Tories hold Newark but UKIP slash majority

The Conservatives have won the Newark by-election but with a much reduced majority thanks to UKIP's Roger Helmer.

Tory candidate Robert Jenrick went into the election defending Patrick Mercer's 16,152 vote majority and 44th safest seat and won by a far less impressive 7,403 votes. If this result is indicative of the general election next year, cabinet ministers are going to lose their seats.

Roger Helmer ran an excellent campaign and UKIP was once again the only real opposition to the incumbent parties. Roger came a very strong second with Labour a distant third, an independent in fourth, the Green Party in fifth and the Lib Dems successfully defending the challenge from the Monster Raving Loony Party to finish in sixth.

Party	Votes	%	+/-
Conservative	17,431	45.0	-8.9
UKIP	10,028	25.9	+22.1
Labour	6,842	17.7	4.6
Independent (Paul Baggaley)	1,891	4.9	-
Green	1,057	2.7	-
Lib Dem	1,004	2.6	-17.4
Monster Raving Loony Party	168	0.4	-
Independent (Andy Hayes)	117	0.3	-
Bus Pass Elvis Party	87	0.2	-
Common Good	64	0.2	-
Patriotic Socialist Party	18	0.1	-
Turnout 52.67% (-18.69%)
Swing Con to UKIP 15.46%

Independent poll puts UKIP in the lead in Newark

An independent survey of voting intentions of 2,100 people in Newark carried out by a group of students at Loughborough University puts UKIP's Roger Helmer slightly ahead of the Tory toff Robert Jenrick.

They haven't published their data or methodology so it can't be checked for veracity but it's still an interesting poll because it backs up what the bookies are saying in Newark which is that people are backing UKIP in big numbers.

Party	Votes	%
UKIP	651	31%
Conservative	630	30%
Labour	441	21%
Lib Dem	147	7%
Other	231	11%

Only 24 hours until Newark can vote UKIP

Despite a sustained media campaign against UKIP's Roger Helmer, attempting to portray him as a homophobic "retired colonel" Roger Helmer is the bookies' choice in Newark.

In just 24 hours the people of Newark will get to choose their next MP and it's a two horse race between the millionaire Tory toff living off his wife's half a million salary or hard working businessman Roger Helmer. It should be a no brainer really!

Roger Helmer selected as UKIP's candidate for Newark by-election

Roger Helmer has been selected as UKIP's candidate for the Newark by-election that will take place on the 5th of June following the "resignation" of cash for questions Tory MP Patrick Mercer.

The gutter press have been trying to outdo each other with character assassinations against Roger since the announcement was made that he would be standing, all of them based on a defamatory work of fiction published in the Sun a couple of weeks ago which tried to make him sound like a gay-basher.

Roger made a statement on the Sun's attack on him at the time which should have cleared it up but the press are baying for UKIP blood, even if they have to make stuff up to get it.

A Personal Statement on The Sun’s accusations regarding homosexuality

I was shocked and appalled by the assertions made on April 29th in The Sun, and the next day by the Independent, that I had said it was “OK to despise gay people”.  The Independent version was worse “OK to hate gay people”.  The Sun added that I had said “homosexuality is a mental condition”, and implied that I thought that “homophobia is OK”.  I absolutely reject these allegations: I never said these things, and they certainly do not represent my views.  Let’s look at them one by one:

“It’s OK to despise gay people”: How the Sun gets from “It’s OK to have personal preferences” to “It’s OK to despise gay people”, I’m not sure.

“Being gay is a mental condition”.  In about thirty seconds I was able to identify two blog posts in my extensive blog archive in which I make the point explicitly that homosexuality is not a disease.

“Homophobia is OK”.    As a technical linguistic point, I have questioned the use of the term “phobia” in this context, since it has a specific meaning in psychiatry which does not (it seems to me) apply in this case.  But I have also written very clearly that prejudice, hostility and violence against any minority are wrong, and totally unacceptable.

In a blog post on July 19th 2009 I wrote: “Now I regard myself as liberal and tolerant on the question of homosexuality.  I have no interest in telling consenting adults what they may or may not do behind closed doors.  I have a number of colleagues whom I believe to be homosexual, and that causes me no problems at all.  Indeed there may be more people that I work with, who may be homosexual without my knowing it, since (as a friend once remarked) my “Gaydar” is poorly developed.  I am content to treat people as people, regardless of race or gender or sexual orientation”.  http://rogerhelmermep.wordpress.com/2009/07/19/poles-take-some-stick/

Roger Helmer to resign as Tory MEP

Tory MEP, Roger Helmer, has announced his resignation as an MEP with effect from the end of the year saying that he disagrees with 90% of Tory policies.

Sadly he isn't defecting to UKIP which would be the obvious thing for him to do as a Better Off Out signatory but is resigning as an MEP, saying that he was elected as a Conservative MEP and resigning is the "decent, honourable" thing to do.  Perhaps he could explain how that works to DCB?

Helmer said that he hopes to remain a member of the Tories but not everyone is convinced.  Whether he joins UKIP or not remains to be seen but I would pay good money to be a fly on the wall of Camoron's office right now.  A defection yesterday, a resignation today and all because he refuses to give us a referendum on our membership of the EU.  What a great leader he is.

Bruges Group - Where were the other two?

The room was so full for the event there was standing room only - but there was no sign of Dan Hannan and Roger Helmer.Hannan and Helmer were supposed to be sharing a platform with the UKIP leader Nigel Farage at the Bruges Group debate yesterday at the Tory conference, However, due to 'heavy pressure' explained Barry Legg, the two Tory MEPs were not in a position to attend .Hannan and Helmer were threatened with de-selection should they speak on the same platform as Nigel Farage.

As Trixy hears it, both MEPs, who sit with the non attached in the European Parliament because they did not tow the line of the Europhile group they sit with, received letters from Conservative Party HQ instructed By David Cameron not to be at the meeting or speak on the subject.They were told that they were not allowed to share a platform with Nigel Farage ever.

What has Cameron got to fear from two of his most EU-sceptical MEPs telling the truth about the EU as they have done so eloquently at many meetings over the years?

The UKIP leader said: "Last year even the LibDems were prepared to debate with me. This year we just see the Tories being, in the words of Margaret Thatcher, 'frit'."

Mr Farage went on: "The Tories are frightened of debate, frightened of the EU and this proves they are frightened of the UK Independence Party.

"The fact that the two most prominent Eurosceptics in the party have been muzzled in this way just goes to show that come next year's European Parliament elections there is only one show in town and that is UKIP

.The 500 Tory activists present were not happy bunnies but warmly listened to what Nigel had to say and most commented at the end of the meeting that they would be voting UKIP in the European Elections! Update - The socialist Tory hierarchy are happy to share a platform with Cherie Blair and Hazel Blears.