What more can be said about Nick Clegg - from his fanatical compulsion with the EU, his near fatal tendency to be David Cameron's foot stool and a man who would sell his soul for a glimpse of power. It is somewhat apt to see his travails at this most compelling of times. David Cameron and the Tories have trussed up the Lib Dems like an oversized Christmas turkey - all that is left is for them to be basted and a fork stuck in them. The next election cannot come soon enough, this article highlights the woes of Nick Clegg.....
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/iainmartin1/100172093/nick-clegg-doesnt-seem-to-realise-he-is-stuffed/
Welcome to the UKIP Basingstoke blog.
Monday 23 July 2012
Sunday 15 July 2012
Will Cameron have the backbone to debate with Nigel Farage
Excellent article here with Nigel Farage laying down a challenge to David Cameron to debate the EU. It will be interesting to see if Cameron has the stomach for it!
http://www.eastleighnews.org.uk/news/2012/07/15/farage-challenges-cameron-to-debate/
http://www.eastleighnews.org.uk/news/2012/07/15/farage-challenges-cameron-to-debate/
Bravo - Liam Fox
Bravo - Liam Fox!
It seems that the message on Europe is finally getting through to the Tories. We all need to be very weary of the crocodile tears shed by them though. They are NOT a true eurosceptic party and their leader is as europhile as they get. What is more important though is getting the message out there - there is an alternative to the EU 'strait-jacket'. Momentum is building, as is public awareness it is becoming unstoppable so in UKIP we need to take the fight for Britain to the heart of government - free us from these EU chains of bondage! Here is Liam Fox's article in The Sun:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4429955/Liam-Fox-warns-Brussels-is-strangling-life-out-of-Britain.html
It seems that the message on Europe is finally getting through to the Tories. We all need to be very weary of the crocodile tears shed by them though. They are NOT a true eurosceptic party and their leader is as europhile as they get. What is more important though is getting the message out there - there is an alternative to the EU 'strait-jacket'. Momentum is building, as is public awareness it is becoming unstoppable so in UKIP we need to take the fight for Britain to the heart of government - free us from these EU chains of bondage! Here is Liam Fox's article in The Sun:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4429955/Liam-Fox-warns-Brussels-is-strangling-life-out-of-Britain.html
Saturday 14 July 2012
Should UKIP aim to destroy the Conservative Party? by Andrew Cadnam
There are choices coming to UKIP - this article by Andrew Cadnam highlights one of the most pressing - How should UKIP deal with the Conservatives in the future?
Previously I have argued that the rise of UKIP represents the long-term de-merging of the classical "19th Century" liberal and conservative strands of thought within the Conservative Party, artificially conflated as they were after Liberal Party splits in the early 20th Century and held together by the threat of Socialism thereafter. There is some evidence for this analysis, most notably the number of libertarians joining Young Independence, who may drag UKIP in a progressively more Libertarian direction in future.
Shorn of it's Thatcherite minority, in such a scenario the Conservative Party would return to being properly "conservative", in the sense of defending what Burke called "the organic state" and, in Peelite expression, of using power for 'reforming ills while conserving the good'.
However, this leads to another question. Namely, is the dominant tradition within the Conservative Party today "Tory" rather than "conservative"? If so, does the Conservative Party really deserve to continue to exist at all, and can it even survive? Should, therefore, the ultimate aim of UKIP be to destroy and replace the Conservative Party?
To analyse these questions it is necessary to go back to the formation of the modern Conservative Party. It's antecedent, the original "Tory" Party grew out of the English Civil War. Essentially reactionary, it was made up of people who wished to preserve the status quo, largely to their own advantage. The more sophisticated - and altogether more noble - "conservative" tradition emerged later between the end of the 18th and early 19th Centuries.
The major problem for the Conservative Party is, of course, that older and more cynical Tory tradition never really died, and has always remained a powerful force within the party. Unsurprisingly, when 'reforming the ill' clashed with Tory vested interests, as happened most notably under Sir Robert Peel and repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, a major party split ensued. However, for much of the Conservative Party's later history, it has proved perfectly possible to reconcile the two traditions. Consequently it has proved difficult to know which tradition actually had the upper hand and the true motives - noble or cynical - behind Conservative Party policies.
But all that was before the European Union arrived on the scene. The reason that "Europe" is such a toxic issue for the Conservative Party is that not only does it directly pit the Tory lust for power and position against the conservative, Burkean tradition in a way that no other issue can, but it has proved impossible for the party to ignore.
And, sadly, Europe has illuminated for us in bright, neon capitals that it is the cynical Tory tradition that is dominant within the Conservative Party. At every juncture, despite principled objections from true conservatives, the Tory faction has won out, with ever more sovereignty lost and national institutions ever more damaged. The consequences to the Conservative Party itself have proved nothing short of disastrous: over the last 20 years, the increasing revulsion felt by activists with the "Tory" nature of it's leadership has lead to the haemorrhaging of membership and fuelled the rise of UKIP. It can be argued that this process will lead to the Conservative Party entering a death-spiral, as the cynical and unappealing face of an ever more dominant Toryism within the party makes it less and less electable. Arguably these effects are already apparent under the Prime Ministership of the very Tory David Cameron, with his advocacy of coalition government policies such as gay marriage, the replacement of the House of Lords (not 'reform' as is so disingenuously claimed) and destruction of the Armed Forces: all policies which could never remotely be called "conservative" and profoundly alienating to much of the electorate, particularly the Conservative Party core vote.
So where does leave UKIP? If the Conservative Party is weakening and both it's activist and voting base increasingly up for grabs, where should we pitch ourselves in order to achieve our ends? Should we seek to inherit the mantle of the classical liberal right wing, become essentially libertarian in outlook, and leave the mainstream "conservative" tradition struggling within the Tory-controlled Conservative Party? The advantage of this strategy is that UKIP can be philosophically more coherent and a fount of radical new Libertarian ideas, although unlikely ever to wield power except as a minority partner in a coalition. However, by 'pissing in' rather than 'pissing out' of the Conservative Party tent, we would probably be more effective than the Conservative Party right-wing currently is in promoting Libertarian policies.
Alternatively, should we go the whole hog and seek to acquire both the classical liberal and conservative strands, destroying and replacing the Conservative Party in the process? The advantage of this option is that it would hopefully weaken the thoroughly malign Tory tradition of power at any price which has so disfigured our politics, and at the same time keep the Right of British politics united. It isn't outlandish to claim that, following a complete Conservative Party collapse, one day we may even get to form a government ourselves.
What is not in doubt is that huge opportunities are opening up for UKIP that may see us break through as a major political force and our response to them will define the future identity of our party in the decades to come.
Previously I have argued that the rise of UKIP represents the long-term de-merging of the classical "19th Century" liberal and conservative strands of thought within the Conservative Party, artificially conflated as they were after Liberal Party splits in the early 20th Century and held together by the threat of Socialism thereafter. There is some evidence for this analysis, most notably the number of libertarians joining Young Independence, who may drag UKIP in a progressively more Libertarian direction in future.
Shorn of it's Thatcherite minority, in such a scenario the Conservative Party would return to being properly "conservative", in the sense of defending what Burke called "the organic state" and, in Peelite expression, of using power for 'reforming ills while conserving the good'.
However, this leads to another question. Namely, is the dominant tradition within the Conservative Party today "Tory" rather than "conservative"? If so, does the Conservative Party really deserve to continue to exist at all, and can it even survive? Should, therefore, the ultimate aim of UKIP be to destroy and replace the Conservative Party?
To analyse these questions it is necessary to go back to the formation of the modern Conservative Party. It's antecedent, the original "Tory" Party grew out of the English Civil War. Essentially reactionary, it was made up of people who wished to preserve the status quo, largely to their own advantage. The more sophisticated - and altogether more noble - "conservative" tradition emerged later between the end of the 18th and early 19th Centuries.
The major problem for the Conservative Party is, of course, that older and more cynical Tory tradition never really died, and has always remained a powerful force within the party. Unsurprisingly, when 'reforming the ill' clashed with Tory vested interests, as happened most notably under Sir Robert Peel and repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, a major party split ensued. However, for much of the Conservative Party's later history, it has proved perfectly possible to reconcile the two traditions. Consequently it has proved difficult to know which tradition actually had the upper hand and the true motives - noble or cynical - behind Conservative Party policies.
But all that was before the European Union arrived on the scene. The reason that "Europe" is such a toxic issue for the Conservative Party is that not only does it directly pit the Tory lust for power and position against the conservative, Burkean tradition in a way that no other issue can, but it has proved impossible for the party to ignore.
And, sadly, Europe has illuminated for us in bright, neon capitals that it is the cynical Tory tradition that is dominant within the Conservative Party. At every juncture, despite principled objections from true conservatives, the Tory faction has won out, with ever more sovereignty lost and national institutions ever more damaged. The consequences to the Conservative Party itself have proved nothing short of disastrous: over the last 20 years, the increasing revulsion felt by activists with the "Tory" nature of it's leadership has lead to the haemorrhaging of membership and fuelled the rise of UKIP. It can be argued that this process will lead to the Conservative Party entering a death-spiral, as the cynical and unappealing face of an ever more dominant Toryism within the party makes it less and less electable. Arguably these effects are already apparent under the Prime Ministership of the very Tory David Cameron, with his advocacy of coalition government policies such as gay marriage, the replacement of the House of Lords (not 'reform' as is so disingenuously claimed) and destruction of the Armed Forces: all policies which could never remotely be called "conservative" and profoundly alienating to much of the electorate, particularly the Conservative Party core vote.
So where does leave UKIP? If the Conservative Party is weakening and both it's activist and voting base increasingly up for grabs, where should we pitch ourselves in order to achieve our ends? Should we seek to inherit the mantle of the classical liberal right wing, become essentially libertarian in outlook, and leave the mainstream "conservative" tradition struggling within the Tory-controlled Conservative Party? The advantage of this strategy is that UKIP can be philosophically more coherent and a fount of radical new Libertarian ideas, although unlikely ever to wield power except as a minority partner in a coalition. However, by 'pissing in' rather than 'pissing out' of the Conservative Party tent, we would probably be more effective than the Conservative Party right-wing currently is in promoting Libertarian policies.
Alternatively, should we go the whole hog and seek to acquire both the classical liberal and conservative strands, destroying and replacing the Conservative Party in the process? The advantage of this option is that it would hopefully weaken the thoroughly malign Tory tradition of power at any price which has so disfigured our politics, and at the same time keep the Right of British politics united. It isn't outlandish to claim that, following a complete Conservative Party collapse, one day we may even get to form a government ourselves.
What is not in doubt is that huge opportunities are opening up for UKIP that may see us break through as a major political force and our response to them will define the future identity of our party in the decades to come.
Friday 13 July 2012
Emerging Coalition Battlegrounds
The Coalition's dysfunctionality is coming back to haunt it. The different views and ideologies of the Lib Dems and Tories are being laid bare. It is true to say that the Coalition is on the cusp of self destruction. The new battleground of the EU is a frantic attempt by Tory MP's to re-connect with their base as they can clearly see the Government is in serious trouble. The Lib Dems know that they are in for a 'real shellacking' at the polls for going against all they believe in during the first few months of the Coalition - they therefore have not much more to lose.
As it is often said 'the worst marriages are made in hell' - that is a perfect euphemism for this Coalition - made and derived in hell, unfortunately the country is suffering whilst they are bickering.
The article below highlights the splits within the government:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2172862/Now-Coalition-goes-war-Europe-Lib-Dems-scorn-Hague-promise-Brussels-audit.html
As it is often said 'the worst marriages are made in hell' - that is a perfect euphemism for this Coalition - made and derived in hell, unfortunately the country is suffering whilst they are bickering.
The article below highlights the splits within the government:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2172862/Now-Coalition-goes-war-Europe-Lib-Dems-scorn-Hague-promise-Brussels-audit.html
I had hoped that the Coalition would bring out the best in the Lib Dems; I was wrong
This is a very good article by Dan Hannan it highlights where the coalition is going wrong and that the Lib Dems are not the right partners for the Conservatives.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100169741/i-had-hoped-that-the-coalition-would-bring-out-the-best-in-the-libdems/
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100169741/i-had-hoped-that-the-coalition-would-bring-out-the-best-in-the-libdems/
EU audit does not go far enough
William Hague has launched a so-called audit into our relationship with the European Union, for which he should be applauded. But, said Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader, we must be vigilant about how it is done and the scope that it has.
Mr Farage said: "An authoritative study into the relationship between the UK and the EU is long overdue. However these plans do not go nearly far enough. It would have been perfectly simple for the Government to have taken up Lord Pearson's idea set out in his Cost Benefit Analysis Bill from last year.
"Instead it is set to create an enquiry that will report back just in time for the European elections, no doubt to tell us that everything is just fine thank you.
"I have a reasonable suspicion that this audit will be set up in such a way as to provide the answers it wants to hear, just as it has done so with the flawed Human Rights enquiry, supposedly designed to cut back on the excess of the Human Rights industry, but today reported to be planning to increase its scope."
UKIP
Mr Farage said: "An authoritative study into the relationship between the UK and the EU is long overdue. However these plans do not go nearly far enough. It would have been perfectly simple for the Government to have taken up Lord Pearson's idea set out in his Cost Benefit Analysis Bill from last year.
"Instead it is set to create an enquiry that will report back just in time for the European elections, no doubt to tell us that everything is just fine thank you.
"I have a reasonable suspicion that this audit will be set up in such a way as to provide the answers it wants to hear, just as it has done so with the flawed Human Rights enquiry, supposedly designed to cut back on the excess of the Human Rights industry, but today reported to be planning to increase its scope."
UKIP
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