Sunday, March 26, 2017
Has UKIP finally self-destructed?
The decision by UKIP’s only member of parliament, Douglas Carswell, to quit his party to become an independent MP has been a long-time coming.
As the Guardian reports, Carswell, who defected from the Conservative party to UKIP in August 2014, said he was leaving “amicably, cheerfully and in the knowledge that we won”:
He said he would not be standing down before the next general election, and claimed there was no need for a byelection because he was not joining another party. UKIP, he added, had achieved its founding aims with the vote to leave the EU. “After 24 years, we have done it. Brexit is in good hands,” he said.
Shortly after the announcement on Saturday, the Ukip leader, Paul Nuttall, said the party had not “benefited financially or organisationally from having Douglas in Westminster”.
“With this in mind, his departure will make no difference to my ability or focus on delivering the reforms I promised when elected as leader,” he said.
I am particularly intrigued as to where this leaves UKIP AM, Mark Reckless. As the Welsh Assembly's website points out, Reckless declares amongst his interests that he is a 'Part-time Director (not a company director) and Company Secretary, UKIP Parliamentary Resource Unit Limited (SO 4.3 - Band 2 - Between 5 hours and 20 hours per week). Company in receipt of House of Commons 'short money'.
I guess that is going to go by the board now. But where does this leave UKIP? Well on the BBC day-in-day-out it seems. Even when they have no MPs the British Broadcasting Corporations obsession with this quasi-racist party continues unabated.
It is too early to predict the demise of UKIP, but really, what are they for any more? They have taken us to the edge of the abyss with no idea what to do next. They no longer have any representation in the House of Commons, donors are deserting them and once we come out of the EU a major source of income will be denied to them.
Polls suggest the party has lost around a third of its support since the EU referendum, while it has performed worse than expected at recent by-elections.
In the Telegraph, Carswell is quoted as suggesting that there is no longer any need for UKIP to exist. His resignation from the party, has provoked a furious reaction from the party leader, whilst Nigel Farage suggested that the MP jumped before he was pushed.
It is clear that UKIP are more interested in fighting amongst themselves than in serving the electorate.
As the Guardian reports, Carswell, who defected from the Conservative party to UKIP in August 2014, said he was leaving “amicably, cheerfully and in the knowledge that we won”:
He said he would not be standing down before the next general election, and claimed there was no need for a byelection because he was not joining another party. UKIP, he added, had achieved its founding aims with the vote to leave the EU. “After 24 years, we have done it. Brexit is in good hands,” he said.
Shortly after the announcement on Saturday, the Ukip leader, Paul Nuttall, said the party had not “benefited financially or organisationally from having Douglas in Westminster”.
“With this in mind, his departure will make no difference to my ability or focus on delivering the reforms I promised when elected as leader,” he said.
I am particularly intrigued as to where this leaves UKIP AM, Mark Reckless. As the Welsh Assembly's website points out, Reckless declares amongst his interests that he is a 'Part-time Director (not a company director) and Company Secretary, UKIP Parliamentary Resource Unit Limited (SO 4.3 - Band 2 - Between 5 hours and 20 hours per week). Company in receipt of House of Commons 'short money'.
I guess that is going to go by the board now. But where does this leave UKIP? Well on the BBC day-in-day-out it seems. Even when they have no MPs the British Broadcasting Corporations obsession with this quasi-racist party continues unabated.
It is too early to predict the demise of UKIP, but really, what are they for any more? They have taken us to the edge of the abyss with no idea what to do next. They no longer have any representation in the House of Commons, donors are deserting them and once we come out of the EU a major source of income will be denied to them.
Polls suggest the party has lost around a third of its support since the EU referendum, while it has performed worse than expected at recent by-elections.
In the Telegraph, Carswell is quoted as suggesting that there is no longer any need for UKIP to exist. His resignation from the party, has provoked a furious reaction from the party leader, whilst Nigel Farage suggested that the MP jumped before he was pushed.
It is clear that UKIP are more interested in fighting amongst themselves than in serving the electorate.
