series of meetings on policy – my recommendation would be to use the 2015 manifesto as a guide, with those who have had experience of standing for local and national seats being involved as a priority – and have everything done and dusted in time for the next local elections. Once that is done then we can start to think about the new constitution.
It’s quite simple. Compromise or fail.
Respectfully, Julian Flood
Next, our correspondent Mike Kennedy sent the result of his research into an item as stated by Bolton during the hustings:
Sir,
Henry Bolton claimed during the hustings that he had received officer training at Sandhurst and had been awarded the Sash of Honour. Enquiries at RMA Sandhurst have elicited the information that Henry was an officer cadet on a TA training course prior to commissioning in the Territorial Army as a second lieutenant on 2 August 1992.
The TA training courses at Sandhurst only last for a few weeks and no prizes were/are awarded at the end of the course. For the record the Sash was only ever awarded to female cadets and in no circumstances was it ever given to a male cadet.
Respectfully, Mike Kennedy
Finally, Mark Childs asked us to publish the communication from a County Organiser on the current situation in the Party:
Sir,
could you please post the item below from a county organiser who can’t be named for obvious reasons:
‘Members will see an “opportunity” to rid the party of the current NEC. How many times in past years have conference motions submitted for NEC reform been kicked into the long grass? This EGM will be potentially the most important meeting the Party has held. – Its future is at stake –
With possibly an attendance of + 2,000 its also a massive opportunity (with a Henry win) to rally all the activists behind the leader on a massive campaign during the next few months to force through the Brexit we all worked for.
I am afraid it looks like we have conspiracy working in the party against its best interests with too many disruptive personal agendas & ego’s getting in the way.
Please note a local Chairman’s comments yesterday: NEC and other officials can’t obey rule J.3.14: ‘Party officials shall avoid any public criticism of other Party members online.’
I hope Henry will be explaining where the donations made to him have/will be spent in addition to his strategy for the future of the party which embraces structural & party reform.’
Respectfully, Mark Childs
Attention all readers!
We are finalising the relocation of this site to a different server. Therefore, this site will be in lock-down from 9 a.m. tomorrow, Friday 9th February. Normal service to resume as soon as everything is done, so do check in from time to time. See you all on the flip side!
Your UKIP Daily Team
Mr Kennedy’s research into Bolton’s CV deserves wider publicity. Perhaps an editor can pull together everything about his CV that has been appearing here, there and everywhere.
HB, The NEC,
Bagsi – the “Interim Chairman goes first,
He goes anyway if HB goes – funny how I`ve suddenly got two letters from him, when I can`t recall getting one before.
Oh Too late! suddenly taking up the role. of a real chairman after the horse had bolted
I wonder why he got my email address right first go, but they got a wrong un for answering my registry email, strange how the first rejection got it right.
Is there a common link in the sudden appearance of the gallant HB into the leadership stakes to “save” us from neo-Nazi contamination and a bagman and confidante (I seem to remember) of Nigel`s for
many(?) years?.
Roger,
We must remember we have virtually the whole of establishment against us, Gerard has already stated on twitter that islam is a death cult and his account was shut down for a short while.
So, don’t be too surprised if HB wins this vote somehow, there are powerful forces at play and I am not sure what part Nigel is playing in them, what do you think?
Bolton on Radio4 Question Time tonight.
BBC interference????????
Roger,
The fact is that the public will associate Henry with lies just like they do Paul Nuttall, there is no return from that. But the big question is will our members feel the same, or take a risk and keep him on? Personally, I am having trouble working this situation out because it seems so contrived, and we do not know who to trust anymore. But my gut feeling is to trust Gerard but I do think he needs to be careful who he surrounds himself with and the alliances he makes, and I am not including the VAT’s in that.
The day I start believing that Ukip’s problems are due to the NEC will be the same day I believe that giant lizards in league with the Russians and the Alice Springs Surf Life Saving Club are working in tandem to bring the party to it’s knees.
It was the constant criticism of the NEC which drew me into posting on this site. I have been through a party in decline before and know that certain things happen.
One of them is that those who tend to be paranoid come to the fore and focus their attention on certain committees and somehow convince themselves (and others)
that once the offending body is removed and the ‘right’ structure is in place all will flow and harmoniously.
While there are the others who decide to leave because they don’t want to be associated with a losing side. They tend to get annoyed when the rest of the party does not does not immediately follow their heroic example and it doesn’t fall fast enough. So they try and undermine anybody who tries to make a stand.
I don’t need to name names on these columns!
It is refreshing to have John Bickley on here now talking common sense and I’m so pleased he didn’t give up on us after his initial hostile reception by our resident whingerati. Rob too, deserves praise for his patience and perseverance in the face of what must seem like overwhelming forces of stupidity at times.
My advice to fellow members is to focus on the issue in hand. We are saddled with a dud leader. A nasty one to boot. Getting rid of him is the immediate task. If that is then followed up by some active daring leadership and spokespeople who can strike a chord with the public then watch our support rise in the polls.
I cannot get to Birmingham due to a prior commitment but it should be a historic day. It reminiscent of the events leading to the Glorious Revolution of 1689.
James 11 being a dreadful leader who squandered the goodwill given to him by his people eventually had to be forced out by the sheer weight of numbers massing against him. Once he was gone Britain never looked back.
So go to it my Kipper friends. I will rue the day I was not there in Birmingham.
Well said.
Farringer,
Let’s hope there is enough of us there to do it!
RE Julian Flood
UKIP will be out of the running for another five or ten years, and those years are vital for the well-being of the British people.
Why?
What piffle.
New Labour swept to victory.
New UKIP can be very successful indeed.
For the first time in years under Gerard Batten and his proposed manifesto UKIP will be able to give the British people the chance to vote for policies they have been crying out for, for the last ten or twenty years
We will be able to offer support for the working, working class betrayed by Blair and by the Labour party ever since.
We are the UK Independence party.
We can at last live up to that name.
Independence from the threat of the invasion by islam – seeking to turn this country into a Caliphate.
To overthrow our government, British law and our democracy.
Independence from the mass immigration threatening to overthrow the norms of our society and the British way of life.
Turning our Green Belt into a third world holding pen.
Dragging our country down by the plundering of the British taxpayer and the British economy by billions in benefits and free housing each year.
Had we had such policies in the past I suspect we would have representation in the House of Commons even with FPTP.
New UKIP with the Batten policies gives us our best hope in years.
Julian Flood is about as wrong as you can get – we can at last look the voters the eye and promise the things the Lib/Lab/Con is in collusion to deny them.
Action on islam, its threat and its terror and action on mass immigration destroying Britain and the British way of life.
Thank God – at last.
Perhaps you haven’t noticed. Let me help. Gerard is not in charge. Either the NEC or Henry will be in charge.
You need to think of a way to change that fact. I await your proposed solution with interest. Incidentally, AMW was all for the solution you advocate. Remind me, how is For Britain doing?
Rgds
JF
Don’t insult genuine people concerned with islam and its taking over Britain.
Wouldn’t touch AMW with a bargepole.
A Labour Carswell who knew exactly what she was doing.
An LGBT/Labour take over of UKIP.
Now out to get Britain First with bad mouthing by looks of things.
When she failed to get the leadership – thank heavens – she had the new party ready and long planned.
Emily,
Do you think like me she is getting a ‘bit too big for her boots’? and are the electoral commission holding off because they do not want to be seen as sanctioning a ‘anti islamic party.
The sooner AMW is history the better.
She knew full well that standing for the leadership and possibly winning – with all the new LGBT?/Labour? – members flooding in – would almost certainly end UKIP
She still stood.
She very conveniently had a new party and all the trappings planned – before the leadership result was announced – loyalty for you.
Her standing probably cost Kurten the leadership – I didn’t vote for him – he was my second choice – so no axe to grind – but had Kurten won we would not be in this mess.
She is now unleashing her people on various forums attacking UKIP – someone on Breitbart had the cheek to tell us to disband as we stood in her way.
Ditto – Britain First – denouncing them as racist – presumably because they are fighting islam – and bravely – c’mon – whats she then?
I wonder if one of the quibbles with the commission is the name For Britain.
She tried to hijack UKIP.
Is she now trying to mislead the public with a similar name to Jayda Fransen and Paul Golding. Britain First
Wouldn’t put it past.
AMW was a Labour party candidate who failed – but stood on the platform of mass immigration and open borders.
I don’t buy sudden conversions like that.
At our hustings she was not at all outstanding.
She mouthed platitudes – but any originality or ideas were thin to nil.
Hopefully with Gerard and the new policies – we should have had years ago and, I understand, would have had but for NIgel – AMW can go back to Labour.
One issue we must pursue is the stopping of mass halal on animal cruelty grounds.
We must stop it being force fed to almost every child in school dinners across Britain – not to mention restaurants etc.
Did you know that Govt guidelines state it should only be fot islamic and jewish comsumers.
We must demand those guidelines get followed.
And stunned at that.
This is the way I see it:
Money couldn’t buy the sort of publicity Ukip have received over the last few weeks. The intense media coverage has made Henry Bolton a household name. Of course it’s not the sort of publicity everybody would have liked but at least it’s put Ukip back in the pubic eye. If Bolton goes, then the media will have no further interest in Ukip and the party will continue as before, starved of all publicity and unfit for purpose. If Bolton stays, the publicity will continue and the party will get the reforms it so badly needs.
The NEC have a vested interest in removing Bolton because his reforms are a threat to their authority. When the Jo Marney affair became public knowledge, the NEC seized upon it as an excuse to get rid of Bolton and consolidate their own positions. Ukip can never succeed while a small group of politically naive charlatans have the power to hold the leader to ransom. A good example is when Farage wanted to make Ukip more like the highly successful Italian 5 Star Movement but was blocked by the NEC. If he had been allowed to go ahead, there’s every chance he would still be leader and Ukip would still be riding high in the polls.
When it comes down to a choice between Bolton and the NEC, Bolton is the lesser of two evils. Let him stay on as leader and carry out his reforms, then at least he will have opened the door for Farage to return, which is what the vast majority of Ukip members really want.
Absolute c**p, Agatha!
Bolton has a vested interest in destroying the NEC, because that will make him the dragonslayer Nigel wasn’t.
Imagine Trump taking out Congress in the name of the people!
And where, outside Nigel’s fantasies, is the proof we “blocked” him turning UKIP 5-star? On the same planet where we “blocked” Diane “vi coactus” James?
Get real!
“Money couldn’t buy the sort of publicity Ukip have received over the last few weeks. The intense media coverage has made Henry Bolton a household name. Of course it’s not the sort of publicity everybody would have liked but at least it’s put Ukip back in the pubic eye.”
Such trite comment: almost on a par with: ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity.’ but tell that to Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey!
Of course sleazy, sexual liaisons are ten a penny and soon forgotten but it’s hardly a badge of honour that the free publicity was received as a combination of Bolton deliberately lying about his education and qualifications, as well as about aspects of his private life. Even matters he ‘overlooked’ and didn’t mention are lies, lies of omission, because information was deliberately withheld in case it damaged the perception of himself that he wished to sell to members. Whatever he achieves if he manages to cling to his job, cannot compensate for the loss of a platform at a crucial stage of the Brexit negotiations, and nobody wanted to talk to him about such mundane matters as Brexit while the circus of his private life was in town.
It’s never a good idea to lie about important issues such as qualifications and previous experience. It could be seen as obtaining employment by deception, and in many posts, even quite junior ones, can result in instant dismissal because of the issue of trust. His lies render him unfit to be leader; we have no idea what other lies he’s told, what other facts we should know which have been withheld and which may yet emerge in the future if he stays. No doubt Michael Crick et al are beavering away, hoping he is confirmed in the post of leader at the EGM, when they will pounce yet again and provide us with even more of that invaluable, free publicity.
After being branded a liar and losing the trust of a large part of the membership, there’s no way back for Bolton with UKIP. Everything he does or says in the future will be questioned, every word he utters will be scrutinised, nothing about him will ever be taken at face value, it can’t be.
BTW, I imagine the ‘pubic eye’ in your first para was a typo.
Delusional on every count.
Aunt Agatha,
Who are you? I smell a rat in our midst!
With you on this DD. Something very odd going on.
Kind regards.
Mr Bav, I recall one of our contributors had a screen shot of HB’s original CV, which included his Sandhurst ‘Degree’. Was that you and, if so, would you mind sharing it please.
Marie.
Hi Marie.
All that stuff is with Viv . ( I can’t post it directly )
The story was also picked up later by Michael Crick and its also published on his Twitter site. There were 2 degrees that Bolton claimed. One from Sandhurst and one from City and Guilds.
Neither of those institutions grants degrees.
Thanks for your reply Mr Bav. I will ask Viv.
Regards, Marie.
( I can’t post it directly )
Being worked on, I gather 😀
Really? The mind boggles with every new revelation.
Edwards, It is NOT MY assertion that the Sash was only awarded to female cadets, I was repeating word for word what is stated in a written reply to me from Sandhurst. You could check with Sandhurst yourself.
And are you saying that Henry has had a sex change? You’d better get his Wikipedia entry amended.
Why do you insist on surnames?
Bolton does it again….
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5367267/Ukip-losing-1-000-members-MONTH-admits-Bolton.html
At a meeting in Wales two months ago he said that membership loss had been stopped and had risen by 800 since he became leader. So what is it: more new members ore more and more members leaving because of him?
Ah ! Viv, you fail to understand. All the members who have joined are because of him, and all the ones who have left are because of the NEC. Apart from Money Jar (Jo Marney). She left because of a conspiracy of left wing MSM conspirators and the NEC who revealed the racist texts about Prince Harry’s fiancee and which were taken entirely out of context in order to remove him from the party as he was busy making changes that would ( according to Money Jar )and in conjunction with Nigel Farage turn UKIP into a power house for the Brexit movement. …..
And so on…..
Just so!
You have him down to a fine T, Mr Bav!
Membership is down c.5,000 since October – nuff said!
Mr Bav,
This comment -below- from the Mail perfectly illustrates the great opportunity for UKIP which we are missing — to become the working man’s Party and replace Red Labour.
carrickman, carrickfergus, 4 hours ago
They had the chance to take the working mans vote but as their current leader has shown they only think of themselves. The search goes on to replace the friends of terrorists Labour
George Edwards. Why don’t you come straight out with it and say exactly what you mean regarding Henry Bolton, David Kurten and, for that matter, Peter Whittle.
Yes George come out with it in plain English please, exactly what accusations are you making? Or are you reluctant to back up what what you have said by diversion tactics. You know full well I am asking you to explain what you are actually intimating at, I have no idea until you do just that.
George is gone.
Some of his sarcastic comments were ok, but the personal attacks on other comment posters were not – and they became the bulk of his posts.
While we do give posters some leeway, it’s the bin when that lenience is abused.
There must be dozens of ex NEC members out there who can give chapter and verse about the NEC problem, ’cause it clearly is one, or at least bits of it for us to piece together.
The only coherant explanation I’ve read was by Thomas Slimvist ( Apolagies sir for not knowing ) ages ago and too full of lawyers wrangling about clause this and Para that of rules and constitution, for someone like me to understand. Has no one ever heard of gordian and his Knot. Anyway is there a vow of secrecy. I cannot believe all of our Ex-leaders have never explained. Quite obviously the secrecy surrounding its minutes and procedings is a problem because of social and other media and their hate campaigns. But that must not preclude transparancy. Not least to save endless speculation
It is my personal belief that It’s a bit of everything, from its Organisational positioning, its constitution, Excessive human concerns and idiotic ambition, distractions with the Ltd Co. diffusion of effort and sub committees filled with the inflexible, idle and /or other myriad types. The constitution share its problems with rule book, Articles and Memorandum, and Manifesto. Which IMO was daft when it was written and now is just a laff.
Dr. Tomaž Slivnik.
Ta !
Ta ! Thanks Rob.
Pardon me if I’m teaching Grandma.
There are many things people do not know about being a leader until they’ve done it’
1 You work,work and work some more. every day and every waking hour till it’s under control.
2 You have to carry people with you. Which means persuasion. Orders do not work unless they ask for them ( and they do. But later ).
3 A helper. ( I took a personal secretary with me everywhere. Supplied by Bond Street Bureau.)
4. Choose your Heads of Departments v. carefully. They’re no good if not ambitious. I always go for young bright and tough. It works.
5 A good store of tried and tested rules of thumb
There are lots others which probably would descend into senile mumbling. Every job produces something new.
Anyway, HB was clearly of the opinion that he didn’t have to really work. His position would be tolerated ( As a cub 2nd Lt. )and ignored while he declaimed.
He could still if he were a serious person give us (The rude and licentious)the courtesy of telling us what he has achieved and his dispute with NEC.
Getting our ex leaders to comment on the NEC is like getting Julias Caesar to provide references for Cassius, Brutus et al. ?
The problems the Party’s faced in the last 18 months are do with Leaders not the NEC.
I will keep stating until I’m blue in the face that on a day to day basis the Party is run by the Leader, their Chairman and their staff, not the NEC, who are the Party’s gatekeepers and the body that has to pick up the pieces when a Leader implodes or the Party is brought into disrepute by members.
The NEC is not the problem TG.
The problem is in the leadership and actually doing stuff.
Leaders need energy .
No amount of paper shuffling or mucking about with constitutions take away that fact.
Ever seen the film “Reach For The Sky” ?
Theres’s a great scene in it where Kenneth More, as Douglas Bader, after just taking over a squadron sweeps all the forms and paperwork into a bin and goes off to shoot down some Fokkers.
Unfortunately UKIP has a Fokker who just wants to talk about the contents of his bin
Mike. Bolton also claims to have passed out as a fully fledged French Commando , either as a private soldier in 1987 on his attack blog directed at me or as a TA officer at sometime between 1990 and 2000. (Linkedin)
In fact it was a 2 week course attended by all sorts of NATO troops as a liaison exercise with the French . Everyone gets a certificate and a badge. A Royal Marine Officer I know said to me “Bolton had better keep quiet about that”
I bet Mike Hookem ( a real Commando ) finds it highly offensive too.
George,
What do you mean by what you end with in your last paragraph?
Julian – LibLabCon run our country? Read your Telegraph, you only need go as far as the front page. It will be f*ing Soros – flinging his millions in to subvert the already brainwashed by cultural Marxism to make absolutely sure Brexit doesn’t happen. Why? Because taking the UK & its billions out will destabilise an already creaky structure, because WE – little Blighty have spoiled his dreams of a New World Order.
So what is our bl**dy ‘leader’ doing about it? F* all.
Bring me the coal tar soap & toothbrush on the way out will you – I’m going to need it in the next few months.
BTW – Both HB AND the NEC stand down – good idea, some NEC members are overdue for election anyway, but I bet soldier boy won’t do the honourable thing.
They are overdue because Henry asked them to delay 6 months to consider reforms to the way the nec is elected.
Maybe Bolton requested the delay in NEC elections because he’d have found it well nigh impossible to convince members that even a new NEC, recently elected by the members themselves, was scheming against him at every turn.
No, I think he genuinely wanted to revisit the election process.
And the NEC were happy to support him.
Then he caught the incurable “leadership-particle” virus…
How very Labour party: a male claiming a “female only” award.
J.13.4 went irretrievably out the window when Nigel started talking about NEC sanwiches, and Diane said they blocked her reforms. The rot started at the top…