Being there…………….

Yesterday, UKIP held the first of it’s leadership hustings. The location (above) was the Best Western Hotel, Blundells Road, Tiverton, Devon EX16 4DB (Tel: 01884 256120).
It is a two and a half hour drive from where I live to Tiverton. I decided to do “the green thing” and drove to Carbis Bay and went in the car of the UKIP’s constituency chairman. We arrived in good time. About a quarter of an hour after the meeting started (7:30PM), the mailserver I use received the following email:
[START]Dear member,
The final deadlines for the lodging and withdrawing of application papers have now passed.
The party now has nominations for the following five candidates:
Richard Braine
Mike Hookem
Freddy Vachha
Ben Walker
Helena Windsor
Each application to go on the ballot is subject to vetting and NEC approval, a process that will be completed over the weekend.
Kind regards,
Piers Wauchope
Returning Officer[END]
Of these five, three (Richard Braine, Ben Walker & Helena Windsor) were present at the start of the meeting. Mike Hookem was absent and sent his apologies and the chairman of the meeting (Tony McIntyre) read out a statement on his behalf. Freddy Vachha turned up late due to the need to serve his papers so he could contest the election.
All the candidates spoke of the need of UKIP members to continue campaigning. It was reassuring to hear Richard Braine realistically opine on UKIPs prospects of success [relative lack of] in London. All claimed that they could assist the party to improve it’s performance.
The meeting itself was not so well attended as a previous hustings held at the same venue for the leadership election which had seen Mr Bolton elected as UKIP’s leader.
All the candidates gave an account of their “cv” as well as what they would seek to do and achieve were they the leader.
Of the four attendees, Freddy Vachha and Helena Windsor addressed the issue of “climate change” and the current political establishment’s fetish regarding CO2. Happily, both were scientists and approached the subject from a sensible direction – which would have of course such as Ms Lucas label them as “deniers!”
At this point of course, readers will ask: “Which of the candidates receive the BG’s endorsement?”
Well of course, it has to be said, that given the BG’s longstanding and consistent support for Flexcit (http://www.eureferendum.com/documents/flexcit.pdf) and Doctor Richard North, none of the candidates would seek or want this organ’s endorsement! They would probably regard such as the “kiss of death”!
The plain simple FACT of the matter is that given UKIP’s reduced visibility and lack of support from the voters UKIP is at present more an observer of events that a participant. That is not however to say that UKIP has no role or value. It HAS. The most important things that UKIP can do is to stay in existence and to continue to function as an active political party. This of course means contesting elections.
The elections UKIP’s new leader should concentrate on are the May 2020 local elections (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_Kingdom_local_elections).
Of course, in the ten months between now and then MUCH will happen!
The UK could have a general election and/or a second referendum on “Brexit”.
Unless the new PM or Parliament decide to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK will leave without a deal on Halloween UNLESS Article 50 is revoked or an extension under the same is granted (by the EU) for the purposes of a general election and/or a second referendum.
IF this organ’s pessimism regarding a “no deal Brexit” are borne out in fact, then those politicians – Brexiteers across the parties – will receive the wrath of angry voters very quickly. IF however those – such as the five persons wishing to be elected UKIP’s new leader – optimism regarding a “no deal Brexit” are borne out in fact, then those politicians will continue to campaign again another day.
Verily it can be said that Brexit will either “make or break” British politics.
IF Brexit takes place and it is a disaster, UKIP’s new leader and UKIP members can quite frankly, pack up and go home!
IF however the remainers and the remainiacs succeed in halting Brexit and manage to contrive a revocation of Article 50 – probably following a second referendum – UKIP’s new leader and UKIP members can look forward to an active future in political campaigning.
IF the UK remains in the EU then one can expect to see the disintegration of the Brexit Party for it will break up. This because the phrase “team player” does not apply Nigel Farage whereas the phrase “prima dona” does. The outcome of the break-up of the Brexit party will be many MEP’s and Brexit Party subscribers joining UKIP.
If this happens and that well known politician Ann Widdecombe joins, then UKIP’s new leader can expect to be asked to make way for a new leader that the UK public recognise and are familiar with.