What is UKIP all about? That, apparently, is what some people commenting on this site are asking.
So UKIP Daily did some digging and, thanks to our reader Elizabeth Curzon-Howe, found a message from our leader Gerard Batten which appears on the party website under about. It says:
Dear Enquirer,
Thank you for visiting our website.
The political and media establishment hoped that UKIP would disappear in February 2018. It didn’t.
In fact, since then our support, membership and fundraising has been increasing.
UKIP is the only real opposition to our cross-party political establishment. There is no real difference between the Conservative, Labour and Lib-Dem parties.
They all want continued membership of the European Union, they all want continued mass immigration, and they are all out of touch with the vast majority of voters.
If you go on voting for them then you cannot expect any different outcomes.
If you want something different then support, join and vote UKIP.
Under my leadership UKIP will be the party that represents freedom:
- Freedom from the Euro-collective.
- Freedom from political correctness and Cultural Marxism.
- Freedom of speech.
- Freedom to be proud to be British.
- Freedom to be proud of our history and heritage.
- Freedom to live under our laws – not the laws of Brussels.
UKIP’s mission is to show the way forward for Britain as an independent, self-governing, democratic nation.
We want trade, friendship and co-operation with the world.
We want a political system and government that represents the real interests of our country and our people.
Come and join us – help make it happen.
This message is to non-Kippers, but to me, that is a straightforward, honest summary of what the party is all about.
Of course, the party has had its ups and downs – what party hasn’t, and after the referendum of 2016, voters gained the impression that the referendum had been won and we were heading out of the EU.
How wrong they were!
Since then we have seen concession after concession handed to the EU by the Prime Minister Theresa May, the latest being the clever wording of the Chequers plan that actually says we’re happy to continue being ruled by the European Court of Human Rights. I am no lawyer – I don’t understand such things, but apparently, legal minds have indicated that’s what it really means.
Not surprising really – Theresa May was always a Remainer and if she can pull the wool over the eyes of the majority of British people about this, I’m sure she will. Lucky there are some powerful people who DO know what they’re talking about and they have advised we don’t touch this with a barge pole.
Lucky, too, that we have Michel Barnier – what am I saying?!!! -– because he has rejected the agreement. What a stupid man he is! If only he would make a few concessions he could have a great agreement with the British government, but as long as he keeps saying ‘Non’, we have a chance of making clean break and going to WTO rules.
It’s such a pity that there are so many voters who think we simply won’t survive without the EU. What do they think will happen? The latest installment of Project Fear is alive and well with talk of food and medicine shortages, of queues at the Channel ports and of the UK being ‘unable to cope’ without being shackled to the EU. What absolute nonsense!
We Brits managed extremely well in two World Wars, the last one against the old enemy that was taking over Europe. We had shortages, of course, but did we go under? Did we buckle under the pressure that was brought to bear from Europe? The hell we did! And we won’t again.
I have little doubt that things will be difficult for a time if we leave the bloc without a deal but the British are a resilient people; we’ve coped with much worse during WWII and we’ll cope again, and after a while things will settle down and be very much better once we don’t have to pay such exorbitant sums to an organisation that lays down the rules under which we trade with the rest of the world.
We’ll save ourselves a lot of money, although I have to disagree with those who claim we have promised £350million a week to the NHS. If you read the ‘Boris bus’ carefully it says: ‘We send the EU £350 million a week. Let’s fund the NHS instead.’ It’s a suggestion – and a good one, but it’s not a promise.
As Gerard says above, once we have left the EU we will be free from the Euro-collective, free from political correctness and free from Cultural Marxism. We will be free to speak our minds – Heaven knows we can’t do that at the moment for fear of offending any ‘snowflakes’. We will be free to live under our own laws, having rejected the laws of Brussels, we will be free to be proud of our history and heritage instead of having such heritage subsumed into the great European project, and, best of all, we will be free to be proud to be British.
For me, that’s the best freedom.
“What works”. Blair had the phrase right, only problem was there was a tendency to will all sorts of “ends” without doing the necessary due diligence research. So it was out with the past and in with “Cool Britannia” Away with Nostalgia, History and all the jazz, He forgot that one had to know where one had been in the past, to have a clue where one was going. a instituted brind shiny new course had worked in the past was not considered, deliberately so. Spend, Spend, Spend, is the way to cheer the gullible voters up, it doesnt matter… Read more »
In 2013 I was one of 10 UKIP County Councillors.
In 2017, following the 2016 referendum to leave the Political European Union Organisation, we all lost our seats because it was a ‘fait accompli’.
Now we must promote the benefit of our planned Brexit deal.
The closeness, or otherwise, of our aims, will only materialise come March 2019
There is a much easier way to approach this and that is simply the way I’ve been answering questions about UKIP and it’s political ideology. No-one really understands us, but, ignoring the technical comments made by some about ‘libertarian’, I’ve effectively narrowed it down to one, very simple thing: “UKIP will do what is best for the UK and it’s people” Taken to a local level this becomes “UKIP will do what’s best for the town/city and it’s people”. This is because we don’t have any fixed ideology, we are practical and pragmatic. Some services/industries are probably, for this country,… Read more »
There is a notion out there that UKIP is somehow a ‘far-right’ party.
Here’s a simple little test for those who are unsure, the Political Compass ‘test’:
https://www.politicalcompass.org/test
I answered the questions as honestly as I can, and apparently I am a “Left Libertarian”
Perhaps the actual political spectrum has been so perverted (or inverted?) that I am possibly now a ‘Far-Right Nazi’.
Would be nice to hear how fellow commenters fare on this!
(PS I must recall a quote from the comedy series “Father Ted”:
“Funny, how you get more right wing as you get older…”
?
Me too, although not significantly far from centre. Some of the choices definitely required “I couldn’t care less”, and more choices in answer would have been better.
I have to admit that on my first visit to the ‘new’ UKIP website, that message from Gerard Batten resonated so much, as I agreed completely with what it said. In particular: “UKIP is the only real opposition to our cross-party political establishment. There is no real difference between the Conservative, Labour and Lib-Dem parties. They all want continued membership of the European Union, they all want continued mass immigration, and they are all out of touch with the vast majority of voters.” This is the thing: a “democracy” works by making decisions based on an outcome decided by a… Read more »
One thing that now bothers me is the word British. Yes I know what it once meant but since Blair dished out British passports like throwing confetti at weddings to me it has lost its meaning. How many times have there been rapes , atrocities, murders and the perpertrator are described as British. Theresa May keeps on about British values, as did call me Dave before her yet seemed to re write the rules on what British meant. The right to be Britsh needs to be revisited. We have proud Scots, proud Welsh , proud Irish, about time English was… Read more »
An English Parliament will re-install a bit of English pride.
That’s what they’re scared of.
“The right to be British needs to be revisited.” Indeed it does; too many passports have dished out where at best ILR would have been appropriate and more generally a work permit.
Neither would have suited an immigrant relying on benefits and the so-called “asylum seekers” (aka “illegal immigrants”) should have been assisted, if necessary, in their home countries.
I don’t know whether it’s a North/South thing but the idea that Suzanne Evans talks sense is quite remarkable. Yes she does, as a Lib Dem. But for UKIP? No way. Well not around here anyway. Up here we are very pleased to support Gerrard’s efforts, applaud the likes of PJW and other social media heavyweights getting behind him to support UKIP, and even more pleased to see him having the courage to confront issues that don’t seem to please some of the writers here, Tommy Robinson, case in point, and the harsh realities of the islamic culture (esp. Saudi… Read more »
I totally agree.
Too many posters talk of war and fighting for survival but when one man puts himself on the line for good over evil, they hide behind their curtains hoping he’ll go away.
It’s down to UKIP to ensure that not just members but the rest of the population understand what Common Purpose is and why it must be driven out like banging suacepans to drive the evil spirits form the orchard at Wassail.
Couldn’t agree more, this is really really important and needs exposing big time.
It does indeed, but 5.5 million work in the public services and apparently have no idea what we are talking about, yet they are exposed to and managed by it every working day, yet it make no comment, even when it’s obvious that it has reached the very top of organisations and politics. Presumably the same people still support the BBC/SKY while reading the msm.
There are right wingers working in the public sector, but they can’t make any public comments if they want to keep their jobs.
I agree with you, Alan, and support Gerard, In ALL he is doing.
Suzanne Evans… in her leadership blurb (2016) “I can reach out to women ,to ethnic minorities”.
How patronising to women, and why pander to any race ?
If Suzanne Evens becomes leader , I’m off.
Off? Me too.
I consider one important function of UKIP is to challenge abuse of power by the Establishment. By Establishment I mean all the other parties, MSM, legal establishment etc who are all in cahoots against anyone who doesn’t conform their agenda.
The Tommy Robinson victory is a symbol of this.
Here’s a winner.
https://youtu.be/u3a4r_2cA4w
Bryan, Your opinion or feelings here I presume. Didn’t you comment to me ‘best to leave your own feelings out of it’. I am not going to rise to the bait and comment any further on your postings. I sense it is a waste of time doing so
The YouTube video is of Tommy Robinson seeing his kids for the first time since his political conviction was quashed.
It’s about them, their sacrifice and their feelings.
OK – up to a point. But we need to be a party that is fit for government and that means we need policies that cover all that is necessary for a government do. Note the use of the word “necessary”; present government and others before it insist on getting involved in much that should not concern them. I know that I keep going on about this but it should all start with setting out our core values; brief statements about what we stand for in respect of all matters that we need to be involved in as a government.… Read more »
“I have little doubt that things will be difficult for a time if we leave the bloc without a deal”. Why, Debbie? Exports are 30% of GDP; 70% is generated internally. Only 12% of GDP is exports to the EU. If there is no trade agreement they will charge us tariffs averaging about 3% on that 12%, so well under 1% of GDP. That’s rounding error in the national accounts. And because they sell us more than we sell them, we will anyway ‘earn’ more in tariffs than we pay them. I think hardly anyone will even notice it if… Read more »
I can think of transport difficulties, but these could surely have been sorted if there had been goodwill on the sides of the EU and our Govt. However all difficulties pale into insignificance by comparison with the consequences of staying in the EU: colossal financial liabilities for each and every one of us when the EU and its banks and currency collapse: being engulfed by the humungeous Merkel-driven migrant crisis on the Continent ; plus the fact that full integration will go full steam ahead. Many Remainers who are afraid of leaving are going to get some very rude shocks… Read more »
Things might be difficult because the EU will throw every difficulty in our path. For instance, they could forbid Europeans to sell to us, threatening them with all manner of penalties if they do, and for a while, the European companies might do as they’re told. But eventually big business will get together and demand the bloc allows trade with the UK. Cars, food, even holidays could be restricted, but they won’t be for long.
Add to that Keith…… We currently pay a membership fee that equates to about 5% on every item we sell into the EU, plus we also pay them VAT (some of which comes back) and we pay the common external tariff to them on everything that comes in from outside the EU….. This raises the costs on everything! One estimate put the reduction in the cost of everyday living items at about 10%
If you want something different ? How about a Commonwealth of European Nations?. Joint projects are fine. No bosses needed.The Queen has more brains than the rest of us put together
How about a European Common Market minus the European project. Not the one Ted Heath told us we were supposed to be joining but a genuine Common Market. The sanctity of the nation state would be upheld, free trade would be the norm with the only main losers being the career political elites, NGOs, the globalists, the EU bureaucrats and the corporations?
Debbie. At the present moment UKIP seems to be about Tommy Robinson. The UKIP ‘For the Nation’ needs to be changed to “for Tommy Robinson and Free Speech”… Perhaps UKIP is saving the ‘for the nation’ messages for the September 2018 UKIP Conference. Regarding the UKIP news site, I am put off by the first page. Whilst I appreciate that work is being carried out behind the scenes it is the headlines that attract readers. I am generally not attracted by UKI P headlines. I would like to see IKIP as a serious British Political Party. The continual promotion of… Read more »
Hi David You will see from today’s news review that Tommy Robinson is not mentioned in the papers except for the Guardian’s comment that the party has ‘close links’ with Tommy. This is the Guardian FHS! Don’t believe everything – anything – you read in the Guardian. The party believes in free speech; that’s why it has been associated with Tommy – because he is being barred from speaking. Surely that’s not right. I’m not condoning what he did or didn’t do; it’s up to the courts to make a decision on that but even the judge said, when he… Read more »
Yes Debbie that statement regarding “undue haste” by the judge is very telling, probably as close as he could go to not pointing out the prejudice but implying it for those prepared to read between the lines.
I
m surprised (irony) the MSM havent taken the hint!David Turgoose needn’t worry. The only people at the top of UKIP who will speak about Tommy Robinson are Gerard Batten and Lord Pearson. Gerard said when he accepted the leadership that would do it for a year, because next March he will be 65 and get his EU pension. No-one knows whether he will stay after that. Failing the sudden rise of someone now unknown, UKIP’s next leader won’t want to speak about Tommy Robinson. He/she might even agree with Suzanne Evans that Tommy is “a nasty thug and a grandstanding idiot”:
https://twitter.com/SuzanneEvans1/status/1025124467893252096
Honest question.
What has Suzanne Evans ever done for UKIP ?
She speaks sense for starters…………….Ok, she may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I think she would make a great leader of UKIP and would make us more attractive to a wider section of the populace.
Hello Colin, “She speaks sense for starters”…..meaning you sway towards the Carswell liberal wet Tory version of life and so does Suzanne. I thank her for her efforts but I do wonder if we really need her Toryish manner. I’ve met Suzanne a few times and she is a nice pleasant lady who was cut loose by Merton Conservtives and saw UKIP as her only chance of staying in politics. Suzanne’s typically pompous offering on unsocial meeja was to agree with Tom Newton Dunn, son of LibDems wannabe MP and ex LibDems MEP William. Brexit bashing Tom says Brexit will… Read more »
Bryan, do you have to be so insulting. I am neither Liberal in any way shape or form or Conservative Nor am I wet. I did say in my earlier comment that Suzanne Evans wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea, and obviously not yours. Despite what you say she is nobody’ fool and is an intelligent and shrewd woman with a warm disposition. If she was a true conservative she would have gone back to that party and probably welcomed with open arms and be at least half way to becoming an MP. She has however stuck with UKIP through thick… Read more »
You’re a grown man discussing the evils of politics on a comments forum.
Best to leave your feelings out of it.
“If she was a true conservative she would have gone back to that party and probably welcomed with open arms and be at least half way to becoming an MP”.
Are there any “true conservatives” in the Conservatives.
Other than their own troughing and German control of the UK via the EU, what are they conserving ?
She was co-author of the 2015 and 2017 manifestos.
And yes Bryan, that is another thing that Keith has pointed out, she authored the 2015 and 2017 UKIP manifesto. So Bryan stop insulting the rest of us and get with it.
Did she put the bad bits in ?
Er…Evans didn’t say he was a thug, it was Tom Newton Dunn, unless I need new Specsavers.
The first words in reply to Dunn’s tweet was “I agree”.
Suzanne agrees with the EU sycophant that TR is a thug.
She said she agreed with what Tom Newton Dunn said. Here she is in March calling Tommy Robinson a thug in her own words:
https://twitter.com/SuzanneEvans1/status/974299124647514112
Reading the comments after Suzanne called TR a thug, she’s an upopular liability that will cost UKIP votes.
“Anyone that supports TR shouldn’t be in UKIP??”
Suzanne represents no one but herself. Unelected, unaccountable and unbelievable.
Suzanne Evans: “He’s a thug. If they did interview him, he would be hoist by his own petard.” I would love to see her debating Tommy. But of course she won’t, because she knows the ‘thug’ would show her up to be a bigoted, ill-informed snob.
The perception by non party members is that UKIP is a single issue party: independence from the EU. Other political parties have an underpinning ideology to which people identify and show allegiance. It may be that UKIP needs to have some form of “ideology” to take on the existing parties and to attract people to join or just vote for UKIP. The “ideology” could equally be UKIP a party devoid of ideology as an attractive unique selling point.
UKIP was in substance a single issue group with a few bits tacked on to make it look like a party and not a protest campaign. But it can’t survive any more like that and Gerard Batten is turning it into a party.
Ask any conservative that I know, why do they still vote for Tories? Identify and show allegiance? NO! They look at me as if I’m nuts. “We gotta keep Labour out!” is all they say.
John
Perhaps the mini-manifesto might provide the over due ideology. Personally I do not like the term ideology, it is the left and right who generally have ideology. Perhaps changing UKIP’s comment ‘for the nation” might be replaced by “Believes in the Nation”.
The long term aim is to create a United Kingdom that believes “liberty equality and fraternity”.
As a member of the EU the French have lost their belief in “liberty equality and fraternity”. Greece comes to mind as there appears to be no fraternity between the French people with the Greek people.
D.Turgoose
UKIP has an ideology, it is called Libertarianism, please read the constitution!!!! It amazes me that people don’t know this! The constitution is very specific on this point.
Yes that is correct but other parties will use “libertarianism” as part of their ideologies. UKIP has to differentiate itself in a more concise way.
Don’t ever forget that Islam is an Ideology. Ukip is as far from Ideology as those Remainders residing on Planet Zog are from understanding. Brexit! Gerard is doing a stifling job, I and many others are frustrated that UKIPs new policies are far from coming, but, we will get there, not long now. As for Tommy, so glad he’s home. 3 stone in weight in 8 weeks lost, mental torture. Concwntration camps are long gone (or are they). Support Ukip, democracy, British valid and life and Tommy, where could we go wrong??