Over the last week or so, I’ve been reading lots of articles, along with the comments on UKIP Daily, trying to make sense of what’s happening with our Party and what might or should happen next. The more I learn about the goings on within UKIP, the more complicated and depressing it becomes – wheels within wheels. As a mere member and branch secretary, not close to the movers and shakers, this is difficult to make out.
Tomasz Slivnik’s NEC resignation letter and latest essay makes interesting, if disturbing, reading and I recommend all members and supporters to read it. UKIP seems to be run like a banana republic by a clique around the leader.
These are my conclusions, at least from my limited knowledge at this moment in time:
I don’t believe Nigel Farage has any intention of relinquishing control of UKIP. Brexit should mean Brexit, but resignation doesn’t necessarily mean resignation. Farage built the party, and much of the UKIP brand is wrapped up with his personality. Perhaps he regards UKIP as his party to do what he pleases with. Now that he realises how much money he can make on the US lecture circuit and being a campaign advisor to the likes of Donald Trump, he may wish to delegate the job of day-to-day leadership. That doesn’t mean he’s letting go.
And why did Diane James resign the leadership after only 18 days? Didn’t she want to be leader? James appears to have been persuaded by Farage to stand at the last minute. Perhaps she realised she wouldn’t be allowed to be her own woman. Perhaps she realised that UKIP was broke and, without Farage’s media attention, was heading for oblivion. What exactly did that letter she was asked to sign say? Did it say she would have to respect the NEC? Maybe she really was just freaked-out by the bitter leftist hatred. Then again, she has backed out twice before, making her a serial flake. Maybe it was all a ruse to bring Farage back as leader ….
Steven Woolfe was first to throw his hat in the ring following James’ resignation. He was Farage’s anointed successor in the last race until, as the story goes, the NEC “blocked” his nomination on the “technicality” that he missed the deadline. I have come to the conclusion that he was dumped by Farage, possibly due to the awkwardness of his previously undeclared conviction. James was persuaded to stand at the last minute, before Woolfe’s nomination was submitted late by an employee of Farage’s buddy Nathan Gill, who had been delegated for the task. It was then cleverly spun to discredit the NEC. If Woolfe were in the know as a member of the “in” crowd, why would he have been considering defecting to the Tories until the surprise opportunity presented by James’ resignation? And we only know that he was involved in a punch-up because someone from UKIP briefed the press – a persistent UKIP problem. Sadly most of our bad press seems to originate from inside the Party itself …
Paul Nuttall would be a fantastic leader. He’s a great public speaker, talks sense and can communicate with the northern English working class voters we want to win over … except he hasn’t put himself forward. I presume he didn’t stand in the last leadership election due to pressure brought to bear behind the scenes. Elizabeth Jones said at the hustings that he didn’t think it was the right time, suggesting there might be a right time. My sources tell me he’s backing Suzanne Evans this time. That’s crazy. We want Nuttall, not Evans. Evans is so unpopular with the pro-Farage wing of the party that she doesn’t stand a chance of being elected. Perhaps Nuttall has seen what being the leader of UKIP entails and he doesn’t fancy it. Why did he step down from the deputy leadership and leave UKIP rudderless when he didn’t have to? Perhaps he knows what’s coming – UKIP going bust, bitter warfare between the Faragista and NEC factions – and has chosen to sit out. It’s strange, isn’t it, this reluctance of key figures in the party to take on the leadership at this juncture!
I have to say I’m not a fan of Douglas Carswell, or his allies. Rumours have even come out recently that Carswell cynically joined UKIP to neutralise the “toxic” Farage. Like most conspiracy theories, this is somewhat fanciful. However, he couldn’t have done more to damage and split UKIP if he had tried. The narrative that he has somehow taken control of the NEC to thwart Farage doesn’t stack up though: that’s more spin. He’s only one of 12 NEC members who are elected by the membership. My main objection is that, to the Carswellites, the purpose of UKIP seems to be just the conscience of dry Toryism.
This is not the great opportunity which I saw revealed in the results that morning of the 24th June – the opportunity to supplant the traitorous champagne socialist Labour party and become the official HM Opposition by appealing to the traditional working class in the north of England, the Midlands and Wales, opposing globalism, open-door immigration, islamisation and self-destructive PC ideology with a pro-democratic, pro-national and cultural pride, pro-common-sense message which shifts the centre of political gravity in the UK to the right of the Conservatives!
I would love to see a UKIP going for that opportunity, with a fearless, articulate and charismatic leader, well-funded, with a professional 21st century organisation with strong internal democracy, and becoming a mass movement recruiting the disenfranchised sectors of the electorate who voted for Brexit!
Sadly that doesn’t seem to be on offer.
So what might happen next?
Maybe, as Tomasz Slivnik hinted, UKIP goes bankrupt in the next few weeks. I might then predict that Farage & Banks declare they’re setting up a new party along the lines of Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement in Italy, as they’ve been talking about for a while. Arron Banks might be happy to fund it and, as my mother likes to say, “He who pays the piper calls the tune.” This new party might be an energetic mass movement, the British manifestation of an alternative right wave sweeping the Western world – but with no internal democracy. It is essentially the leader’s personal fiefdom and any dissenters are swiftly expelled – just like Five Star. UKIPpers are left with the option of going along with the Nigel Farage Fan Club or sticking with the broke, ignored and increasingly irrelevant former party.
The Faragistas however seem to understand the historic opportunity which presents itself to us while the Carswellites seem to want to stifle it. I’d have to back Farage & Banks to achieve the objective of UKIP becoming HM Opposition. Once that was achieved, I’d then I’d have to re-evaluate the situation because, the way they run UKIP, God help us if Farage & his mates were to run the country this way!
CK and DD,the reason that Paul had to pull out was that he had to attend a charity event.However Bill Etheridge and Julie Reed I have been told are going to be the Super-Subs,so it’ll be a great night after all.
Dear Comrade K,
You wrote that Carswell “couldn’t have done more to damage and split UKIP if he had tried”.
I have NOT observed Carswell doing anything to damage or split the party.
What am I missing?
Regards
Toby
I doubt we understand just how hard it will be to become UKIP leader, we are ( wrongly) regarded as being so toxic, thanks to the attitude of a tiny number of individuals, including some at the top.
I’m sad Steven has gone but sadder still about his parting remarks, thanks mate, so helpful !
In my opinion we need a slimmed down party, with minimal paid staff, to reduce costs and an NEC including area Chairmen. Branches can fund and organise their own elections and with some screening, select their own candidates. Support from HQ is minimal anyway, they simply can’t afford to provide it as things stand.
Members at all levels who insist upon stupid behaviour or briefing against colleagues should be swiftly rejected. Kindly take note the Faragistas and Carswellians. This is one party with a set of common aims which we all share, it’s not a free for all. We can debate policies all we like in private meetings but in public we will be punished very hard indeed if we’re not clearly united. Please, if you can’t support whatever policy is agreed, keep quiet or go. One more incident like this one ( the Woolfe debacle phase 2), may well sink us. It would certainly cost us many members.
Personally I liked Paul’s last speech/statement, though I accept comments about Areas concentrating on their MEPs. No doubt they fund paid staff from their allowances. ( which will soon stop).
As always, cash is the key, it is simply human nature, employees want to move upwards and keep their jobs, donors want bang for their bucks and UKIP has seemed to be a fast track for failed, failing or want to be politicians and those from other parties who wish to push personal agendas.
The is still time to put the party in order but it will require finding a new leader very soon and radical measures. We owe it to all those who voted for us or for Brexit to get this right and to the grassroots activists who gave so much for so long. Most of all we owe it to our country, which now has no functioning opposition, unless you count Tory dissidents and no viable looking party to vote for that’s not the Tories or Labor. We do not need a new party, we need to make this one work.
The idea of Nigel Farage as leader needs to be consigned to the past.
– He abdicated before the referendum result was put into effect; the game was not over and still is not over.
– He has allied himself with Trump so will be toxic to many voters as will UKIP with him as leader.
– He clearly was a great front man but, as events show, not able to be the leader that UKIP needs today.
Of course we owe him our gratitude for getting us the referendum but now we must move on.
You are correct. Great though he undoubtably was it’s time to move on. Make him Hon. President or something until he gets a well deserved seat in the Lords.
We need a leader less divisive in National terms, to shed the “toxic” image the establishment has carefully painted for us and to push policies that will appeal to sensible Labour voters. Since the Tory government is now to the right of us that should not be too difficult, we don’t have to be pseudo socialists.
The Establishment is pushing very hard indeed to redefine Brexit as a shadow of what we voted for and if we don’t get our act together very soon indeed, they may well succeed.
Steven Woolfe’s surprise announcement this evening is yet another twist to the sorry saga. Our party’s predicament just gets worse and more embarraassing. One of the heavyweight contenders has not just exited the leadership contest, but the party itself. Even more of a blow because Woolfe so well articulated and embodied UKIP’s opportunity to appeal to the northern working class. I can understand though why he may no longer want to work with the colleague who punched him and put him in hospital.
CK,
How do you know he was punched and went to hospital because of it, do you know something we do not know, or were you there? If so please fill us in with the gruesome details.
Very good point. I am only going on how how he and some other sources have reported it. Mike Hookem, of course, vociferously denies it. IT’ll be interesting to see what the police investigation concludes.
If he wants to stand this time I don’t think the faffing about is helping him or UKIP one bit.
Hopefully today’s ludicrous announcement from Saint Steven is the very last time he can do damage to the Party and the people that have given him his fantastically privileged ‘job’.
But presumably there will still be people on here who will blame ‘ The NEC ‘ for forcing Steven out ??
So, Woolfe has counted himself out now, and is going to be an independent. I wonder how long it will be before he then becomes a tory? I am sorry but that is the way I see it, either that or he has got no back bone, to just walk away like that.
Speaking as a piper (not calling the tune), hasn’t it been more a case of getting on with it in spite of Head office and co? I’m thinking back to the 2015 election rather than the referendum…
Here in 2014/15 we had assumed that “The Party” would be giving us the stuff we needed to fight with, posters, visits from big names, etc. In reality we found the entire Regional Office network absolutely useless and here in the NorthWest, worse than useless. The office was hidden away in Liverpool, run by MEPs for MEPs – and in our case that was Mr Nuttall – who did sodall then to help the Branches pleading for help and guidance.
But we got through the election anyway – and resolved then to do it our way next time if the opportunity arose again because we could have done a lot better without the expectation of everything that didn’t arrive!
The referendum was different – all Farage – and I think CK’s probably right, the future may remain with Nigel for a while – (and I still think there’s a funding opportunity in the 5 star plan)
But they’re going to need an agenda, if they’re planning a political party and not just a post-brexit junket.
We are still like minded grown-ups from both sides of the political divide who can attract support.
And I’ve a feeling that the UKIP agenda – if worked on – could become more important than the replacement leader (and MEPs with a few notable exceptions) – for a while at least.
My take on all this appalling chaos is that the only people in UKIP who haven’t let down the country are the members.
So many good ideas, so much good will – what a wonderful opportunity for someone to grasp. That is why I wouldn’t be against a so-called career politician, we need someone who has the ambition to get the party to Westminster, without compromising UKIP ideals and principles.
Unpopular though it will be, I have serious doubts about Paul Nuttall. First because he resigned as Deputy Leader which was a shocking tactical decision and did great harm to UKIP.. And second because he shocked me on RT on Saturday night. He was not the Paul Nuttall I thought I knew. If he can’t stand up to 4 lefty UKIP haters how will he fare now the situation is even more fraught, with Remoaners being encouraged from Westminster to the MSM. It was a set-up, but he must have known it would be before he accepted the invitation, and he was completely unprepared.
That said, he is popular in the North, and those who voted for us desperately need a party to represent them, and from what I read on here, he might bring the party together.
The main reason why Oakden is wrong, and I’m quite suspicious as to why he wants to drag things out, is that the longer the party is flotsam, the more likely it is that it will be sucked down the plug hole. Decisions and forward movement are essential. I almost don’t care any more what faction the leader belongs to; above all we need COMPETENCE, ORGANIZATION AND at least a modicum of DISCIPLINE. We should stop navel gazing about conspiracies, as even if we could distinguish between them and cock ups, it wouldn’t make the slightest difference. We need a leader soon who will bring 90% of the party together(more is a totally unreasonable expectation in UKIP), and hit the ground running with a dozen firm policies that differentiate us. Nuttall is the obvious choice, with a strong organizational team around him. That Hartlepool by election shows what can be done, even when shooting ourselves simultaneously in all four limbs.
Let’s hope that this is a sign Paul intends to stand! If he stands, I’ll vote for him. If he doesn’t, I hope Peter Whittle does. In the Telegraph poll, Paul comes out at 40%, ahead of all the others, Peter at 2%. As a London Assembly Member, he’s not so well known nationwide but an authoritative speaker. Peter is also gay, which would shut the mouths of all those who call UKIP homophobic.
I’ve heard a rumour that Nigel tore a strip off Diane for being so conciliatory toward Carswell at the Conference, and later stabilising the situation with Neil Hamilton, and that’s why she resigned. Who knows what is true anymore?
What I do know for sure because she was standing three feet away from me when Diane said it in Gateshead, is that she couldn’t do the job if she didn’t get the funding the party needs from donors she had been talking to.
I hope that Peter Whittle stands for leadership and I will be happy to vote for him. I don’t know why Paul Oakden thinks there is ‘no hurry’ to appoint a leader and that after Christmas is soon enough. Nigel has shown his reluctance to be even ‘interim leader’ and we won’t recruit more members while the ship is rudderless and drifting.
Have you seen this article by Paul Nuttall in the Telegraph today:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/17/ukip-can-have-a-bright-future-but-only-by-uniting-and-turning-it/
I’ve read it carefully, and it looks to me as if Paul will stand this time round. the last few paragraphs seem to indicate this, but especially the last sentence of the last paragraph:
“Great things can be achieved, but only if those at the top are willing to accept that the first day of the new leader’s reign is Day Zero. I for one would be committed to doing so.”
Well – if he does stand, he’ll get my vote!
Viv,
I hate to say it but I think that is wishful thinking, if you look at the way it is phrased I think he is saying that he is willing to give his 100% support to the new leader that adopts that approach.
Sorry, I hope I am wrong and like you wish he would stand.
Yes. Unfortunately I didn’t read this a hint that he’ll stand. I hope I’m wrong. Maybe things will become clearer in Bridgend of Thursday.
CK,
Why, what is happening in Bridgend?
Paul Nuttall is speaking at a UKIP fundraising dinner there.
Okay, Thank you. Let’s hope he has something monumental to announce! One can live in hope.
Donald and Keith,plese see my comment below,that the
Dinner is actually being held at Porthcawl,and has been organised by our UKIP branch in Bridgend.
Viv iv’e just read it,and agree with you that Paul will hopefully stand.
Paul is the strongest contender that we have,and someone who I know would not only unite the Party,but would see UKIP go from strength to strength,I was bitterly disappointed that Paul didn’t stand last time.
Viv wouldn’t it be wonderful for us if Paul announced his intention to stand as our new leader,at our Dinner in Porthcawl on Thursday evening.
I am so looking forward to hearing good news,I don’t know wether to cross my fingers or pray that our great and honest party UKIP can continue to exist not only for the good of our country,but for our children,grandchildren,and
elderly parents.I am so looking forward to meeting everyone,not only my friends from the Welsh Assembly,but members of our colleagues in our Bridgend Branch who organised the evening,and of course you Viv,and last
but not least our speaker,and soon to be hopefully our new leader,and the best hope we have for the future,the great Paul Nutall.
Geoff.Elliott,UKIP,Pontypridd.
Please God I hope he stands.
Sadly, as I’m sure you now know, Paul has dropped out of speaking in Porthcawl – and I was so looking forward to it. Ah well, it’ll be good to hear Bill Etheridge speak. I voted for him last time.
CK.
No, I did not know Paul had pulled out, what was the reason or did he not give one? Never mind, I think you will find that Bill is equally as good, and like you I also voted for him last time and I wish he had won that contest, because I do not think we would be going through what we are now.