Thursday 30 September 2010

Nigel Farage and the neo Nazis

When Ukipers say to me Nigel is a great orator I jokingly reply, so was Adolf Hitler. Many a true word is spoken in jest. On Monday I listened carefully to Farage's speech and I was struck by how similar Farage's shouting, ranting style was to the speaking style of Hitler one sees on the old film clips. We none of us can help our basic appearance but if you stuck a small toothbrush 'tache on Farage he might make it in films as a Hitler double. I am sure some cartoonist will pick up on this sooner or later.

What I found much more serious was Farage's statement on Monday about rewriting the UKIP rule book to put more draconian disciplinary powers in the hands of his ruling Cabal to kick people out of UKIP whose face does not fit. I find this worrying when put alongside Farage's stated intention of his future involvement in building up Young Independence and given the number of members of YI who already appear as signed up Farage supporters on his web site.

Young people are very vulnerable, inexperienced, sometimes gullible and if they are political wannabees  make easy prey for unscrupulous politicians to exploit. Indeed many work for nothing in Parliament to get a foot on the political career ladder which sadly is now the route our leaders have followed. Add in the promise of EU funded largesse and it becomes a huge enticement. This is of course the story of the Hitler Youth, Communist Young Pioneers etc. A corps of highly motivated young people with unquestioning loyalty to the leader who in return receive preferment from the leader over their peers.

I recall when Del Young was running YI he received death threats.Click here to read the Times article chronicling these nasty events. He was unjustly removed by the Farage Cabal in a politburo type manoeuvre with the help of a YI member who is now a UKIP party employee! Tony Butcher added on his forum 'perhaps you could detail the 'trouble' that Del was involved in that justifies two Youthkip members leaving a racist death threat on his answering machine?' Therein lies the danger of eager youth influenced by inflammatory politicians. I have heard Nigel Farage threaten to. 'cut someone off at the knees'. I know that this is simply Nigel's OTT ranting rhetoric like his silly personal abuse of Van Rumpoy but others might take it literally. There is a historical precedent in Canterbury Cathedral!

Farage's association with neo-Nazis takes place nowadays mainly in Brussels within the EFD group of which he is co-chairman with an entitlement to as chauffeur driven limo etc. Consider the other members of this group I detail below.

Lega Nord supporters of ethnic cleansing whose former leader wants immigrants shot as they struggle ashore, 


Danish peoples party's Morton Messerschmidt giving the Heil Hitler salute in the Tivoli, Copenhagen whilst singing Nazi marching songs.


Slovak National Party's Jan Slota wants Hungarians forbidden and Gypsies destroyed


LAOS - Greece violently anti- semitic- a Jewish conspiracy against Greece


Lithuanian Order and Justice bans gay right events


True Finns blame increase in rape on immigrants and calls asylum seekers parasites


Dutch Reformed party which opposed female suffrage

Movement pour La France - Islam is not compatible with the French Republic.

And what of Farage? Well there is that well known photograph of Nigel with the head of BNP's research division and a former NF and subsequently BNP member. Nigel denied meeting one of them but the camera does not lie as they say.

Finally there was Cameron's racist jibe at UKIP published in the Daily Mail  and supported in that article by Alan Sked, founder of UKIP. Farage denied Sked's damaging allegations but did not take legal action against Sked or the Mail to defend his anti-racist credentials. For as litigious a person as Farage one wonders why not? Its a must read article for Winston MacKenzie!

Wednesday 29 September 2010

A report and critique of the UKIP husting 28 Nov at Tiverton

Things started badly for me as I drove early into the car park and there was Farage in a one sided conversation with the other three candidates, Tim, Bannerman and Winston. It took a while to get going but I enjoyed my time at the bar meeting other UKIPers. I was pleasantly surprised by how many came up to me, said hello and shook my hand, even Mr Bannerman but not of course Mr Farage or any of his 'team'.

According to the literature at the meetings the teams, most of whose members were not present, were with their promised jobs::

Bannerman:  Maloney (present)
Congdon:     Batten deputy leader (present) and Allison party chairman
Farage:         Crowther CEO (present), Pearson & Woolfe fund raising, Graves Party Sec, Nuttall YI
McKenzie    None
 


The meeting was chaired by Arnott, a Farage/Nuttall appointee The format is each candidate gives a 5 minute opening address followed by one minute to answer pre submitted quesions selected by young Farage man Arnott who seems to have put on a lot of weight since I saw him last 2 years ago. Positively Knapmanesque one might say. The meeting ended with each candidate given two minutes to sum up their position.

There was no unvetted questions from the floor and as a result Farage got away with some quite outrageous answers which were strangers to the truth as some members of the audience well knew.
The high spot was a Bannerman Farage spat over Farage admitting he had not bothered to read Bannerman's policy document/manifesto something which Pearson had obviously not done either and as a result was crucified on live TV.

Tim gave a passable but lack lustre performance. He needs to sharpen his act, speak with more passion, take on Farage's untruths head on and argue strongly for change..

Bannerman was better than I expected from working with him on the NEC. He did take on Farage head on over the policy issue.

Farage gave his usual loud monkey on a pole performance down to the cigarette paper metaphor. Has he ever given a speech without it? It went down well with the Faragistas in the audience who seem to have collectively poor short term memories. It was the same old Farage speech they must have heard many times before.

Winston was funny at times. I expect him to pull out in favour of Farage. He did sign Farage's nomination papers after all! I next expect to see Winston in the London Mayor contest.

Who won the debate? Farage but it was a rigged deck. That is the UKIP way.

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Annabelle Fuller is back in UKIP

I scanned the long list of Mr Farage's nominating supporters published recently on his web site. It contains most of the usual suspects and sycophants and is compulsory reading for those wishing to fully understand UKIP's often bizarre actions.

At the top, and his proposer, was Malcolm Pearson the former leader proposed and heavily promoted by Mr Farage as the outstanding candidate at our previous leadership election. A bit incestuous one might think and Yes, the same Malcolm Pearson who went around the South West urging UKIP PPCs to stand down in favour of his Tory candidate friends and even went out campaigning for other parties! A man is known by the company he keeps or even his supporters and proposers.

More interesting is that near the bottom of the list of supporters along with two other Fullers the name Annabelle Fuller appears. Annabelle Fuller is a long time close friend and associate of Nigel Farage. She it was who had a laptop holding confidential videos of prospective UKIP MEP candidates media test interviews done by Clive Page. Amongst those interviews was one done by John West that was posted from Morocco on YouTube, a public access web site, with the demeaning headline, 'How not to do politics'.

When David, Del and I found out about this we raised it at the NEC. The then chairman John Whittaker contacted Ms Fuller and read out a statement he had obtained from Ms Fuller that said, 'She had left the laptop in the back of a London taxi. It had been returned to her flat 4 days later by the taxi driver who she said had obtained her address by looking in some of the computer files.'

The story was that this taxi driver or one of his associates could have flown to Morocco, posted the video on YouTube, posted the denigrating caption, flown back to London and returned the LapTop to Ms Fuller. David, Del and I refused to accept this story and demanded the NEC investigate this damaging matter further. John Whittaker stated he was not minded to do this and that  Ms Fuller had anyway resigned from UKIP. I have no idea if this in fact happened but it seems Ms Fuller is now  back in UKIP.

John Whittaker's name appears high up in Mr Farages list of nominating supporters.

There were several obvious holes in Ms Fuller's tale. London cabbies are required to hand in property left in their taxis to the police within 24 hours. Why was only John West's interview out of the near 100 recorded chosen to be put up on UKIP? Did the taxi men view all these UKIP supposedly confidential interviews or did they choose JW's at random? Who was this taxi man?

I switched on breakfast TV this morning to find the Information Commissioner opining on the importance of safeguarding confidential personal information. He chose the example of a LapTop with people's confidential detail left on a train as an example of unacceptable practice for which the organisation responsible could be held liable for its employees negligence. Ho, hum.

I hope UKIPers will see through Nigel Farage and his associates and vote for the Tim Congdon/Gerard Batten ticket as the only hope of UKIP developing a credible and sustainable get out of the EU campaign here in the UK and get some UKIP MPs elected..

Monday 27 September 2010

Labour leadership election - lessons for UKIP

So Miliband Minor triumphs thanks to a dodgy voting system, 30000 'spoiled ballot papers' and the power of a few union barons and as a result has won the next election for Cameron by a landslide. Labour's internecine warfare and character assassination is soooo like UKIP its scary. Narrow factional interests and personalities has blinded them to their parties over-arching aim, to choose as leader someone who has a chance of winning the next General Election.

Miliband Major, overwhelmingly the ordinary member's and MP's choice, could have won for Labour against this sordid coalition. Now Labour looks worse than the LibCons whose leaders desire for money and power has led them to sell out their principles and ordinary members to a bunch of public school oiks. Thus does narrow self interest and dirty tricks triumph over the greater good.

Its the same with UKIP. It is avowedly an EU withdrawalist party yet for EU Euros in the pockets of a few it is prepared to sell out the interests of the many by joining a pan-European party. There has been much spinning and dissembling by those on the UKIP payroll and the wannabees that taking EU money will further the UKIP cause. Not true, the only cause it furthers is the bank balances of the UKIP Cabal and its hangers on.

I list below a few consequences of taking EU funds:

It recognises the founding and legitimacy of the EU and assists its 'European integration' process.

It recognises the legitimacy of EU law and judicial system.

It recognises the legitimacy of EU treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights as interpreted by the EU supreme court 

It recognises the use of EU funds for funding pan-European political parties who can use these funds to contest UK seats in European elections with non-British candidates like Andreasen.

Worse, such funds cannot be used to support Nationalist political parties or candidates.


In the Bible Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Farage's UKIP will not even get as good a deal for the British people. It will be gravy for the Farage Cabal and blood sweat and tears for the rest of us.

Voting for Tim Congdon as leader will at least avoid these huge strategic errors and enable us to campaign in the UK for our freedom. Anyone for a tea party? Please post your name, email and twitter address on this blog so I can tweet you after tomorrows first leadership husting at Tiverton.

Friday 24 September 2010

UKIP Leadership contestants so far

First, I won't stand now Tim is a definite runner. I would have stood otherwise.

I returned at lunch time today from my fact finding mission to Spain to find Tim and Farage both now have websites up and running. I recommend reading both with a critical eye.


Farage's is full of promises. In his my aims for UKIP section he shows what his real agenda is,

' We have the potential to be the biggest UK party in the European Parliament in 2014.'  

Even if UKIP won every UK seat in the next European elections it would not get us out of the EU! What MEP seats do is line Farage's pockets and those of his hangers on. That's all!

'I aim to lead a Party that is growing in numbers and in confidence.' 


UKIP party numbers have steadily declined while Farage and his incompetent stooge Pearson were leaders from the 30,000 post 2004 under Roger Knapman to well no une really knows how many paid up voting member there are but I guess around 16000.

The testimonials section is most interesting. It all seems to be from Young Independence wannabes! Our country's problems come from having professional career path politicos, look at Labour with Millipede one and two, but I had no idea they started at 16 as in UKIP! It frightens me. Its too like the 1930s.

Farage has been running UKIP unopposed for over five years. Its funny how all these new ideas pop up now he has an election to win. Farage is yesterday's man. He has had his chance. He deserves to be booted out. He has not advanced UKIP's core cause of leaving the EU one iota in fact by not vigorously opposing the Lisbon Treaty he has embedded us even more in the EU!


Compare Farage's mealy mouthed waffle with Tim Congdons clear statement below,

'I want to lead the UK Independence Party because it offers us the best hope of "getting our country back".

  1. I do not want to be a MEP. Repeat: I do not want to be a MEP.
  2. To maximise our votes in the 2014 European election and at the next general election requires a huge organizational effort through UKIP branches and regional organizers. This work must be done in the UK.
  3. I promise to spend over 90% of my time in the UK, with probably over half of it in London, in order to lead that organizational effort.
  4. I have been a successful businessman and investor. I have also been one of the UK's most influential economic commentators for over 30 years. If I become leader, UKIP will have the best economist in British politics
The centre of gravity of the UK Independence Party must be in the United Kingdom.'
 Clear and simple and based in the UK. The Greens have managed an MPin London who will be far more effective than 20 MEPs.

Another 4 years of Farage will finish UKIP. Daniel Hannan is the most effective anti - EU voice in Brussels at present and with his referendum movement he and his Tory friends will fill the anti-EU vacuum Farage's UKIP would leave in the UK.

Sunday 19 September 2010

Andreasen, the albatross round Farage's & UKIP's neck

After the Ancient Mariner shot the albatross to the horror of his ship mates they made him wear the dead albatross round his neck to remind all of the folly of his act. Farage's foisting of Andreasen on UKIP as a UK MEP was a similar act of folly that will condemn UKIP, like the Ancient Mariner, to wander, slowly dehydrating in the political doldrums.

It has been pointed out many times that this woman failed on 6 of the criteria required to go on the MEP slate, is on record as being an EU reformist, is not a UK citizen, does not live in the UK and has been rejected as a candidate by other political parties both in the UK and in other EU countries.The first time she tried to get into UKIP the then leader and former Tory whip Roger Knapman was wary and rightly vetoed her application. His old whip's instincts served UKIP well.

Whilst on the NEC, David, Del and I objected strenuously to her being placed on the UKIP MEP slate in not one but two regions. At Farage's behest Gill, UKIP's election supremo, waived the rules and waved Andreasen onto the list and disappeared on holiday. The rest is history and she was elected as UKIP MEP for the South East EU region of the UK. I know many other UKIP members and MEPs were deeply unhappy at this high handed action of Gill but the Farage placemen on the NEC simply nodded it through and as always no one else in UKIP was prepared to stand up against Farage's wishes however stupid. UKIP is now saddled with Andreasen and her litigation for the next 4 years.


It was a huge strategic mistake as Del and I pointed out at the time but the UKIP NEC sycos don't do anti EU strategy only self interest. It was the fulfilment of Monet's dream, an non UK national, not resident in the UK, elected for a UK constituency, the supreme endorsement of EU's ideals, a true anational  European politician. What more could UKIP do for the Brussels machine? Since her election what has Andreasen done to further the interests of the South East region? It is alleged  she does not even employ a UK national as her Brussels researcher. Vive the EU dream!

With the deteriorating  economic circumstances in the Eurozone the pressure for further integration will increase. Nation states control over their own budget can no longer be tolerated. After all look at the mess the PIIGS have got themselves into! Only an EU of European citizens with EU wide political parties can save us!

Farage will huff and puff about this and achieve nothing but Andreasen will be held up by the EU as a shining  example of the EU ideals. The fact she goes around suing the EU for her perceived grievances is more grist to the EU spin machine. That shows how the EU is a true guardian of personal civil liberties. After all Andreasen's actions would certainly not be tolerated in Argentina, one of her countries of origin. Even better as an EU reformist she could be put in charge of reforms. Who better? Poachers and gamekeepers!

And where does that leave UKIP? With an Argentinian Danish Spanish albatross round its neck and not a leg to stand on. Even Long John Silver, that other ancient mariner, had one leg and a crutch to stand on and no one ever doubted his British credentials, eh Jim lad.

Saturday 18 September 2010

Tea Party brews trouble for UKIP

Inspired by the success of the American campaign activists at the coming Tory conference will hold a rally ostensibly to air criticism of Coalition policies but the hidden agenda will be to set up a Tea Party umbrella organisations to bring together the various right wing smaller government lower tax pressure groups like the Tax Payers Alliance and the Freedom Association.

This spells big trouble for UKIP as Daniel Hanaan, Tory MEP is expected to play a big part in making the tea and clearly smaller government fits rather nicely with leaving the EU. Farage's UKIP, is looking rather stale and a party incapable of delivering. Right wingers are frustrated and they are looking for something new and fresh. They will of course recruit largely from the ranks of disillusioned Tories many of whom are currently in UKIP. I expect it will recruit and run via Facebook and similar Internet Services at low cost and high penetration.

Worse for UKIP is that David Davies whom Dave defeated in the Tory leadership election, is on the fringes of this movement and may even speak at the fringe tea party. And there are a number of other Tory MPs on the fringes.

Cameron is worried and is scuppering plans for more 'Open Primaries' where genuinely local and independent PPCs may be selected like the GP lady in the South West. The Tories will retain control of the candidate list but for how long
In these circumstances UKIP needs a re-brand fast and that's not going to happen if Farage is returned as leader. Even with a new leader the tide may already have turned against UKIP. Farage and his Cabal have squandered UKIP's chances and I cannot see the British people giving them a third chance now an attractive and far more effective alternative is available.

It will of course leave the  EU protest vote under Tory control just like under Pearson. Plus ca change.. as the French say.

Friday 17 September 2010

Farage's vote canvassing is an abuse of position

Earlier this week I wrote I expected the story of Farage and the members database to break soon. I had no tip off about this but from my experience of Farage on the NEC David, Del and I learned to anticipate his actions before he even knew himself. Its not difficult. Farage's self interest makes him very predictable.

There is a brilliant lady called Barboo who posts on Butcher's forum. I wish I had half Barboos intelligence. I cannot improve on what she writes so I can reproduce her post below in reply to Geoffrey Colliers point.

GC:

Let us modify 'abuse' to use of membership list, and let us make that use available to all candidates.

Barboo:

It should be, of course. There cannot be a level electoral playing field if canvassing only of personal contacts is allowed, when some candidates, through their position in UKIP, have acquired large numbers of contacts that were not available to others. Obviously, such a rule greatly advantages candidates who are MEPs, NEC or regional committee members.

Furthermore, the canvassing rules were introduced before the revision of the party constitution which now requires leadership candidates to pay into party funds a deposit equal to that payable in general elections, and forfeitable if the same percentage of vote required for return of GE deposits is not obtained. This makes the potential loss suffered by the disadvantaged candidates a financial one, not just the disappointment of failing to win the leadership. If UKIP wishes to model its leadership elections on British general elections, and so benefit from forfeited deposits, it should at least make its membership lists available to all candidates for canvassing, as voter registers are to all GE candidates.

As always Barboo's precision of thought defeats Farage's spinners on that forum who demand 'proof' of what is happening. Again I can only quote from Mr Richard Allen's reply to those people.

RA:

While I cannot produce evidence that a UKIP database was involved I can say that I have heard off a UKIP member whose integrity I consider beyond repute who tells me that he has received an unsolicited call from Nigel Farage asking for support in the leadership election.


Hear, hear! By now we have all heard stories of UKIP members receiving such unsolicited phone calls. It cannot be a pleasant experience.

Finally I can only quote what my friend and colleague Alan Wood wrote on the same thread.

AW:

... it needs the commitment of the new Party Leader of UKIP. As Nigel Farage, and his proxy Lord Pearson, has failed to make any realistic headway in Parliamentary elections for over a decade he should accept that he has had his opportunity and should step aside with good grace.

Absolutely spot on Alan. Farage has had his chance and botched it. Let him stand aside to give some one else a try before it is too late and we can never get out of the EU's tentacles.

Thursday 16 September 2010

Farage through non UKIP eyes

My national poet, Rabbie Burns wrote,

Oh wad some power the gift tae gie us
To see ourselves as others see us.

I looked at the aptly named slog blog a right wing generalist blog to get an outsiders view on Farage's UKIP. The author was writing on the recent opinion poll showing showing a majority of the UK population wish to leave the EU, how this was being ignored by the media and three main parties, and comparing their reaction to their response to immigration concerns of the wider population five years ago which was similar. Ignore it until it hits you in the ballot box.

The picture the author uses indicates his view on Farage and I reproduce it below with the author's caption.


...but 67% of voters deserve better than a loudmouth.
Hardly flattering but summarises the authors subsequent comments that I quote below.

'However, my point remains the one expressed here earlier this year: the leadership of UKIP reads, to be frank, like A Brief History of Numpties. I cannot possibly take an oaf like Nigel Farage seriously, nor the shifty Lord Pearson who blathered through his eyebrows all over our TV screens while Farage was busy fighting elections and crashing planes. The Party now faces an election for a new leader, but the choice of an interim leader labouring under the name Jeffery Titford does not bode well - and nor does the decision of Farage to stand again. This sort of Ruritanian stuff makes it far too easy for the Guardian, the Beeb and witless Cameroons to depict UKIP and its supporters as nitwits incapable of holding their own in a grown-up debate.'

That is how the real world views Farage and his Cabal and why UKIP needs a serious leader like Tim Congdon if we are ever to make progress on our withdrawlist cause.


I end with another quote from Robert Burns describing the end of Scotland's successful rebellion against the English and the establishment of Scotland as a sovereign nation,


'Now's the time and now's the hour
See approach proud Edward's power
Welcome to your glory bed
Or to victory'


Now is certainly the time for UKIP to change its rulers if we ever want to be a free nation again.

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Farage in database abuse allegations

Well I had not expected confirmation of my conjecture on this topic so quickly but I guess it shows NF is getting desperate. Junius alleges NF has been phoning up members asking for their support and bad mouthing the other as yet undeclared candidates as lacking in 'experience' and 'necessary qualities'. And what Junius rightly asks what  are these necessary qualities? His reply I quote below.

'So what qualities would they be? Trousering millions? Committing adultery? Chucking out anyone who doesn’t agree with you? Being an ass and a drunk?' Quite!

I have independent allegations that Farage has been phoning up UKIP members whose details can only have come from the UKIP database. If I had received such an unsolicited phone call from Mr F I should complain  to the data protection registrar. Mr F does not see me as one of his natural gullible mugs, sorry supporters, so I do not anticipate receiving a call. Will all the candidates be afforded similar access? Even if they are Farage has been given an unfair advantage by being able to do this before all nominations are in.

The other Junius report that Mockton intends to run is good news for the other candidates except Farage. Let is hope he picks up loads of the old Farage nominee Pearson aristo vote!

More worrying is the Junius report that the democratic UKIP NEC intends ignoring the overwhelmingly approved conference motion that UKIP MEPs shall not join any pan-European grouping without an affirmative  vote in a secret ballot of the whole membership. UKIP is about as democratic as the old GDR or any of these banana republics that include democratic in their title. Funny is it not that those who protest their democratic credentials like Comrade Nuttall quoted in the Junius blog thus, “The membership retains control of the party, and ensures that UKIP remains a bottom up organisation” ,are in fact the exact opposite, nasty dictators just like in Orwell's 1984.

Tim Congdon, the ablest, best connected and most committed to or EU withdrawal cause gave an honest, frank and illuminating interview to the Talking Clock blog, click for an excellent read and listen. Tim has offered to put a great deal of his own money into a UK UKIP London office and has all the managerial skills and top level political experience comp;etely absent in Farage and his Cabal. He is far away the ablest and best candidate to be leader of UKIP.

I give Tim's perceptive interview answer to why we are ruled by such a dreadful political class below but his whole interview is of high quality and shows how he could turn UKIP into a serious political party rather than a vehicle for the ambitions of third rate careerist wannabees.

Question:

As you obviously know, polls show that that the majority are opposed to or are to some extent unhappy at our relationship with the European Union. But if Parliament is supposed to represent the will of the people, how did we get here?


Tim's answer

"I think there’s two things. One thing, it’s corruption – that there is a separate class of people who are politicians. They don’t have money of their own. They therefore regard politics as a career. They failed to get into Westminster Parliament, there are other jobs around. There are jobs to some extent in this country and there are jobs in the European Union and the European Union is just another job. So, certainly at the end of your career, you know, to become a Commissioner, you’ve then have got various powers and patronage - it’s another job but it’s a sort of, you know, quite a nice job, you know, a lot of flunkies around, nice cars and life’s rather fun, yeah? So these people have become corrupt.

The second reason, may amaze you, is laziness. You know, what the job, the life of a Minister is incredibly pampered. You have – I’ve got many friends who have been through this life – you actually have… (aside)… a diary secretary, you have a car, you have your papers, you have, you know, all the red boxes that you have to read and decide what to do – the civil servants initiate, you say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ – by the way, if you reach a decision they don’t like they steer you, they control what you do. The bureaucracy doesn’t want democracy, the bureaucracy wants to control the politicians and, bit by bit, it’s the European bureaucracy has taken control of more and more of the European agenda, the European agenda has infiltrated national life and so now you have a situation where directives, regulations essentially coming from the European democracy become law in our country without any, without any control by our own politicians, without any control by our own Parliament and that disgusting state of affairs it arises because these politicians are pampered and lazy, they aren’t prepared to fight with and quarrel with their bureaucrats and say ‘you do what I want to do and you obey my orders…’ because actually, actually, they depend on the bureaucrats for their own pampered, soft way of life."

Having worked up close with our political class I can vouch for the accuracy of Tim's comments.

Tuesday 14 September 2010

UKIP must use the ERS as Farage runs scared of Batten.

Farage is worried about this leadership election. He is finding out he is not as popular with the UKIP faithful following his nominee Pearson's traitorous performance as leader and his own association with the racist neo-fascist Liga Nord group in the EU talking shop. Given the complete shambles at the NEC election this coming leadership election should of course be run by the ERS. Its going to be a very dirty business which is all the more reason the electoral process must be above suspicion. 

Farage is scared of losing control of UKIP. I expect he will exploit his total control of the party machine, access to the party database and via his control over EFD finances use the paid ROs to further his campaign and hinder that of the opposition. It won't be a level playing field and the ERS will certainly not be allowed to run the ballot unless other candidates demand it and indicate they will go to court if their request is refused. Its a test of the mettle and leadership qualities of the other candidates.

Tim Congdon is by far the richest of these other candidates and I would advise him to offer to pay for the ERS to conduct the poll when the Cabal come up with their fallacious cost argument. The ERS will cost less than £1 per member, a total of £15000 maximum and I would call that a price well worth paying for democracy in UKIP.

I expect Farage will already be exerting pressure via the ROs to mobilise his vote. This facility will of course not be available to any other candidate. So hardly a fair contest one might say but Farage cannot afford to lose! Favours will be called in, past indiscretions mentioned and skeletons rattled.

I would advise non-Farage  candidates to demand full access to the party database for their campaigns. I would also advise all candidates to copy the database supplied to them by Lexdrum house to the ERS with a request for their version to be checked against the poll version supplied by UKIP.

I watched on YouTube Gerard's speech at Torquay on the European Arrest Warrant. It was an excellent speech, much better than Farage's effort. It showed all the detail that Gerard is so good at. Gerard's  problem is he goes to jelly when confronted by Farage.

If Farage does not win he will still pose a huge problem and test for whoever does win. The new man should sack Farage straight away as party spokesmen and invite him to go off and join his Liga Nord friends and soul mates. I fear only Nikki had the guts to do this and she can't stand. We saw it before with Robin Page in the Eastern region MEP selection! The others may try and retain Farage's services. That would be a huge mistake and de facto leave Farage in power.

The sad thing is that Gerard's work on the EAW, given a suitable case, attractive nubile girl with a photogenic child, banged up in so Balkans prison  could make the front page of the Sun and really put UKIP and its cause on the political map in the UK. Gerard would do that scenario very well if he is allowed to but UKIP must avoid another Buckingham.

UKIP's needs a grass roots regional activist and good organiser like Nikki as leader. UKIP's strength is in the South West and East Anglia. Robin Page would have  been  ideal in East Anglia but the Cabal sabotaged him leaving  UKIP with their choice the unpopular political careerist Bannerman who of course poses no leadership threat to Farage. Ditto in the South West where Alan Wood has an excellent grass roots campaigning record but rightly could not stomach Pearson, the Tory traitor. Strange how all the good leadership candidates are no longer eligible! Its the result of the Cabal's hidden agenda eliminate serious leadership threats to their benefactor Farage and has gone on for many years with people like S'ski, Del Young and even poor little me. Keeping your snout in the EU trough was, is, and always will be the Cabal's real agenda.

I fear the other candidates will go on the well trodden political path of seeking to impress the London media and London based, self appointed, opinion formers, a route to certain failure in my opinion. LibLabCon are past masters of this tactic. A prime requirement of a great General is his ability to choose the best ground to fight on. UKIP's best chance is away from the London chattering classes. Fighting on LibLabCon ground will lead to certain defeat.

UKIP is a grass roots national movement or it is nothing. It needs a leader who can put a structure in place to mobilise this grass roots support over the whole country. It needs a great organiser and manager not a performing monkey in a London TV studio.

PS for another take on the Farage/Pearson fiasco click on slog.

Monday 13 September 2010

Ministers promise referendums on all EU power grabs & Basel III

Thus reads the page 2 headline in today's DT. The Government will announce plans for a "referendum lock" on any future surrender of powers to the EU. Most interesting was this will be achieved by amending the 1972 European Communities Act. This will be a useful precedent if it happens but I suspect it won't because of LibDem and Tory Europhile opposition in the Commons.

'The amendment, which could be law by next year, will allow for a vote if there is "any transfer of powers away from Britain and towards the centre" according to a Whitehall source' says the DT. I will believe it when I see it!

There is to much wriggle room for the Europhile coaltion in this measure and the interpretation will be of course in the Government's hands. I opine we will only see a referendum called on issues the Government knows will be approved and things the people don't like, eg the Lisbon Treaty, will never be put to the people.

And what about the Tory election promises to repatriate powers from Brussels? Conspicuous by its absence you could say. When push comes to shove transfer of any contentious power will be deemed not to be a transfer but something else, eg a clarification, which would obviate the need for a referendum.

Meanwhile over in Basel the banking regulators are more than doubling bank capital requirements to save us from another banking crisis. I cannot think MAK and his ilk really believe this. Its for press headlines only. The bottom line is its how a bank manages its risk that matters. A poorly managed bank will still fail no matter how much capital it has. To put it simply if a bank makes bad loans to dodgy people, companies or countries it will get into trouble and fail. I do not know any regulatory regime that can protect depositors from incompetent or corrupt bank management.

Saturday 11 September 2010

Why the Greens have an MP and UKIP has none

The DT ran an interesting piece today on Caroline Lucas, leader of the Greens, elected as MP for Brighton Pavilion this May. Membership of the Greens is booming but still not at its high water mark attained after its 'freak' 15% share of the vote in the 89 Euro elections. The Greens have been going for 38 years, roughly twice as long as UKIP. They have been riven with the internal disputes, purging anyone who showed signs of becoming popular with the public.

Sara Parkin, largely responsible for their 89 success, was fired by the Green party members at the 92 party conference, having been described as the party's 'greatest asset' only two weeks previously. The same phrase Gill used to me in lauding Farage! The Greens clearly do not do leader worship the way UKIP does. They are a true grass roots party as their name implies who yesterday in a by-election just failed to take control of Norwich City Council where the LibDems furious at being sold out to the Tories by the self seeking Cleggover deserted to Labour and not the Greens.

But the Greens were in with a chance to win Norwich. The BNP have come close in Stoke. UKIP have come nowhere everywhere. Why?

The Green party is controlled and run in a democratic fashion by its activists not by its leader. Indeed up till recently they had two leaders! Lucas is a formidable operator who carpet bagged Brighton into adopting her as candidate but she chose the best ground to fight on. Wellington and every other successful soldier were great Generals because of their eye for the ground on which to fight their battles. As the DT says the Greens got their most electable candidate into their most winnable seat.

But crucially Lucas genuinely wanted to be an MP. Farage was only going through the motions in Buckingham. Winning that election was the last thing he wanted. He would have lost his lucrative MEP job! See how he reacted when UKIP conference made it clear joining any future EU group. You have cost me one million Euros was his comment according to Junius. A bit like in the Merchant of Venice when Shylock lost his daughter and his ducats but as Shakespeare makes clear, the ducats were his real love.

Farage's judgement of the best political ground for UKIP to fight on is poor as was Griffin's in Barking. Both crave the media spotlight above all and put their personal ambitions, in Farage's case to become a media celeb, above their party's cause.

UKIP had some good ground to fight on particularly in the South West as Alan Wood and others pointed out, in seats they almost certainly would not have won but in which had Farage stood, and money and TV time been put in, UKIP could have achieved 20% to 25% of the vote. These seats had been fought at the local level by good UKIP candidates and activists who had prepared the ground for Farage. But no, obviously too far from London and the media circus to attract Mr F the wannabe media star.

The real joke is the person who did best out of Farage's Buckingham efforts and who has become a media celeb and luvvie subsequently is the attractive Mrs Bercow!

UKIP can never succeed in its present incarnation, a third rate copy of the Tory party run by third rate Tory rejects with a constitution drawn up to resemble the Tory party. It has to become like the Greens a party run by the activists who campaign locally for the cause and who are prepared to cut down any leader who forgets its our cause we work for not him and his dubious friends.


 






 

Friday 10 September 2010

The Ides of September are come.

AEP reported yesterday in the DT that the problems I forecast to appear in September are starting to surface. Spreads on Paddy bonds to bunds rose to 380 basis points as Irish rescue costs escalated to €25bn. Credit Default Swaps in Club Med have surged to levels exceeding that which triggered the last €400 bn EU bail out. Could it be the medicine is not working?

AEP quotes the wonderfully named Irish journo Fintan O'Toole who put it this way, " The choice is now stark: do we go on  being 'good Europeans' at the cost of destroying our own society or do we become 'bad Europeans', lose the trust of our European partners but save ourselves". The French as always have a phrase for it, 'Sauve qui peut', which is exactly what Sarkozy will do when the French rioters storm the Elysee.

Political doubts are unsurprisingly rising in Greece with the phrase 'austerity fatigue' gaining traction as the economy shrank 1.8% in the secon quarter.. How long before it comes to the UK.

Today's DT reports, Brussels to stamp on the City led by French Euro idealist Barnier. 'Why do Malta and Latvia have more say on the City than the UK?' whines Torygraph journo Damian Reece. Good question so why not ask your Tory chums MrReece, they are running the show.

Meanwhile back in UKIP land Zuckerman has joined the ranks of the walking dead, gone but not quite yet. Will he also be resigning from the NEC  which he was elected on to at the same time as me? Has Burton, who seems unaware of the basic rules of democratic elections, resigned yet? I guess she has to ask Nigel.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

EU 'regulatory reforms' move ahead. UKIP's NEC vote count cock up is confirmed. Denny & McGough target Nikki

Reuters report  as follows:

'Three years after the start of a financial and economic crisis, some have grown frustrated by Europe's slow pace of reform in its financial sector, held up by indecision and disputes among the bloc's 27 countries.

On Tuesday, they announced a rare breakthrough with a deal to set up pan-European watchdogs at the start of next year to oversee banking, insurers and markets despite concerns in London that the new agencies would undermine its national regulators.

The reform, labelled historic by some experts, establishes three financial sheriffs who can overrule national agencies like Britain's Financial Services Authority.

But the region's economic leaders failed to resolve a row about how to impose levies on banks"

Meanwhile back at the ranch McTrough is showing he can step into Denny's Cuban heels at a moments notice. Both he and Denny are posting great heaps of crap smearing Nikki Sinclaire the only UKIP MEP trying to do anything in the UK to oppose the EU. With men such as these on the NEC the Fuerher has little to fear on the home front. The Fuerher however still sulks in the Fuerherbunker in Brussels after his recent reverses in Basil Fawlty land.

I note that the acting returning officer has issued a somewhat late statement  confirming my blog last week on the NEC election count. I quote Mr Knott's statement,


"Elizabeth Burton did sit at the envelope opening when assisting opening envelopes at the first stage. When I noticed her she immediately agreed to move.

At no time was she in a position to influence counting of her votes. I was supervising her [and others] and am convinced there was no irregularity."

Barboo on the Democracy Forum summarises the counts failings re Elizabeth Burton thus:

'She was more than close to the counting, she was assisting opening the envelopes! Did opening envelopes include discarding as invalid those ballot papers that were returned in the same envelope, as per the instructions: "Only ONE ballot paper to go into each envelope. Envelopes containing more than one ballot paper will be declared invalid"?

The acting returning officer clearly didn't have proper control of the operation if someone was able to start opening envelopes without his permission, and if Elizabeth Burton moved immediately he noticed her, at what stage and for what reason did he have cause to supervise her? She shouldn't have been doing anything that required supervising! '


And Yes, according to independent allegations from two of my  sources, is the answer to Barboo's question about EB being involved in determining and discarding 'invalid' ballot papers. 



If John Knott is convinced there was no irregularity in a candidate handling envelopes and ballot papers at all, let alone without him being aware of it until he happened to notice her, then he clearly wasn't a suitable person to be in charge of the count.

When do we hear from the official UKIP returning officer Zuckerman on this fiasco?


Interesting how Mr Knott could supervise counting in two rooms at once! I therefore cannot see how Mr Knott can state there was no irregularity. It was a clear breach of vote counting practice to allow a candidate to be involved and to have the count in two separate rooms. That is quite sufficient in any court to have the election results voided. UKIP should rerun the whole NEC elections using the ERS.

Elizabeth Burton should of course immediately resign from the NEC. She has shown a complete ignorance of proper electoral practice and deplorable lack of judgement.

I trust UKIP will now employ the ERS for all future elections as I, Del and David called for two years ago. Its too important to be left to bungling amateurs.

Yet again the truth has emerged from non-UKIP sources and the usual lies and disinformation from the UKIP Cabal sycophants. As usual there will be no apology from UKIP, no resignation from Elizabeth Burton and no rerun of a clearly flawed election. Just the same behaviour as we see from our Europhile political class! They are both as bad as each other with neither integrity or honour.

UKIP has no moral authority to call for the UK government to honour its promises on a Lisbon Treaty referendum when it behaves in such an anti-democratic dishonourable manner itself

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Dr Sinn, thoughts of an unapproved UKIP member

There is a German economist with the wonderful name of Dr Sinn who is head of IFO economic research institute in Munich. Reading some of the postings on  my current UKIP status I am considering changing my name to Edmond Sinn or Sinn Edmond a bit like Mr Banerman. But having two Dr Sinns might be confusing especially as Hans Wener's political economic views and mine seem very close.

Dr Sinn was reported last week in the DT that the Greek austerity measures cannot prevent a default and this will lead on to a breakdown of political order. Precisely what I have been writing these last 6 months and more. He goes on to say that 'the policy of forced internal devauation, deflation and depression could risk driving Greece to the edge of civil war. It is impossible to cut wages and prices by 30% without major riots'. I put this precise point to Tim Congdon last Friday in reply to his correct statement that the Greeks had enough money to seem them through the next 18 months. As Dr Sinn and I recognise however the subject's correct title is political economics!

Greece only survived because of EU largesse but is now headed for another dip and serious civil unrest this Autumn as I have oft opined

The DT picks up today the story I highlighted yesterday that the EU wants to grab the rest of our rebate to give to worthier causes like EU crat and MEP pensions presumably.

Moving on to UKIP trivia I read on GLW's blog that Nuttall has posted a reply to Rob McWhirter's query about my UKIP status stating that my 'name was never mentioned' at the last NEC on Thursday. Ho, hum. This is the same Nuttall who has not approved my access to the UKIP member's forum as Rob can confirm. This forces me to read what is happening to me on GLW's blog!

Rob is well meaning but untutored in the ways of the Cabal. I dare say my name will not appear in the minutes of that NEC meeting but I have every confidence in my sources. Names do not have to be mentioned explicitly but one knows whom the discussion is about. I expect my expulsion to be a multi-stage process that has in fact already started. I am already classified as a UKIP member, 'not in good standing' with Mr Nuttall and his boss Mr Farage. This means I cannot be on the disciplinary committee etc. Next I will be suspended pending disciplinary hearings to stop me standing in the leadership contest if I wish to. Then there will be a disciplinary panel packed with Farage nodding donkeys with as much idea of how to run such proceedings as the acting returning officer had of how to run an election count in the recent NEC elections!

It is excellent that McTrough has been outed. I have high hopes that he may even surpass Denny for UKIP damaging postings.

I am sure however I can rely on the GLW and Junius blogs to keep us all up to date on my progress out of the party. That is the UKIP way!

To burnish my forecasting credentials I predict Nigel Farage will be announced as leader of UKIP on Guy Fawkes day, 5th November. It's as certain as Pakistani no balls!

Monday 6 September 2010

UKIP must publish the video of Saturday's debate on its pan-European party policy

This debate was videotaped by UKIP and this tape should be placed in the public domain on YouTube by UKIP asap so the many members unable to attend Torquay can judge for themselves on this crucial defining issue of whether UKIP is an EU party or a British party.

The last video taped UKIP meeting I attended was a leadership husting debate at Exeter racecourse at which Pearson gave the most inept bumbling performance I have ever seen even in a school debate. This video never saw the public light of day, suppressed by the usual suspect in the South West. How much better for UKIP would it have been for the ordinary members to have seen Pearson's unsuitability before the leadership election than have it so cruelly and embarrassingly exposed, so often, on National TV during the General Election campaign. How much better would UKIP have done with a competent leader who would not have advocated voting Tory or trying to get UKIP candidates to stand down to benefit Tories. But then, as Mr Farage so eloquently put it on National TV, Lord Pearson was 'head and shoulders' above the other candidates. Perhaps Mr F should see that optician friend of his Mr D.  

The debate was chaired by UKIP's leading Europhile and major consumer of EU jollies, Derek Clark. The same Derek Clark who in flagrant breach of UKIP policy signed us up to subsidiarity while on an EU jolly in Romania some years ago. He clearly has difficulty telling the time. It is reported to me that he tried to cut Tim Congdon's speech short at one minute claiming he had spoken for four minutes. Next up was Mr Farage who was given a generous 4 minutes. Much good did it do the UKIP Europhiles as the motion that any future membership of a pan-European Brussels party by UKIP MEPs must be approved by a ballot of the entire party was passed overwhelmingly.

Let UKIP publish the tape of this debate and also the debate on regional NEC elections so ordinary members can judge for themselves the truth of what I write and the arguments of those who opposed these two excellent motions.

Junius reports today that following these debates the NEC called an emergency meeting to discuss the party's approval of both these non-Cabal approved motions. Rather than secret meetings put the video tapes in the public domain and let members judge for themselves. That's the way forward for UKIP.

Meanwhile back in Brussels the power and money grab gathers pace. Brussels plans an EU Treasury says the Sunday Telegraph. 'Mission Creep' fears surround new EU financial regulatory watchdogs says the DT today. But the real creep is Tory MEP Vicky Ford whose soothing words were 'We are not giving away the keys to the Bank of England'. Now how often have we heard those statements from Tories since 1972 and they have, without exception, been 100% wrong.

Reuters report that European Union budget chief Janusz Lewandowski was quoted by a newspaper Monday as saying Britain's rebate from the bloc was unwarranted and should be repealed. Well thats another few billions for the UK taxpayer to find to help our EU friends. Mr L. is a Pole. Poland is a country benefiting from EU funds.

And what will the UKIP Brussels Cabal be doing about this? Not a lot I opine.

Saturday 4 September 2010

Democracy eventually triumphs at UKIP Conference

The existing pan European EFD group of which UKIP is a member is disintegrating. New EU parliament groupings may therefore soon be formed. There was a hugely encouraging vote on Saturday at a conference session debate to put UKIP's future membership of any pan-European group to a vote of the ordinary members.  Tim Congdon and Trevor Colman spoke strongly in favour of this motion. This obviously resonated with the ordinary members and there was an overwhelming vote in favour of the motion despite the pathetic attempts by the debate chairman, and leading EU beneficiary, Clark to thwart the will of the ordinary members.

This news cheered me up greatly. Ordinary UKIP members have made a start in reasserting democracy in the party. They are the salt of the Earth and I am proud to know them. It will do UKIP the world of good to separate itself from Liga Nord and the other EU fascist groups. It opens the way I hope for Nikki to return to UKIP. I hope that now UKIP will move forward concentrating on UKIP policies designed to benefit the people of our islands undistracted by the malign fascist influence of  EU money and parties like Liga Nord, the party that sponsored the Lisbon Treaty in the EU parliament!

The second motion that was carried was that each region should elect one member to the NEC. This is excellent news. It means that all UKIP members will have an NEC representative that they have elected to address their concerns to, and whom I would expect to do as MPs currently do, reply to their constituents communications, report the action they have taken and the response from the NEC. It is another huge and long overdue step in restoring democracy in UKIP. Well done the ordinary members of UKIP!

UKIP NEC vote to kick me out of the party

I have just returned from a day trip to Torquay to attend some fringe meetings at the UKIP conference. I was approached by several UKIPers eager to tell me the NEC the previous day, Thursday, had decided to kick me out of the party. I await official notification from Comrade Nuttall or Comrade Zuckerman or whoever. There should of course be a disciplinary hearing to which I may even be invited but it will be packed with Farage supporters and the result a foregone conclusion. Its a pity UKIP's NEC occupy their time with such a trivial matter rather than considering how to get us out of the EU's rapacious clutches or perhaps how to increase not decrease UKIP membership. It won't stop me writing my blog.

I attended Nikki's fringe meeting along with the usual quota of Farage supporters, in this case Reeve and Mickelthwaite. Nikki's referendum campaign deserves support. She is doing something in the UK to try and get us out of the EU. The Farage Cabal is doing nothing to match it in our core policy area in our own country.

The breaking news was that allegations of fraud using EU money had been made by a whistleblower against Nikki the previous evening. Clearly a deliberate leak by the UKIP spin machine made at a time to do maximum damage to Nikki's fringe meeting. Nikki did say there had been a spy in her office, presumably the whistleblower involved. I hope Plod does a thorough investigation on this allegation if they ever receive a complaint.. Personally I have always found Nikki to be a woman of transparent honesty and integrity. I don't believe Nikki has done any different with her EU funds than any other UKIP MEP.

Del Young was dismissed as head of Young Independence using similar tactics and allegations. Farage's UKIP will never change. Without a new leader from outside the Cabal and not on the Brussels payroll UKIP will wither and die. Job done for the Tories I'd say!

Lord Pearson did not seem to be present at the main conference but even with his absence the UKIP age profile still seemed quite elderly. Its literally a dying party. Farage's description of Pearson as head and shoulders above all the other leadership candidates last year can now be clearly seen as what it was, a piece of silly, impolitic  bravado from a man besotted by those with the titles he craves, Monckton, Dartmouth, Willoughby de Broke and the late lecher of the valleys.

The faithful however can rejoice, the Fuerher is returning to lead them further into the EU mire. The second phase of the Russian campaign is about to begin and inevitably UKIP will meet its Stalingrad. I know he has still a leadership election to win but in UKIP such things can be considered mere formalities a bit like disciplinary hearings.

Friday 3 September 2010

UKIP needs a course in political party administration

I have read with some amusement the efforts of the UKIP spin machine to misrepresent my blog on the NEC election fiasco. The shambles UKIP created could have been so easily avoided by using the Electoral Reform Society voting ballot service. It would have done UKIP no end of good with the electorate to be seen as a 'clean' party, a transparent party, a party with nothing to hide that clearly represented its members and the wider electorates wishes to leave the EU. Instead we have an administrative cock up!

The complaint implicit in my previous blog was not against any individual candidate but the chaotic system itself which it is alleged has allowed a candidate to become involved with the ballot count. That seems to me to be down to an absent returning officer, an acting  returning officer who appears to have been uncertain of the rules and whom my informant alleges was taking advice from the UKIP office manager. It is the duty of the returning officer, no one else, to conduct the ballot according to the electoral norms of the UK!

One simple point, if you watch the count for any parliamentary or council election you will see it is conducted in one large room where the scrutineers and returning officer can see all that is happening during the count. What UKIP's acting returning officer allegedly did was to split the count between two rooms! Scrutineers and the returning officer cannot be in two rooms at once and validate the count. Hence if this allegation is proved true the count is fatally flawed and the election has to be rerun.

UKIP has for too long ignored its own rules, eg on MEP candidate eligibility, and electoral law on financial contributions as represented by the electoral commission. Any serious political party must obey its own rules and the law of the land. UKIP fails both tests. It simply cannot go on like this. This culture comes from the top and has to change. UKIP needs a new leader, a new culture and a new epicentre in the UK not Brussels.

I hope what happened to me and David Abbott, both democratically elected representatives of the members on UKIP's highest committee, kicked off and smeared because we disagreed with the leader will never ever then happen again.

Wednesday 1 September 2010

UKIP as well as the Pakistanis are on a sticky wicket of their own making.

I cribbed the headline from Simon Heffer's piece in today's DT, indeed I am beginning to wonder if Heffer is reading this blog! I find the parallels between Cricket's sordid mess and UKIP's quite compelling. As Heffer writes, 'The last things the banana republicans who call the shots in international cricket want is a man of serious integrity going in and seeing how very filthy some of the rooms in the house are'. Replace international cricket with UKIP and the quote is just as true. John Howard's proposed  appointment as the man to clean up cricket was vetoed by cricket's ruling cabal. Tim Congdon's leadership bid will be sabotaged by UKIP's Cabal.

I repeat my offer not to contest the UKIP leadership against Tim if Gerard Batten will do the same. Tim is our best and only chance to reform and clean up UKIP.

Another quote from Heffer, " the chairman of many county teams create the same culture of financial greed that is so poisonous out East". Replace chairman with MEPs and East by Brussels and you have a pretty fair description of UKIP's controlling structure. It is built on financial greed and supported by the sycophants dazzled with the prospects of financial gain way beyond what their non-existent talents merit outside UKIP politics..

"For decades the old buffers, the naive, the irresponsible who are the stewards  have pretended it was a gentlemen's game and horrors like this were extremely rare", writes Heffer.. How true, and how true of UKIP members and most branch chairmen. Remember the NoW tape of their sting and the suitcase full of £50 notes and you are nearer the reality of cricket and politics. UKIP politics is emphatically not a gentlemen's game played by gentlemen.

As Heffer says the cricket authorities want a quiet life and to get this difficulty out of the way with minimum fuss. Thus it is with UKIP and their latest alleged  NEC voting irregularities. But as Heffer opines it would be much better for cricket and I opine for UKIP to have the mother of all fusses right now. If we don't then we won't have an EU  withdrawalist party left, just a bunch of house trained posturing, drunken comics kept by the EU in Brussels as a warning to the general European populace of the sort of idiots that will take over if the electorate are ever silly enough to reject the EU.