Friday, April 20, 2012

UKIP seems to have got past the 'First they ignore you' stage

The slow but steady rise of UKIP in the polls over the last few months went almost unheralded until the weekend before last when in what still looks like an outlier poll, the Mail on Sunday put UKIP as equal
to the Lib/Dems on 11%. Since then there were a couple of days where, due to statistical anomaly YouGov put us above them.

This has brought forth a small deluge of mostly hostile commentary in the press, some from commentators, others from largely Conservative politicians. The insults have flown "Swivel eyed" etc, the condescension dripped. "'UKIP were relevant 15 years ago", said George Eustice MP on Newsnight, "But now we have a robust Eurosceptic as Prime Minister they are irrelevant".

None of this has made a blind piece of difference. Indeed the combined attempt to insult and belittle us has driven even more towards us.

So the game hots up. The first result of this is an attack piece in the Guardian, reprsing this in the HuffPo.

Slightly amused by the shock horror breaking news story about something that happened in 2004/5 and involves as one of its protagonists someone who died in December.

So I wonder what could it be about the rising in the polls, causing real headaches to the mainstream parties UKIP that caused this story to appear now?

Now I am not saying that Msrs. Clark and Booth did not break the funding rules of the European Parliament. They used their staffing allowance in a way that was not allowed. They used it to do what they could to strengthen the cause of Euroscepticism in Britain, by funding UKIP staff rather than personal patronage. At no point did they gain from this personally. In fact the opposite as they initially forewent money that would help them in their own regions, and secondly when they were penalised they lost the money again, this time from their own pockets. But rules are rules.

However I am certain that this will not be the last story of its sort. Birds have told me that an edict has gone out from the coalition headquarters to friendly editors that UKIP must be hit hard. So I expect that in the next couple of weeks we will see a few more stories like this, dredged up, polished and presented to the public.

UKIP must be seen as bad as the rest. It must be undermined, damage must be done before the elections.

So for those of you who are standing for UKIP in the coming elections I have a message.

Thanks for getting us to the stage that they feel they have to attack us. Without you they would just be ignoring us. This article, and the ones to come are a testament to your hard work. To the way that through you and others we are beginning to threaten the vested interests.

Oh and if you have any particularly juicy skeletons in your closet, either come clean yourselves, or nail those closets shut.


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Gruniad were probably upset about their would you vote UKIP or Lib dem poll, I don't think it quite went the way they were expecting.

I have noticed there has been something of a glut of anti UKIP blog posts springing up with the Telegraph in particular seeming rather annoyed.
It seems to me that having waded through the comments on the DT blogs written by Dan Hannan, Barker and Knowles many are put out at the complacency they've shown and consequently they actually seem to be doing UKIP favours.

brokenhockeystick said...

I believe it was Ghandi who said:
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win"
...stage 3 already

Gawain Towler said...

Anon, looks that way to me.

Anonymous said...

"Oh and if you have any particularly juicy skeletons in your closet, either come clean yourselves, or nail those closets shut."

I'll get me 'ammer.

Ivanalias said...

UKIP. Like the BNP, but they generally don't have to buy their own furniture...

Gawain Towler said...

HYammer are good :-)

Anonymous said...

pet supplies


HI Gawain. So happy an proud of UKIP. Finally, they were given the chance to prove themselves. May their success continue until the end.

Anonymous said...

home loan melbourne


HI Gawain. As always beginnings are difficult. But through time, you will get past through it. Never quit.

Unknown said...

You know mate, once they start attacking you then its clear they are worried and you are on their radar screen. You have got more supporters then you realize out there, keep fighting.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear, all the attempted smears are coming out in Rotherham.


https://twitter.com/#!/Jahangirakhtar

"Full time councillor in Rotherham. I represent Rotherham West Ward on the Council, I am also the Cabinet member for Housing and Neighbourhoods."


Jahangir Akhtar‏@Jahangirakhtar

A vote for UKIP is a vote for extremism and bigotry and is exactly like voting for the openly rascist BNP

Jahangir Akhtar‏@Jahangirakhtar

UKIP and BNP are 2 sides of the same coin of fascist ideology and both stand for bigotry, division and strife in our communities.

Strange he hasn't mentioned this....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/jun/19/politics.labour

"Councillor joined drunken brawl"

A Labour councillor caught up in a drunken fight in a restaurant was yesterday given 130 hours' community service.

Jahangir Akhtar, 41, was spared a prison term because of his record of helping community relations in Rotherham, where the row broke out between diners last September.

Hull crown court was told that Akhtar, a member of the controlling Labour group on Rotherham council, played a leading role in kicking and punching a customer. Judge Simon Lawler described the attack as "a serious incident which led to a number of people being injured and needing hospital treatment"

Twitter