BY THE TIME you read this, the countdown to the European Election 2009 will really beunderway. This is the time when we have to show that we are at the top of our game and to make even more progress than we did in 2004. It is imperative that we don’t fall back, that we continue to gain ground. Fundraising is going teally well. Thanks largely to you, the members, the Eastern Counties are in a much better position than we were at this time in 2004.This is down to the excellent preparatory work done by the Eastern Counties Committee,led by George Curtis. However, don’t stop now, every pound is vital because we have to do even better than last time and, of course, everything is much more expensive than in 2004.
Our 2009 campaign will be based on three essential elements; the cost of the EU,immigration and its effect on jobs and the breakdown of democracy being created by Brussels. In these recessionary times, the immense cost of British membership of the EU is beginning to resonate with the public. Immigration and the amount of migrant workers coming to Britain is also a hot issue here following the recent strikes and the calls for ‘British jobs for British workers’, the famous line from Gordon Brown, which he knew he could not deliver while Britain remains in the EU.
One by one,the major political parties made excuses for not supporting the call and even began criticising it as ‘protectionist’. Only UKIP had the courage to strongly support it. Peter Mandelson, the Business Secretary in one of the most shameful responses, told the British people to seek work abroad if they can’t find any here. Roughly translated, he is telling people struggling to find work in their own country to: ‘get lost’. This statement alone shows what a disaster it was when Gordon Brown inexplicably decided to return him to front line politics.
Any government’s first duty must be to defend the interests of its own people. Not anymore it seems.They are now more interested in being good little ‘Europeans’and protecting single market rules. One of the major themes of the euro election campaign will again be ‘lend us your vote’ as a means of teaching the political classes,who have become detached from and increasingly contemptuous of ordinary people, a big lesson. 4th June 2009 is also referendum day for all those voters who were promised but then denied their opportunity to express their view about the appalling Lisbon Treaty.
The silly-season which traditionally begins in the months prior to the election, where everything is done to try to undermine us, is already well underway. We’ve had the usual round of non-stories about high profile defections and some not so high, new parties setting up, etc. One common feature of the latest mischief has been that the few people leaving us have been those who have done nothing but try to disrupt the Party for long periods or who have done nothing at all to help the Party electorally (or a combination of both). We are better off without such people. Most importantly of all, members should not be disheartened. These attempts at sabotage are proof positive that we are getting somewhere.
If we were no threat to the political establishment, there would be no need to try to undermine our efforts. In the coming months we must be resolute and, when the going gets tough, ‘bloodied but unbowed’ for our time has come and we must march on to victory at the European Election and from thence to getting our first MPs elected to Westminster.
Josh O'Nyons is a former UKIP member.
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