Key UKIP Leadership Questions with John Rees-Evans

1. What is your leadership style and what leadership qualities do you believe you can bring to the party?

My leadership style is one of getting things done, as quickly and as cheaply and as efficiently as possible. I'm demanding of staff, and expect the best.

I'm also a person who's not afraid to get my hands dirty and help. Nothing is beneath me as an activist or a leader. During the general election, I travelled the country in a tent to directly aid and support as many activists as I could, 19 in all, in key seats and / or candidates that were particularly dedicated. The videos I helped make almost always improved their electoral performance when compared to those without a video.

My main quality is one of belief in the British People, the Members, the Party and the Country. I think for too long in the party there has been a cynicism and a 'that'll do' attitude. UKIP will never win seats until it starts believing it can win them. It will not continue to build on its immense achievements until it can harness the talent of its members. I've set out plans for systems to achieve this. One for Direct Democracy which allows the members to have a say and propose policy, one to identify strengths in our activists and allow activists to communicate and use those talents and strengths efficiently (as well as allowing the leadership to identify talent which is unused), and a media platform so we can produce our own content and showcase the hard work of our activists and elected representatives.

In all, my leadership style is one of giving power back to the members, so that the mistakes of the last year, namely caused by small groups of people behind closed doors, are not repeated. It's one of openness and meritocracy. While I have my own convictions and beliefs, I do not and cannot claim to know better than the thousands of people who make the party possible.

2. What is your internal and external vision for the party going forward?

My internal vision for the party is, as mentioned above, one where it is controlled by the members, for the members. One that isn't afraid of the media, and produces our own. One that understands the need to use digital platforms if we're ever going to surpass our rivals and not rely on the traditional media. One that isn't a boys’ club, but instead isn't afraid to pick the best people for the job, regardless of who they are, or whether they’re friends with the right people.

Most importantly, however, is my external vision for the party. I believe if UKIP is to survive, it must have a unique selling point. I see little point in the party pushing particular policies, which other parties will simply claim as their own, and then not follow through on after they have claimed our votes. There is also no point in this approach if we are not in a position that will see us get elected.
Instead, I see the party becoming a mass-membership populist movement that people will join and fight for because it has the mechanisms to take their views into account. One that understands the problems of the country are caused by small cliques that decide what they want to impose on you, and how your money should be spent.

Gone are the days when people travelled for three days by horse to represent us in parliament. We have the means to hand much of the decision making process to the people. And the ordinary people will always have their interests acted against while we rely on small groups of people, corrupted by lobbyists and transnational interests, to make those decisions on our behalf.

I believe UKIP must therefore become a direct democracy mass membership movement, that not only campaigns on the issues that the members vote for, but also for the UK to become a direct democracy, a reboot of our ancient constitution and the principle of 'government by consent'.

I believe UKIP and the country will continue to suffer until we understand this must be our purpose if we want to see genuine change.

3. How will you demonstrate the strength needed from a leader and what will you do to get a grip on the recent internal party issues?

Having operated businesses in competitive and stressful environments I have become reasonably accomplished in conflict resolution, especially when working with difficult people.

I am tenacious in pursuing goals, and will continue to do so, with the consent of, and on behalf of the members. I have no difficulty removing people from positions of authority and responsibility once it becomes clear they are not useful in these roles.

I believe many of the party’s problems and the resentment this causes, come from top-down decisions being made by incompetent or inept people. The people working on the ground, knocking on doors, are invariably better placed to make decisions that affect the party’s future.

The systems I have proposed will ensure infighting will cease, as one cannot argue with a demonstrable mandate from the members, who have the final say.

4. How will you keep the party being radical without focussing on single issues?

Direct Democracy is in itself incredibly radical! It promises to radically change the way the most important decisions are made in Britain. The word 'radical' it is from the Latin 'root'. Direct Democracy gets to the root of many of the problems we face both as a country and as a party, by transferring authority to the grassroots, to the very people affected by the decisions formerly made by government.

No other party in the UK will be handing its members such power. It is the embodiment of anti-establishment politics. We saw it in action with the referendum last year, and we saw how the result of that shook the British political and media establishment.

But the other side of Direct Democracy is that it cannot possibly be, by its very nature, a single issue. The Direct Democracy platform will allow members to address any issue they please, be it the economy, taxation, multiculturalism, Islam, health, education, etc. It will allow real, outside the box, radical policies to spring forth from our massively diverse pool of talent.

5. What attitude will you bring to the party’s campaigns in the future and how will you look to win the hearts of the electorate?

My Direct Democracy approach will, I hope, attract many ordinary people from other parties and from none. The policies created by it will speak to the hearts of those people, because increasingly, our members will come from those people.

I want to not only win the hearts of the British people, but also to engage them, firstly within the party by offering something no other party can possibly offer, and in the long term, by allowing them to have a direct say over how they are governed. I want to invite all of the British people to stand up, be heard, and be the government.

Key UKIP Leadership Questions with Anne Marie Waters

1. What is your leadership style and what leadership qualities do you believe you can bring to the party?

I am a passionate and genuine public speaker, this is obvious when I speak, this is also key to effective leadership. I am a clear and consistent communicator and I am unafraid of the media, who have targeted me for years without success.  I believe in honesty with the electorate, this builds trust.  I also want UKIP to stand out, it won’t do this unless it can offer something really different,  this is what I will do.  I don’t just talk about the poison of political correctness, I oppose it with uncomfortable truths.

2. What is your internal and external vision for the party going forward?

My vision for the party is one that stands out from the crowd with truth and passion.  I want a fiercely pro-Britain party that will defend the country as an independent and free nation, without apology.  I want a libertarian party, but fused with tradition and respect for traditional values.  A mixture of the old and the new is the middle ground that many more people will be willing to stand on.  Most importantly of all, I want clarity and consistency from UKIP; if this is not forthcoming, we cannot expect the electorate to put their trust in us.

3. How will you demonstrate the strength needed from a leader and what will you do to get a grip on the recent internal party issues?

Leaders need to be above party squabbles, never listen to gossip or ‘take sides’.  A good leader should listen calmly to both sides of disputes, acknowledge pertinent points of both sides, and make a decision based on what’s best for the greater good – while explaining that decision clearly.  Differences within a party are healthy, but it is how they managed that matters.  Gossip, back-biting, plots and smears are unacceptable.  The leader must spell this out, being fair to all.

4. How will you keep the party being radical without focussing on single issues?

There is nothing wrong with a party being built around an issue, UKIP was built around leaving the EU.  This is particularly the case when the entire political class is on the same page on the issue with UKIP provides the only opposition.  If a party is willing to distinguish itself, regardless of whether this is on one issue or several, it will gain the attention required to ‘sell’ its other policies.  Radical policies of all kinds are needed in my view, but it is an error to ‘fear’ being labelled single issue.  This has been done to UKIP for years, and it didn’t prevent success and won’t in the future.

5. What attitude will you bring to the parties campaigns in the future and how will you look to win the hearts of the electorate?

Once again, I believe the electorate can be won over with commitment, consistency, passion, and truth.  These are key and they are unbeatable.  I believe I am the only candidate who can really offer this.  I am the only one likely to be seen as a force for change.  There is only one true way to win the heart of the electorate - talk to them, honestly, openly, and make sure they know they can believe what you say.  I am that candidate.

Key UKIP Leadership Questions with Ben Walker

1. What is your leadership style and what leadership qualities do you believe you can bring to the party?

Having served in the Royal Navy and been a business owner for the majority of my working life I always lead from the front.

I never expect anyone to do something I haven't or wouldn't do. I am a huge team player who looks for his team to always buy into the ethos and tackle challenges with determination and commitment.

I don't give up.

I have huge ambition and drive and a will to succeed. I operate well under pressure and high levels of stress.

I believe I can bring all of these elements to the party. Lead from the front with a new energy and drive, with a revitalised team, fresh messages and once again, an ethos.

UKIP has always operated at its best with clear leadership and a solid commitment to its members. I promise to achieve that once again, galvanising our supporters.

2. What is your internal and external vision for the party going forward?

Full details of this will follow in my proposals for the party but, here is the general outline of my plans.

Reform the party structure, including the NEC. Employ fully paid Regional Co-ords and better utilise County Chairs as part of the party management structure.

Empower the members. Move to a more online platform following a full re-brand and name change.

Commission a policy and strategy unit.

Carry out a membership drive on a scale we haven't seen before.

Externally, I would want to see a return to our 2015 manifesto with minor updates throughout along with major changes to Crime & Punishment, the NHS and voting reform.

3. How will you demonstrate the strength needed from a leader and what will you do to get a grip on the recent internal party issues?

All the recent issues will be tackled head on. I'm looking for buy-in as stated and an invigorated and unified party ready for the next elections. Campaigning starts immediately. We have no place for people who wish to create tensions and dissent. If that what they want, main stream politics is available to them. We are different. We need to stay that way.

My political experience dates back to 2007 when I was elected as a Town Councillor. I was Mayor of the town for two consecutive terms (population 28K), also being elected as a District Councillor and Vice Chair of the authority. Stopped from serving as chair due to my defection to UKIP in 2011.

4. How will you keep the party being radical without focussing on single issues?

Full use of the new Policy & Strategy unit will be made, making is informed and current at all times. Spokes rolls will no longer be handed out to MEP's and the like. They will be awarded to people with expertise in the given sector by way of an application process. This would be open to members. Terms of reference will be produced and strict guidelines will be followed. Voting reform will become our new core issue and detailed policy will be available to all branches, members and elected members to ensure we are no longer a single issue party. There will be no lunge to either side of the political spectrum. We will occupy and command common sense politics once again.

5. What attitude will you bring to the parties campaigns in the future and how will you look to win the hearts of the electorate?

Drive, belief and new ideas.

With a new unified and re-structured party delivering a clear new strategy and common sense policies, we will appeal again to working class voters and those who are floating and undecided.

I want to target young people and the working classes. Having served my country during war in the Navy, as an unpaid volunteer in the community and as a small business owner, they don't come much more working class than me. I'm confident I have what it takes to appeal with the support of the UKIP machine!