Thoughts of a Young Independence member #1 The Neville Scandal.

An Observer Opinium poll has recently revealed Ukip to be beating the Tories in the North West, (http://politicsuk.eu/archives/12950). I'm not one to boast, (especially after those tiring London elections), but this does not only amplify the increasing momentum of Ukip support, but the sheer enthusiasm for - a Ukip. This already defeats the pinnacle of public enthusiasm for the Lib-Dems, in that epoch when it was ok to blabber on elusive policies - frankly, because it was cool being the political bench warmer. Nonetheless, I'm not digging into pre-2010 politics today.

Bluntly, Young Independence, the, (before all this to the least), rapidly growing Youth Wing of Ukip, is now in limbo after facing a leadership crisis soon after a November by-election. A very upset Olly Neville - and right to be - was revoked of his Chairmanship of YI in an NEC decision. This was followed by the voluntary resignation of Christina Marian Annesley, as Deputy Chair of YI Yorkshire, Gareth Shanks, as YI Elections Officer, and Allrik Birch, as YI Treasurer, in protest to the NEC's decision. A 'decision' made merely because his Libertarian values were a couple steps ahead to that of the NEC.

 The decision was inane; not even deserving 'insane'. He was elected by a landslide majority and had great intentions for YI, as any bloke believing in a future Ukip force should; hence I have started to question the NEC's long-term vision of Ukip. They must comprehend the fact that Ukip actually does have a gleam in the eye which does steadily entice Lady Britannia; something which the Lib-Dems never enjoyed and the Conservatives have lost in the North West.

I don't necessarily agree with Neville. Moreover, I was strongly cognizant of his views on issues such as prostitution and drugs - when I voted for him. Voted for him.

Gay marriage? I wasn't surprised. He's a pure Libertarian; I'm not. Although, I do possess sympathy for the drugs argument, particularly on cannabis reform. But that's the beauty of YI, isn't it? We either have yellow, purple or striped tied YouthKipers working together in harmony in efforts establish ground in the social fabric. Neville was an opportunity to enhance this relationship and get it working on the doorstep.

Nevertheless, I believe in YI - we will find our way, hopefully starting to replicate Ukip's momentum with the youth, already with a redoubling platform in universities and just starting to pierce into the bigger youth picture. A brilliant bunch indeed.

NEC Election: the results

Congratulations to Steve Allison, George Curtis, Hugh Williams, Jill Seymour, Mick McGough, Elizabeth Burton and Julia Reid on their election to the UKIP NEC.

The results of the NEC election have annoyed the anti-UKIP EU troll, Junius/Greg Limp-Wrist.  This must mean that the result is good for UKIP because Junius/Greg Limp-Wrist and his EU paymasters are only ever happy when there's something bad to say.  Julia Reid would appear to be the one to watch as the only successful NEC candidate not to be libelled on the Junius/Greg Limp-Wrist websites.

George Curtis and Jill Seymour were both re-elected as existing members of the NEC and Steve Allison achieved the highest number of votes.

The full list of results are as follows:

Steve Allison       2,275
George Curtis       1,849
Hugh Williams       1,748
Jill Seymour        1,696
Michael McGough     1,604
Elizabeth Burton    1,548
Julia Reid          1,491
David Coburn        1,452
Toby Micklethwait   1,326
Ray Finch           1,317
Christopher Pain    1,261
Louise Bours        1,248
Paul Henke          1,198
David Rowlands      1,191
David Black         1,077
Paula Daly          1,051
Marion Mason          958
Kathleen Garner       924
Ralph Atkinson        881
Hilary Jones          863
Winston McKenzie      857
John Harrison         847
Lee Slaughter         832
Steve Povey           822
James Moyies          807
Donald Mackay         789
David Macey           751
Terry Durrance        749
Tony McIntyre         694
Marilyn Swain         687
Rob McWhirter         653
Mike Hookem           634
Bob Macarthur         559
David Duxbury         500
Derek Evans           421
Nigel Carter          392
Charles Dodman        355

Statement from Mike Hookem

My name is one of those which was included in a letter sent to UKIP members by Godfrey Bloom as his prefered choice of NEC candidates.

I did not ask him to do this I also received this letter which I thought was a bit naughty but I have every confidence that the members of UKIP becoming members of this party have shown they are free thinkers and can make up their own minds and will not be coerced by party leaders.

I believe in a free and transparent election of NEC members and our next party leader election.

Regards
Mike Hookem

I haven't seen the letter in question but by all accounts it's pretty explicit in support of certain candidates in the NEC election which has led to complaints from some members about Bloom using his position to unduly influence the result.

NEC Election Interview: Ray Finch

The latest (and probably last!) in our series of interviews with NEC Election candidates is with Ray Finch.

Ray, one of your suggestions for changes to the NEC is to allow regions to have representatives on the NEC. It's an interesting idea but surely that's going to increase the size of the NEC considerably. Will the NEC still function efficiently with that many members?

Why should it? I understand that committees should not be unwieldy but if we have one from each region and the leader and an MEP rep that gives us fourteen which is approximately the same number as presently. It will give the members in regions who are presently unrepresented a voice and a say in the future of our party. Why should the south east (my region) and the south west, two of the most heavily represented regions, make decisions on things that affect, say, Scotland or Northern Ireland, without any input from those places? I believe it is a question of fairness and democracy. Two of the principles that our party stand for.

I see, I thought you were suggesting regional members in addition to the current compliment. So your idea is to elect a 12 member NEC from each of the euroregions? I can understand the motivation but doesn't that limit the choice of members?

The present system limits the choice. This gives people from regions that do not at present have their voices heard, a voice. It is a question of fairness and making the party a truly national one.

That's an interesting point - assuming you define "national" as "British", how much of a national party are we? We suffer from the same problem as the Tories in Scotland - we are seen as a right wing English party, both of which are toxic brands north of the border. What would you suggest we do to make the party electable outside of England?

First we need to lose the "right wing" tag. Both of the "wings" right and left, are just authoritarian. We need to ensure that people understand we are a party of freedom and a party of the union. We have already made a start in Wales. We need to devote some resources into both Scotland and Northern Ireland. I understand our north western region are helping Northern Ireland. This is good but we need to help centrally as well. We should start by, as we should do in England, fielding candidates in as many local elections as possible. We must grow organically. Turning up every 5 years or so for EU and General elections will not help build the parties in those places. Featuring them in our party election broadcasts will help too!

We don't do enough to raise our profile between elections and what we do do tends to be disjointed and down to individual branches. We're not a rich party, what can we do with the resources we have and how do we make sure our efforts are joined up?

This is answered in my discussion document "UKIP 2015" now updated and soon to be available at a conference near you. I propose a "Head of candidates" to run training and also a priority list of target constituencies and offer them as individual units to donors to sponsor.

One final question: if every member of the new NEC was given the chance to introduce one change unopposed, what would yours be?

Open voting on the NEC so that the actions of the members are transparent.

Thanks Ray, best of luck.

NEC Election Interview: Kathleen Garner

The latest in our series of interviews with NEC election candidates is with Kathleen Garner.

Kathleen, you're one of an unusually large number of ladies standing for election to the NEC. Do you think UKIP needs a bit more of a woman's touch?

I think the high number of women standing is indicative of the fact that UKIP is a party in which women are already treated as equals who have a lot to offer the party. The chairman of my own branch, Croydon, is a lady, Joan Tyndall, and we are very lucky to have her as chairman, while our recent local election candidates were a good mix with regard to both age and sex. What UKIP needs is people with common sense and experience of the real world, and real commitment to the party and the cause over a long period of time, whether male or female.

My branch's former chairman is one of your fellow NEC candidates, Jill Seymour - testament to the ability of UKIP's female contingent to bully us men into all sorts of things! The top 3 posts in the party are filled by people (Lord Pearson, Lord Monckton and David Campbell Bannerman) who our friends on the left would denounce as "toffs", as is our main spokesman, Nigel Farage. The perception is that these people don't have experience of the real world because they're "posh" and have money and titles. Do you think the background of the party leadership is an asset or a liability? Should there be more "common" people in charge?

The party needs people with a public presence whom the public instantly recognise. That said, the people you mention all have similar weaknesses as well as strengths. The MPs' expenses scandal has made people suspicious of the political elite, to which some of our leaders belong.


My family backgound is mixed, including both Conservatives and several politically active Labour Party members. People who have never had to worry about work or money cannot possibly understand the lives of those who do. I personally do not agree with so-called "Free Trade" in that it allows money rather than quality of life to dictate government policy. Free exchange of goods can only work where both sides have the same culture and way of life. Manufacturing is struggling in this country because countries like China and India pay their workers wages that we could not survive on and because their governments are allowed to keep the value of their currencies artificially low. Even if other countries would let us, we cannot live on selling financial services alone. We have large numbers of unemployed who previously would have obtained worthwhile work in manufacturing. They need to be able to do this again. If we happily sell off our large companies to foreigners and think it is more important to be able to buy goods cheaply than to have a society in which everyone has a place where they can achieve their potential, then just leaving the EU will not solve anything. We have to be prepared to protect our manufacturing from what is effectively dumping from foreign companies which do not have our social costs.


In addition, we have a large balance of trade deficit and have long lost the ability to feed ourselves. We are parasites and one day the outside world will realise we have nothing more to offer and take their goods elsewhere. When that day comes we could starve. We have to be prepared to protect our food supplies and to stop handing over agricultural land to housing. It sometimes seems as though building houses and going shopping is all we do. We need to move away from the traditional Conservative view of trade.


There is definitely a large number of people within the party who see UKIP as no more than a stop-gap until the Conservatives come into their own. If the sole result of our leaving the E.U. would be to see the country ruled once more by the party and the views which took us into it in the first place, then I shall feel we have failed.

I grew up in a rural town and less than a decade after moving away I don't recognise parts of it because of the amount of new housing that's been built. The EU sockpuppet quangos, the Regional Assemblies, are behind much of the housebuilding in England with their Regional spatial Strategies. The Tories say they're going to abolish all the regional quangos in England and promote "localism" instead. Is this an agenda we should be promoting in UKIP? After all, UKIP representation in local government is one of our success stories.

I trust what the Tories say as far as I can throw them. They say they will get rid of the Regional Assemblies, but these have been promoted by the E.U. which created the regions in the first place. The Tories are not going to leave the E.U. and they will carry on doing what Brussels wants. We have already seen this in the few months since the election. I do not consider that UKIP should be following other parties. We should be leading them.


Of course we should promote local politics. The smaller the political grouping, the more democratic it is likely to be and the more it is likely to listen to what local people want. Indeed, I feel that local councils should be much smaller than they are. Our local council is currently planning to knock down the council headquarters, which through neglect needs - allegedly - £40m spending on it - in order to go into a pfi project to build a new council building - and of course the ubiquitous new flats - at a cost of up to £450m. Nobody else wants this. A smaller council would be less likely to waste money on vanity projects. What has been talked of for years has been the use of local referenda, and by that I mean genuine referenda, not the sort we here had 10 years ago which purported to ask us by how much we wanted our council tax to rise. The result was in the region of 3% that year and 27% the next when there was no referendum. We need a system of local government whereby locals would have a real say in what happens in their area and in particular large and intrusive developments would always have to be referred to the local electorate. As I stated earlier, the only business we appear still to have in this country is house building. We do not need more houses, we need fewer people.

One final question: if every member of the new NEC was given the chance to introduce one change unopposed, what would yours be?

I am pleased to see that the candidates whose views I have read so far appear to have the same strong feelings about making the NEC more approachable to the ordinary members as I have. This makes it more likely, if each new NEC member were given the chance to make a change unopposed, that this one at least would be acceptable to all. Currently, we have the very unsatisfactory system, when voting for the NEC, of knowing nothing at all, apart from their 150 words, about the majority of candidates. Therefore I have long advocated the idea that members should be elected on a regional basis, to make it more likely that the NEC is known to the voters and that the NEC in turn know the members who have voted for them. Indeed, it was a member of our branch, supported by the rest of the committee, who introduced a motion for just this change at a London business meeting several years ago. The motion failed by just one vote. When I say regional I do not necessarily mean based on the EU regions; each "constituency" would need to have a similar number of eligible voters, so new boundaries would have to be drawn and probably the current system of partial elections would need streamlining. At present many worthy people fail to be elected because not enough people know about them. I hope that such a change would also mean that the NEC were in a position to keep their local members better informed and vice versa. I consider it very important for every member to feel that their views count in the running of the party.

Thanks Kath, best of luck in the election.

NEC Election Interview: Mike Hookem

The latest in our series of interviews with NEC Election Candidates is with Mike Hookem.

Mike, you're one of a growing number of former Labour and Lib Dem supporters rising through the ranks in UKIP. How important is it for the party to cast off its image as a eurosceptic version of the Tories? Is there a danger that we could become, for want of a better word, schizophrenic - neither left nor right, capitalist or socialist - and could this confuse potential voters?

After thinking about this question I realise I have voted Labour, not supported, through ignorance being what people term as a tribal voter and after thirteen years of in my view a criminal Labour government I have become angry and decided to fight back and in 2007 joined UKIP. The only party I believe who have the best interest of this country and it's people to heart. And it's this passion for our freedom from Brussels and the corrupt going's on in the Euro Parliament that we have to get across to the electorate but also we have to show that we are not just a one trick pony we have to show that we also have policies on all aspects needed to run this country. We must as a party show that we are distinctly seperate from all other parties a new breed of politics that puts country first above all else and cast off the rosettes of our former parties. There is NO eurosceptic Labour Liberal or Conservative supporter because if they were truly anti Europe they would be a member of UKIP.

Tribal voting is a perennial problem and one that afflicts smaller parties like UKIP. We do have a full manifesto but we don't seem to be able to effectively get the point across that we're not just a one-trick pony. How do you think we can raise awareness of UKIP and its policies amongst the electorate and equally importantly, how do we get the media on-side so that we get the exposure we desperately need?

I believe we must form a shadow cabinet,it's imperative that we have a spokesman for each post and that spokesman be the one who the media approach for comments, all though Nigel is a consummate professional with the media we appear to the electorate that he is the only man who can speak on behalf of the party. We have many talented people in the party and they should be given the chance to get our message across

The invitation to take part in these interviews was made on the Bloggers4UKIP website and the UKIP members' forum. The Tories use the internet very well for campaigning and Labour are making a better job of it than they did of running the country. The internet is becoming more and more important in elections, how can UKIP make better use of the internet?

I see it like this; can the internet ultimately change politics? Yes I think it can, and should UKIP embrace the new technology? Absolutely, but not as a replacement for more traditional methods, but as a powerful tool in our arsenal.


Optimists point to the green movement in Iran, when the reformist campaign showed the power of new technologies to organise resistance and to break the stranglehold of censors on information; but the episode also showed that technology alone is not enough to secure democratic change, after all Mahmud Ahmadinejad remains in power.


After Barack Obama's successful use of social networking, British parties have redoubled their rush on to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. A few engaged MPs use such sites not only to broadcast their views but also to listen to their constituents. However, far too often, parties simply mimic online, the traditional marketing-driven campaigning. Treating the electorate as little more than shoppers, and the policies as slickly marketed products. The real lesson of Obama's campaign is that it treated voters as citizens with active roles to play in democracy, and not as little more than consumers to be swayed by the party marketing machine.


Should a political party tell the public what it believes, or should it ask the public what it wants? There is no easy answer to that, but I believe Blogs like this one, can, and should, help shape the party in the future. In a recent survey conducted of Conservative candidates in winnable seats, they found that 96% used Conservative Home as a source of information compared to only 13% using the official Conservative Party website. Conhome is far from an official party website, it has an explicit editorial line which means they are often arguing for changes to the party and its policies. The old Party hierarchies are no longer in control of the flow of information.


There is only one electorate out there, we need to listen to what they want from a party like UKIP, and the internet is a great way to engage with them. Once we have a better understanding of what the public want, we can make UKIP the party the public wants, after all, it is they who that put the cross's in the box come polling day! Winning elections is the aim of any political party, and as has already been discussed tribalism is a real problem for the smaller parties so that is why I believe we need to stand out from the crowd, so to speak, yes we do on Europe, but after that I believe we are still seen as Tory off shoot. We can use the internet to become the real party of the people, for the people. Then, once we have our aims and goals set out, then nothing in my mind replaces the leaflet drop, the hustings, the good old face to face meeting with the voters.

One final question: if every member of the new NEC was given the chance to introduce one change unopposed, what would yours be?

Difficult question two or three come to mind I have already spoke about a shadow cabinet, NEC meeting to be held at weekends which it seems other candidates are in favour of. Each region to elect a delegate on the committee therefore giving the grass root members of that region a voice.

Thanks Mike, good luck.

NEC Election Interview: Steve Allison

The next in our series of interviews with NEC candidates is with Steve Allison.

Steve, you're a busy person.  You're a businessman, a councillor and doing research for Sunderland University.  Where are you going to find the time to try and right the "capsized swan" that is UKIP?

In September this year our son will be joining Carnival Cruise Lines as an Engineering Officer Cadet and our daughter will start her second year of Law at Kings College London.  My wife and I will be "empty nesters". I don't think time to do things will be a problem, at least until the grandchildren start to come along, which hopefully will not be for at least another 10 years!

I actually find the more I do the more I want to do! My wife and I have already started going to the Theatre again and I am in the process of installing a ground source heat pump in my home which involves considerable ground works and plumbing (You can see some pictures if you like at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=217886&id=721583184).

We are also keen scuba divers, I keep bees, (nothing like your own honey on your bread) and I have recently taken up Tai Chi. I'm not the sort of person who can just sit and watch TV for very long, I get bored! So I don't think lack of time is going to be a problem!
 
A ground source heat pump?  Is that a money saving exercise or are you a believer in man-made global warming?

I am a sceptic when it comes to "Man Made" global warming but I think energy efficiency and sustainability are just common sense and financial good practise. Why waste resources? I am not on mains gas and currently have oil fired heating and hot water. When I first commissioned the system (in the early 1990's) the oil tank cost me just over £100 to fill. My last fill was just a few quid under £800 and that is only going to get worse. The ground source heat pump will enable me to completely do away with the oil system and will cost to run approximately 1/4 of the current price of oil. There is also a government incentive currently available which gives me a £1,000 a year tax credit. This is guaranteed for the next 21 years! I will get my money back in just under 4 years, after that my heat and hot water will be free (actually will be paid for by the government as my running costs will be less than my tax rebate, good deal eh!)

Thanks for the tip, I'll dig my shovel out of the garage! You've been a UKIP councillor for some time, one of a growing number of UKIP parish, town, borough and county councillors. There are plans to set up a "support group" for UKIP councillors, what other measures would you put in place to support this vital link between the party and the electorate?

I was almost a lone voice for many years in UKIP when I called for the Party to take local elections seriously and I still think the party doesn’t put enough effort into getting involved in grass roots or local community campaigns. Unfortunately it takes a lot of time and effort to establish yourself as a local councilor at Borough or County Council level, especially when you are fighting with a campaign team of one and a budget of only a few quid. Peter Reeve showed what could be done with a big budget and loads of help but UKIP don’t have the resources to do that in loads of seats. Where I do think UKIP is missing a trick is at Parish Council level. Seats here are much easier to take and it's at this very bottom level where one person with a minimal budget can take a seat.

Unfortunately I am no longer a Hartlepool Borough Councillor. I lost my seat in the May 2010 Elections. The Labour Party took the seat from me by just over 100 votes, with some very Machiavellian tactics, involving bring in a candidate with the same name as a very popular independent councilor, who has represented the ward for nearly 20 years and has a huge personal following, plus with the assistance of the Tories, who had not stood a candidate in my ward for the past 20 years, but stood one against me this time. The Labour vote almost doubled from their usual level and the Tories took nearly 200 votes! UKIP might say standing in some constituencies in the General Election cost the Tories some MPs but it also worked the other way round for me, the Tories gave my Council seat to Labour!

The UKIP Councilors' Association is, I believe; only open to sitting Councilors, so I'm not eligible to be a member. If it is open to ex-councilors then I’d be delighted to help in any way I can and have already offered advice and support to any individual, branch or region that would like me to help them. So far only the North West have taken me up on my offer and I am going to the North West council candidates meeting being arranged by Fred McGlade at the end October (date to be confirmed)t o impart my knowledge to his candidates (or as he calls them, his victims).

PS Anyone looking for a stocking filler for Christmas might want to check out Fred’s new book, “The history of the British Army Film and Photographic unit in the second world war” by Dr. Fred McGlade, published by Helion and Company (ISBN–987-1-906033-94-1). Due out in September this year.

One final question: if every member of the new NEC was given the chance to introduce one change unopposed, what would yours be?

Now that's a hard one (as the actress said to the Bishop!) One day my sense of humor will get me into trouble, or should I say MORE trouble! Anyone who follows Monty Python will know why I might claim Golf, Strangling Animals and Masturbation as hobbies! (Although I’m trying to cut down on the golf). Anyone who is not a Python devote will just think they are strange things to admit to!

Anyway, I digress.

There are so many things I'd like to change about the NEC, not least the NEC Election procedures, moving the meetings to a weekend, having the NEC produce a party business plan, assigning NEC Member an area of special responsibility under the plan or even making the post of Party Chairman a full time, paid, position. However, if there was only one thing then I think it would have to be making the NEC start from a position of openness and transparency.

At the moment EVERYTHING the NEC discusses is considered to be confidential and only very highly sanitised minutes are allowed to reach the membership. I would start from the assumption that the membership are entitled to know what their NEC are discussing UNLESS a majority of the NEC agreed, on an item by item basis, that a particular topic needed to be confidential. This would make confidential items the exception rather than the rule and any item that was judged confidential would have to be justified as such.

Thanks Steve, best of luck in the election.

NEC Election Interview: Rob McWhirter

The second in our series of interviews with NEC Election Candidates is with Rob McWhirter.

Rob, you've had a bit of a chequered past with UKIP. You once left the party after some disagreements before rejoining to reform from within. This sounds suspiciously like the Tory policy on the EU! How committed are you to changing UKIP for the better?

I did resign for a year, 2008-9, after being a founder member - I believe the party should treat all paid up members equally, as does the constitution, and when they told me I wasn't getting a vote in the EU candidate list selection ballot, because I live abroad (even though I am a registered overseas voter), this was the straw etc. etc. There were other things - the John West video fiasco (John Whittaker had me investigate), and the Alan Bown donations fiasco, and I thought why am I bothering? But then I cooled down and decided to be constructive and work for reform from within, rather than carp from without. I also found I was still shouting at bad party websites daily (and offering free advice)!!!


How committed to improvement? Very. I've stood for the NEC before, but people didn't see the importance of the internet then - now its forced the London Chairman to resign, for example, they might look at things differently!


My campaign website - vote-rob.info - has a range of detailed discussion ideas, including:

• Moving conference main day for more media coverage
• Better liaison with overseas bods (I'm one)
• Custom candidate domain names featuring on all campaign bumf
• Moving most NEC meetings to weekends (so ordinary workers can manage to commit to attend)
• Better attention to all areas of the internet

I also include cartoon strips I designed and had drawn up when I was standing in London - I'm a great believer in humour to get your message across...


Practically, I am running a load of websites - see vote-rob.info for specifics, have written a party website style guide: http://ukip-websites-style-guide.info (hosted by fellow party member David Platt) , and offer free advice/ help to those with websites in need of assistance. All my signatories have had web help or bought websites from me.


I've also taken on board Lord Pearson's call for better comms. with the overseas bods - see above - and my proposer, Sonya Porter, who was the party's first overseas coordinator, tells me I'm the ideal person, based in Switzerland, to sort matters out!


Having been there since the beginning, I've seen all the flaws/ mistakes before, and can hopefully advise how not to make them in the future!

You mention that you live in Zurich which begs a very important question - how will you attend regular NEC meetings?

Simples: fly to London on a Friday night, as a large number of NEC meetings should now be held on weekends.


For the few weekday meets remaining, I will use part of my annual leave quota.


We could, of course, in the long term, look at the possibility of video conferencing, but let's sort the basics first - moving most meetings to weekends!

The wonders of modern technology. As a party we do seem to be reluctant to embrace new technology. You're the resident web monkey and clearly have a more than adequate grasp of technology as well as the vision to realise its potential - how will you convince the technophobes in the party of the value of the internet and other technology in campaigning?

Leading by example, e.g. vote-rob.info, vote-steve.info.


The press office are supportive - what we need to do is get the balance of power shifted on the NEC, and then we can make the regions, and then branches, and candidates follow suit.


It's absurd, for example, that a month ago London region's website was still promoting Paul Wiffen as chairman! If the regional sires are cr&p, then why should the branches bother?


Webby stuff needs more space allocated for exposition in Independence News, with clear examples - horror stories of how misuse brought down campaigns, and success stories, e.g. Chuck Devore's iPhone app, from the same firm - PurpleForge - that did ours. Our app should be prominent on our web homepage, along with the review that said it was the best of all the British political apps!


We should also make it a job requirement - any RO, for example, who doesn't see the web as a priority, for the region and branches under his pastoral care, should have a card marked at interview.


So broadly carrot and stick.

One final question: if every member of the new NEC was given the chance to introduce one change unopposed, what would yours be?

Require all candidates to have a Vote-xxx.info domain name, e.g. Vote-Wonkotsane.info, for any election apart from local, and make sure it is up-to-date and used on ALL campaign literature. See Vote-Rob.info for examples.

Thanks Rob, good luck in the election.

NEC Election Interview: Michael McGough

Last week we promised a series of interviews with NEC election candidates.  The first one is with Michael McGough.

Michael, you've been a very active campaigner for a long time and you're involved in a number of group - the CIB, the Freedom Association and Better off Out amongst others - do you think your involvement in these other groups will help or hinder you in the NEC?

It can only help, there is no conflict as all are unconditional EU withdrawalists. A current NEC member actively involved at the top table in those bodies will further 'cross pollination' of ideas and campaigns and bring more cohesion to the withdrawalist movement, countering some of the criticism that there are too many disparate anti-EU groups.  UKIP will of course be my priority as the others are only pressure groups whereas UKIP, although a pressure group itself, is first and foremost a politrical party and only elected politicians will get us out of the EU.

The other groups are cross party and working closely with withdrawalists from other parties increases the chances that they will eventually join us,the only withdrawalist 'show in town' .Over the years I have witnessed a massive shift in groups such as TFA and the Bruges Group towards significant UKIP membership from what was once mainly Tories.CIB has a significant input from Labour and Unions many of whose members increasingly vote UKIP.

One problem facing UKIP is the perception that we are a eurosceptic arm of the Tories. There are a number of former Labour and Lib Dem supporters working their way up the ranks in UKIP but I think it's fair to say the membership is predominantly conservative leaning. Other than closer working with other eurosceptic groups, how do you think UKIP can broaden its appeal to attract voters outside of its traditional hunting grounds?

We must better communicate our excellent policies and the fact that we are the only credible party working in the national interest and that of all of our citizens.We need more capable public facing spokesman who aren't obviously 'Tory like' - we must be seen to be the party for the worker and those seeking work, UK jobs for UK workers and their children resonates.


As unemployment and taxes rise and already overstretched services are cutback we must use every electoral opportunity, especially town,district and county council elections to explain that only we seek to stop the burden of immigration from the EU (as well as elsewhere) to protect jobs and housing and that if we didn't pay so much to the EU many services could be maintained. We must have leaflets specifically aimed at Labour voters for use in traditional Labour areas .Lib Dem voters (what do they believe in?) will be harder to attract but many will be sympathetic to the same message after the coaltion experience. The key will be to target these groups rather than relying on generic material aimed at Tories.

We have tended to project a "Tory boy" image with our spokemen - Lord Pearson, Lord Monckton, David Campbell Bannerman, Nigel Farage. The top 3 posts in the party and our most prolific spokesman are held by what our friends on the left would term "toffs". This undoubtedly puts off a lot of potential members, is it something the party should look to change or should we try and capitalise on it?

I've partly addressed this above. I certainly think we need many more capable spokesman and they should be drawn from across the social and political spectrum within our party. We do of course have Gerard Batten a working class Londoner with a union background and our very own scouser Chairman Paul Nuttall, by no means a toff. They have both performed well in the media. While I want a full cross section represented I don't think it is the working class who are put off by toffs - they very often like and respect them in charge. The people who are more likely to be put off are the 30-50 year old metrosexual self satisfied middle classes. Having an Old Etonian leader of maturity and gravitas with successful business and life experience does much to show how lightweight and inexperiencd the young OE leading the country is. We are the party of all the people but many have yet to realise this.

People with money - even old money - tend to have it for a reason, I would rather a wealthy and successful businessman ran the country than, for example, the dour son of a Presbyterian minister. If only more people could see the sense in this!

I agree. The person you allude to supposedly had a moral compass; if he had, it pointed in the wrong direction. No sound businessman would have got our economy into such a state and destroyed the finest private pension provision in Europe.

One final question: if every member of the new NEC was given the chance to introduce one change unopposed, what would yours be?

I'd set up a shadow team with competence and media savviness to convey that we mean business and could govern if given the chance. This would be an extension of the policy groups with each subject spokesman supported by experts available at the end of a Blackberry pre media outings. There is already sufficient people of ability, experience and knowledge within the party to achieve this.

Thanks Micheal, best of luck with the election.

NEC Elections

This week's Independence magazine is accompanied by a ballot paper for elections to the National Executive Council - a whole side of A4 paper!

A bumper crop of 37 people have put themselves forward for election onto the NEC:

Charles Dodman	Christopher Pain	David Black
David Coburn	David Duxbury	David Macey
David Rowlands	Derek Evans	Donald Mackay
Elizabeth Burton	George Curtis	Hilary Jones
Hugh Williams	James Moyies	Jill Seymour
Jim Macarthur	John Harrison	Julia Reid
Kathleen Garner	Lee Slaughter	Louise Bours
Marilyn Swain	Marion Mason	Michael McGough
Mike Hookem	Nigel Carter	Paul Henke
Paula Daly	Ralph Atkinson	Ray Finch
Rob McWhirter	Steve Allison	Steve Povey
Terry Durrance	Toby Micklethwait	Tony McIntyre
Winston McKenzie

Well done to all the current NEC members who are asking to stay on and to the new candidates that have put their head above the parapet rather than skulking in the corner complaining about the leadership of the party.

NEC candidates aren't allowed to actively campaign during the election but they can answer questions so we are offering all candidates a brief interview which will be posted here on Bloggers4UKIP.  The first one will be posted here shortly.