MEP welcomes U-turn from "shambolic" UKIP
Deputy Leader of the Labour MEPs, Richard Corbett, has commented on UKIP's decision to stand against anti-EU Conservatives at the next election, as yet another U-turn by the Eurosceptic party left them fighting off claims they are in disarray.
In his leadership campaign, Nigel Farage originally promised UKIP would not stand against any Conservative who had joined the anti-EU "Better Off Out" campaign but he has now reversed his decision, revealing that only currently elected MPs will avoid facing a UKIP candidate.
Richard said: “This is just another example of the arbitrary nature of UKIP politics, with policy decided on the hoof, presumably on the whim of Mr Farage. But it has a further consequence: Tory MPs who pander to hard-line Eurosceptics in the hope of dissuading UKIP from putting up candidates against them in the next election are set to be disappointed.
“Rather, they will need to stand up to UKIP and demolish their arguments. But don't count on it: many of them have spent so long parroting UKIP that they wouldn't know how to put a reasonable, fact-based argument together!"
Richard added: “UKIP remain in a shambolic state. Any pretence they have of being a serious party are repeatedly hindered by public spats and embarrassing revelations. In the past month alone an entire constituency in Dorset has resigned from UKIP, with the party's membership dropping to just 16,000 nationwide. But with their access to massive funding, they remain capable of doing serious damage to the Tories who, because of their own divisions on Europe, do not know how to respond."
- Nigel Farage confirmed UKIP would stand against "Better Off Out" Conservatives when speaking to Iain Dale on 18Doughty St. For more information visit http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2006/11/ukip-will-stand-against-better-off-out.html
- Richard is a Labour MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber and has previously published 25 Things You Didn't Know When You Voted UKIP.
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© 2003-2006 Richard Corbett MEP