Remember the above?
In June 2016 I was an active member of UKIP and campaigning for Brexit. A committee member of my local branch, the role I adopted was one of a goal keeper. During the referendum campaign, UKIP had a plentiful (relatively speaking) number of willing volunteers to campaign and to leaflet. Many had not been active in party politics before, but they realised that the referendum campaign was a moment that many (who had campaigned in or supported the first referendum campaign (on “Common Market” membership) in 1975 but had long departed the active political scene re-entered the said scene to campaign in a “once in a lifetime” chance of securing the UK’s withdrawal from the EU before they met their maker – which in 2025, many now have.
These “backwards-men-and-women” were for the most part ordinary folk who were not well versed in political tactics and who had views that were not fully and as detailed and articulated as others. These good people were at constant risk of being interviewed by local journalists who knew that “gold” could be extracted form these folk. The “gold” in these circumstances was an ill-advised comment that was not properly thought out and which could be exploited and taken out of context by a very well organised and professionally run campaign from the Reaminers.
My tactic (that was successful) was to keep these good folk away from these prowling reporters and as such my actions ensured that a number of catastrophic own goals were not handed to the Remainers. You see; I am an old fashioned sort of fellow whose attitude is that it is for the opposing team to try and kick the ball into our net and not for us to do it for them!
Thus it is with a sense of mirth I noted the Guardian’s report on Mr Trump’s latest foreign policy wheeze: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/05/civilisational-erasure-us-strategy-document-appears-to-echo-far-right-conspiracy-theories-about-europe
Allow me to explain for the simple minded!
If I, an Englishman, were to travel to Edinburgh and to begin to make some criticisms of the SNP’s policy, many Scots who suggest that I mind by own (insert desired expletive) business!
Let us bring it closer to home for many of my US Readers; suppose I was to travel to the USA and start criticising US gun laws (the lack of)! “Go home Limey!” would be one of the more polite comments direct at me!
There are many folk in Europe (and I am referring to the geographic entity and NOT the EU) who let us say are not supportive of polices that affirm the positions of those who would describe themselves as “woke” and who are enthusiastically supportive of “DEI”.
However: Many of these folk will be incensed by overt interference by US politicians and commentators and in addition, this will be ammunition for those who would describe themselves as “woke” and who are enthusiastically supportive of “DEI” against those European commentators, politicians and political parties critical of “wokery” and DEI.
Insofar as the UK political scene is concerned, at this present time, the two main parties (Conservative & Labour) are deeply concerned about the level of support Mr Farage and Reform UK Limited receive in opinion polls.
Sir Keir Starmer aka “Two Tier Keir” does not have to go to the country until well into 2029.
The two main parties have time – that most valuable of political commodities!