Happy New Year ! From Young Independence

Happy New Year from all of us at Young Independence by Lisa Duffy.
What an exciting year 2008 has been. Our list of success has been huge, just a few of the highlights includes;

Michael Heaver, Co-Editor of Young Independence newsletter won his place on the BBC 'Question time student edition'. Appearing along side Douglas Alexander and Ian Douglas Smith. Clearly stating throughout the selection process that Michael is a passionate member of UKIP, his performace really illustrated the high calibre of young people that UKIP is now attracting. For the first time a national programme of University freshers fayres was achieved. We held stalls at Universities across the country and achieved alot of interest in UKIP, signing up a record number of new members. We are now building UKIP societies in many Universities.

The 2008 UKIP conference highlighted just how far Young Independence has come in only a few months. Many of our 'rising stars' including Michael Heaver, Wayne Harling, John Tennent, Rob Burberry, Harry Aldridge, Pete Reeve and Michael McManus, spoke at Conference and the 2 days culminated in the announcement of the new Party Chairman and Party General Secretary of The UK Independence Party, being YI's very own Paul Nuttall and Jonathan Arnott. We would like to thank the many donors who have supported Young Independence throughout the year and those who donated a huge amount of money as a direct result of our conference performance.

YI speakers have been touring UKIP branches and rallies around the country supporting the activities of local branches. The newsletter was successfully launched in 2008. Its fantastic editors Laura Moralee and Michael Heaver have produced some amazing results and will continue Bi Monthly throughout 2009. Our next edition will be Feb 2009.

Constituency Associations are signing up in droves to our 18th Birthday card pilot scheme. This will be a big YI focus project in 2009. We have linked up with many non UKIP organisations and would especially like to thank the Freedon Association's Free Spirits for their hospitality and support at the event they hosted for us at the UKIP Conference.

YI National Coordinator - LIsa Duffy was elected onto the UKIP National Executive (achieving the highest vote ever recorded in UKIP's history). This gives Young Independence direct influence in the leadership and management of the Nationional Party. We hope to further this with YI applicants to the 2009 NEC elections. Unlike the old stale parties of Lib-Lab-Con, YI members are not consisered to be just the young legs of the Party, there just to deliver leaflets for the 'real politicians'. We have a philosophy that young people should, on merit, be given access to the top positions in the Party. In 2008 we have achieved this goal impressively. YI members stood across the country in Local Council Elections. YI members have been adopted as Prospective Westminster Parliamentary Candidates and in the 2009 Euro elections YI members have been elected in to list positions by the full membership of UKIP, including No1 and No2 in the North West - Paul Nuttall and Michael McManus, No 2 in Yorkshire -Jonathan Arnott, No 5 in Eastern Counties - Amy O'boyle, No 5 in the South East - Harry Aldridge.