The result of the Party Leadership election is clear and decisive. Never in the history of UKIP has a candidate received such a high share of the vote as Paul Nuttall did today. There will be no arguments over the result, no complaints of unfairness, that could possibly be justified or justifiable. We can immediately and swiftly move on to fighting the enemy rather than fighting ourselves. That’s the traditional way of winning battles.
When Paul says ‘unity’, he means exactly that. His appointments today demonstrate his commitment to it. This isn’t the leadership of a man who professes to believe in unity, then considers that unity is about slavish loyalty to himself; far from it. It’s about creating a collegiate team which brings together talent from across the board.
The appointment of Peter Whittle, a staunch ally of Nigel Farage as Deputy Leader, sends out a clear message that Paul will not in any way, shape or form be detracting from the legacy of Nigel Farage. The second-in-command remains as Faragista as ever
The one appointee to a very senior position from the Suzanne Evans wing of the Party will be Patrick O’Flynn MEP, who has often got quite an unfair press within UKIP. He’s got impeccable credentials and a CV which exudes experience. Paul has appointed someone from that wing of the Party as his Chief Political Advisor, but stopped short of giving one of the top roles to Suzanne Evans. Paul has indicated he intends to keep Paul Oakden on as Party Chairman, to provide a little stability at a time when much is changing. That’s vitally important.
It’s a clever, well-thought-out set of appointments from someone who’s clearly got a keen understanding of politics. If anyone just has no interest in Party unity, they’ll find ways to moan and snipe. But if they want to work together, there’s something for everyone in Paul’s top team.
I think we’ll see more of that in the days to come as the announcements are rolled out for other positions. There will be a reshuffle, and one or two surprises as people are placed into the roles appropriate for them. I’ve long said that Paul wouldn’t appoint Suzanne Evans as Deputy Leader; I’ve been proved correct. But there will, I’m sure, be some role for her.
I anticipate that there will be good roles for a number of people with support across the Party. I’ve long been one of Paul’s key allies and top supporters. He’s a close personal friend going back over a decade. So if anyone doubts Paul’s shrewdness and political savvy, just wait till you see what job he’s going to give me!
A ‘jobs for the boys’ leader would offer me a big promotion, rewarding my personal loyalty to him. Paul instinctively understands though that there is zero benefit to Party unity in giving me a good position. What would it do, but shore up support that he already has? Watch what job I actually get, and then if anyone doubts Paul’s ability to be ruthless when it’s called for, let them doubt no longer.
What will a Paul Nuttall leadership mean for the Party? Here are my top ten predictions for Paul’s leadership:
- Expect constitutional change, including regional representation on the NEC to happen over the next 6-12 months. We’re in the process of the NEC elections, and much will depend on how the new NEC functions. If it works well, we can afford for the process to take a little longer – and to make sure that we do it right.
- Expect Paul to mean what he says about ‘Day Zero’: a tolerant approach to what’s happened in the past, but expect a clampdown on those who continue to breach Party rules under his leadership. He won’t stand for anyone seeking to undermine the Party.
- Expect us to expand our focus so that we’re speaking out more on constitutional issues (English Parliament, Direct Democracy, House of Lords reform), on crime (getting tough on the blight on our working-class communities), and on extremism (ie. not opposition to Muslims or Islam, but for a robust response to issues such as forced marriage and FGM).
- Expect Paul to reconstitute the Political Committee in some form. I don’t know how obvious this will be to the wider membership, but this will be part of a broader team-based approach making sure that everyone works together.
- Expect a ‘reboot’ of the Party so that we’re more elections-focused. Paul is acutely aware that the MEPs are losing our jobs soon, and if we don’t make a significant Westminster breakthrough in 2020 we may never do.
- Expect a different leadership style, with media appearances being shared around much more under Paul’s leadership. We have a lot of talent in the Party, and Paul’s not afraid to use it.
- Expect a focus on picking up Labour votes. This isn’t about changing UKIP policies; the ones we have are easily marketable. Whereas the Conservative voters were the easiest pickings a few years ago, that’s no longer the case today. We need to ensure though that we stay true to our principles; after all, working-class Labour voters certainly prefer our principles to Corbyn’s!
- Expect Paul to spend a lot of time travelling around the country speaking to public meetings and events. He’s got a track record of doing this, having spoken at over 500 events in recent years. That’s his style, and it won’t be changing any time soon.
- Expect Paul to lead a cost-cutting drive to ensure that the central Party is on a sound financial footing, with an income that substantially exceeds necessary expenditure. We want the maximum amount of money possible available for campaigning.
- Expect, presuming Paul’s allowed to do the job he’s just been elected to do, UKIP to head upwards in the opinion polls!
Paul has the mandate, and he intends to use it. I truly hope that you’ll be on board as we write the next chapter of UKIP’s history. There is one thing that could jeopardise UKIP’s future, and that is if too many people snipe from the sidelines rather than accepting the democratic voice of the membership. We’ve seen the Remoaners jeopardise Britain’s future and place the People’s Brexit in great peril; let’s show that – even on internal matters – we’re better than them. Let’s work together, and let’s show what a united UKIP can do!
Leave a Reply
89 Comments on “Result Reflections”
Jonathan
Impressed by your engagement with so many on here – everyone except me, or so it seems!
Perhaps you don’t regard the matter as particularly relevant. I actually think it knocks everything else into almost total insignificance. It’s fundamental and should be shaping our whole policy stance; it will determine our future like nothing else.
Grateful for response.
Sorry, in my 6th, paragraph should read ‘extent’ not ‘extend’
Good to see you debating with members, Jonathan – we need a bit more of that!
Re Suzanne – yes, we must move on. Far more pressing is your statement on policy – have you seen my comment from yesterday? If you don’t wish to discuss it in public but are prepared to do so privately – please let me know.
Well, Jonathon that will be good enough for me for the moment, let’s wait and see how she performs, she might stun us all and be our star player!
With the Carswellian’s verses the Faragista’s it is very much Ying and Yang, but they seem to be on friendly terms at the present, we should follow suite.
Also, Nigel has got his new best friend at the moment: Donald, so presumably he is part of the team, let’s hope they all get along tickety boo!
In case anybody hasn’t seen them, there are some very interesting comments on Suzanne Evans towards the bottom of the page.
Labour Party panicking.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/30/ukip-leader-paul-nuttall-is-game-changer-for-labour-says-frank-field
Yes, I have seen this and Frank Field has been saying this for some time but Labour are not listening or just hoping we will go away, no chance of that! All the more reason to stick while the iron is hot, before they start to get their act together.
What has happened to Corbyn recently he has been very quiet, is he still in mourning for Castro or has he gone into hibernation? I wonder if he has noticed that we have got a new leader, or thinks that Diane is still in charge.
Sorry, having real trouble today must be the cold weather, meant strike not stick. But I would like to take a big stick to Labour, having said that I quite like Frank Field for not giving up on squeezing that fat, greedy, money grabbing Philip Green.
Obviously here I meant ‘hens teeth’, silly mistake but I think you will get the gist of my statement.
Suzanne Evans has been given a major role in policy making, that’s it for me folks, we won the referendum, but now I see UKIP as becoming no different to the parties already in parliament, I am putting my time and energies back into my business life.
Steve,
OK.
Hope you still have a business to run if we don’t come out the EU.
Means I have to await joining for a bit longer until I see those policies. There are millions of us out there who voted to leave the EU. UKIP needs to attract us to grow; the present level of membership is pathetic for the party that forced the referendum.
I can’t stay in the party now either. As a committed member and activist who worked hard, donated as I could. Leafleted, blogged. I feel betrayed.. I have to work for something I can believe in and I can’t believe in plotters..and self centered careerists. UKIP no longer cares about its members as it should IMO.
Looking thru Nuttall’s selection for 1st team appointments, it’s struck me how – apart from Batten – lacking in real quality players UKIP’s senior echelon is now. A priority of Nuttall’s captaincy must be to bring new serious level national talent through from the lower echelons ASAP.
Dee,
Paul has spoken out about Sharia law, well he did at the hustings but I agree he does need to keep mentioning it. In fact, like you say it threatens our way of life much more than retaining our ‘Englishness’ against the Scots. It seems to me that the all the Scots get lumped in with the SNP, it is them who are racist against the English but let’s not get like them and become racist against all Scots. There are much more recognizable forces out to destroy all our heritage and culture.
CK, I have read your words and also from Dee with agreement and appreciation of your understanding of what is happenning to the UK. I’ve also put in my own occasional comment over the last few weeks. I hoped that UKIP would look at Trump’s victory and believe that they could forge ahead by telling it like it is.
Unfortunately with a team that comprises O’Flynn and Evans and with Carswell in the background. I don’t think that will happen but I may be wrong, time will tell.
Anyway CK and Dee keep up the good fight.
Dee,
I live in London and hate to think that the battle may be lost but alas, I think you may be right. But having said that we all seem to bump along together at the moment, but if you look into the future things may not be so good. Therefore, it would be better for the whole country to stick together and try to unite against anything thrown at us, but it seems to be that indigenous Britons are under threat and becoming an endangered species.
Dee,
I could not agree more. We need to keep the pressure up to save our country from the invader.
Here here Panmelia, talk about stabbing the poor man in the back before he has had chance to do anything, and then they complain about all the bitching that goes on. It reminds me of playground antics, no wonder some members get fed up and leave, these moaners make it such hard work and we already have the ‘remoaners’ to cope with.
Dee,
I am not saying we all have to agree, but does it have to be so negative? Paul was only voted in yesterday and seems to be getting a lot of flak already, are the people knocking him saying they could do better. In UKIP at the moment we have to make the best of the talent we have, I don’t think people realize how close to the wire we actually are.
In that case, on point 9, I think there are things you’re clearly unaware of. Nothing more I can reasonably say in the public domain.
Your point was based on secret information you are unwilling to share? Thanks for the tip.I have the accounts issued at conference in front of me. Certain headings are not itemised so I have to guess. Is it Nigel’s security costs and that fact that he refuses to change to a cheaper company perhaps? Or is it the Chairman’s salary?
Stout,
Have you any idea how much the Chairman earns? I have heard it is quite a large figure.
Well said !
I see Mike Hookem has been made the Fisheries spokesperson, is that because he has a brilliant left hook?
CK before you put all your Trump winnings on Le Pen is it worth considering that her opposition is now far more formidable than it was? I still think UKIP should support FN, but I think Marine has a harder task than she had. However, she does have huge support among the French youth, as I understand it.
I posted my plea for Sharia opposition before your post came up – I hope we aren’t whistling in the wind.
The destruction of the EU should indeed be a prime objective of UKIP; only that will ensure that some corrupt future government can not take us back in.
You say that I ‘dislike’ the 5 Star Movement. I get on very well with our 5 Star Movement colleagues in the European Parliament, and work with them on committees to raise EU waste etc.
But their philosophy is different to ours, and very different indeed to yours.
Their success is based upon a social-democrat, progressive, centre-left brand of euroscepticism. I’ve always said that UKIP shouldn’t seek to emulate that, and I stand by it.
I responded to a question which asked about whether UKIP should become more like the 5 Star Movement.
The answer to that was a resounding NO, for policy reasons.
Please don’t twist that into suggesting I hate them, or the positives they’ve achieved. I just don’t want UKIP to become them.
I don’t recall saying anything in public about my opinions of Marine Le Pen’s chance of winning the Presidency so I’m not sure how I can already be wrong about that…
I would like to see the deselection of Carswell and the sacking of Hamilton neither of them are UKIP they are just professional politicians. Evans can also be given an ultimatum, toe the party line or ship out
Without coming to any verdict about Carswell, your point about being good with constituent complaints is irrelevant. MPs of all views can be good at that! It keeps them in office and does not go to what they stand for nationally. You can be ‘good at politics’ as anything from communist internationalist to ultra nationalist.
Mike,
I have an idea why don’t we just cut off our only lifeboat to Westminster and deselect Carswell, that’s going to help solve all our problems, whilst we are at it we can ask all our MEP’s to resign from the EU because we don’t like that either. I don’t know why no one else has thought of that, we would be onto a winner!
I did not suggest any of that! Only that working for constituents does not tell you what people stand for politically and whether it’s any help. That is a different judgement.
Mike,
Sorry, got you mixed up with Ken above who wants to deselect Carswell and sack Hamilton because they are professional politicians? Do you understand that because I don’t, surely some constituents should have some understanding of where their MP’s are coming from politically? In Carswell’s case they must know he defected to UKIP and have some inkling why he decided to do it or what UKIP stands for.
Suzanne Evans did not write the manifesto. It was written by Mark Quinlan with sections by MEPs. Evans acted as compositor.
Ken,
Sorry to get ‘nit picking’ but don’t we need professional politicians, would you rather we had unprofessional politicians like the other parties?
Glad to hear you welcome Paul’s leadership, Toby!
But I suspect we’re actually in agreement, though you seem to have a different perception of my tone than I do. When I say we must be more ‘election focussed’ actually I’m referring to the central, professional Party. It’s been so focused on fighting each other instead of fighting our enemies – there should be more support provided to the branches on the ground.
Much to be said on both sides of this and I don’t want to spend all day arguing backwards and forwards on it. Paul may not even propose it. I was at Bournemouth, but unfortunately had to leave before the motions.
The one point I would make is that ‘regional’ doesn’t necessarily mean we have to stick to the EU’s regional boundaries…and that might help answer the question about different region sizes.
Jonathon, thank you for the insight. I certainly wish Paul and the Party well even though I didn’t vote for him. But I am a democrat so no issue there. I have a question though.
Your point 4 above mentioned the possibility of reconstituting a political committee which ‘may not be obvious to the wider membership’. If so I suggest that would be a great pity because there is much wisdom expressed here and I for one would be more impressed, knowing that it was being heard by the leadership group.
Will you encourage Paul to follow this site?
I fully agree with this, at last we have the new leader most of us wanted from the day Nigel resigned.
I hope we all climb back on board and get on with winning now, especially those who voted for other candidates.
Congratulations Paul and thank you.
icini
I second everything you have said, and it is such a relief that we now have Paul in the post he should have been in from the beginning, phew! we got there in the end.
But Jonathon I am curious as to what role you will be playing in Paul’s new team,are you going to be appointed our shadow Ambassador to the USA by any chance or possibly Cuba? Only joking obviously.
Nothing quite so fun. I’m being sent to Siberia ?
Jonathon,
Oooh, poor you but is’nt the system there a bit similar to the EU, like the Gulags who were mostly likely run by the KGB?
The question isn’t to do with rules or lack of them, it’s about evidence. Complaints must be backed up with proof.
(And indeed, wasn’t Suzanne Evans suspended for 6 months due to an earlier incident?)
I think perhaps there’s work to be done on the procedures, but if you want to change disciplinaries in a fundamental way…well, you need constitutional change (see my comment to another of your posts).