UKIP is emerging as a genuinely libertarian force with a party leader who makes me want to cheer when I watch him skewer the EU in the Brussels Parliament. But in the domestic political arena, they have the potential to set back the Eurosceptic cause. As John Redwood remarks:
Sensible Eurosceptics will understand that we can achieve nothing in sorting out the relationship between London and Brussels unless we have a majority in the House of Commons. The hard facts of political arithmetic are very simple. UKIP is not about to win seats at Westminster. All it does is aid and abet the federalist cause by opposing good Eurosceptic Conservatives. If it really wished to be positive, it could use its base and support to help Eurosceptic Conservative candidates and to put its best and fiercest critics of this Government’s federalism into opposing high profile Labour and Lib Dem figures in seats they currently hold with a big majority.
3 comments:
Mr. Redwood is yesterday's man. A so-called EU-sceptic who sits on the fence. UKIP takes votes from all parties, not just the Conservatives. We get the ire of Tories because some of our policies are those once championed by them. What would Mr. Redwood have us do? Give up? And the domestic agenda IS influenced by what happens in the EU. From council tax to NHS `reforms' to id cards, they all require a legislative base. Where do you think our laws are REALLY formed now? It suits the media and the big parties to think domestic issues and `Europe' are two different things. That is why we must press on...
I agree with a lot of that. Redwood is talking about splitting the Eurosceptic vote by standing against Eusceptic Tories. I think UKIP might do better concentrating on a few key seat where the sitting MP is Europhilliac.
I'd certainly vote UKIP myself under such circumstances.
Yeah right, Mr. Redwood.
UKIP should betray their principles by backing various Tories who claim to be Eurosceptics, that is until they win; and then wee Dave tells them to get with the project and it turns out they agree with the CFP and stay in the EPP and so on and so on.
Don't you understand, Mr. Redwood? This is why the Tories are losing all their core voters, and this is the whole reason for the existence of UKIP in the first place.
If the Tories want to win they have to do what people want.
Just talking, and then behaving just like all the rest, doesn't work any more.
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