Lord Pearson of Rannoch, the new UKIP leader, says he suggested a deal to the Conservatives, offering not to stand UKIP candidates (if you believe Nigel Farage) or to disband the party (if you believe Lord Pearson) if we offered a referendum on Lisbon. UKIP do seem to like doing backroom deals with other parties – I seem to remember a rumour that they had approached the BNP at one point as well.
So a few questions, first of all. Lord Pearson was not leader at the time so what was he doing – did he tell any of the members he was canvassing support from about this offer? If I know anything about UKIP members (as opposed to voters) it’s that they loathe the Conservative party.
Then why do the ex-leader and the current leader disagree over what was offered – surely a sign of problems to come? Politics requires its politicians to be precise about what they are offering – free beer for all could win you an election but it will bankrupt you if you don’t understand how to pay for it.
And finally, in whose world does voting on something we can’t do anything about do anyone any good? It’s as much use as voting to stop the tides.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this is that the Tories were absolutely straightforward in rejecting the offer. Reading Lord Pearson’s protestations about how the “political class” have abandoned ordinary voters, his willingness to sell out his party and their only real policy, and to take such an anti-democratic action are quite bizarre.
I was pleased to read Mark Francois’ response: we don’t do backroom deals on policy, we decide our policies on the basis of what is best for the country. Excellent. This is what I work in politics for – arguing the case for what we believe in, and having the courage to allow people to vote on it.
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It is slightly ironic that a Party which makes such a play about its love of democracy and the lack of democracy in the EU has elected as its leader somebody who hasn’t been elected to anything in his life. Particularly ironic since they have 13 MEPs!
This is an interesting LibCon piece:
http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2009/11/28/the-divine-mission-of-ukips-new-leader/
Frankly David it’s rather good to have a nobody who isn’t lobby fodder for the whips. There might be some chance of independent thinking. The Tories are in no position to question anyone’s democratic credentials. Were it not for first past the post (a system which disenfranchises most voters), they would not have the slightest chance of forming the next Government.