Greg Lance - Watkins (Greg_L-W)
derekhunnikin@btinternet.com
I urge all interested in UKIP’s fate to email Derek requesting a copy of his dossier.
I have never met Mike Nattrass and I know nothing of his views. I think UKIP’s best hope lies with Nikki Sinclaire, whom I have met, and who has been very active with her referendum campaign. I know some of her other political views do not play well with some of UKIP’s core support but I urge them to concentrate on the big issue of leaving the EU and not be beguiled by a sterile left wing right wing argument. One of the most effective and articulate opponents of the EU in the UK is Bob Crow, the far left, rail worker’s leader!
One of the most telling comments in the dossier came from Robin Page who makes the point he was voted onto the governing body of the National Trust against the wishes of the NT establishment only after the NT stared using the Electoral Reform Society to conduct is ballots. On the NEC I fought for UKIP to use the ERS for all UKIP elections.I was bad mouthed by Farage, Whittaker, Derek Clarke, Denny etc who clearly had their own agenda in these matters and deliberately mis-represented the service the ERS offered at a very competitive price..
I publish below the reply I have sent to Derek based on my own experience.
Dear Derek,
Thank you very much for sending me copies of the above. It must have taken a great deal of time and effort on your part to do this and I wholeheartedly thank you for this. I read all your documents and learned a great deal from them as I only joined UKIP in 2007!
I had worked for the UK government in the period 71/73 when Heath pushed through the Common Market Accession Act with a succession of dirty tricks. I thought then when I resigned from the Civil Service I had seen it all, that was until I met Nigel Farage!
Looking at the latest list of those standing for the NEC my heart sinks. Farage supporters and wannabe MEPs predominate.
Tim Congdon is a good man and excellent academic economist but lacks the ability to talk to ordinary people. Gerard Batten turns to jelly when opposed by Farage. John Bufton is ill and I doubt Trevor Colman wants to stand again given the villification he has had from SW committee members. William Legge, the belted Earl, is another Bannerman. He simply wants a political career after the Tories had multiply rejected him. Worse, his paid ‘minder’ is Malcolm Wood a long term associate of Farage who shares many of Farage’s characteristics.
I am sorry I have not been more help to you but my energies have been diverted to helping my wife and her French property these last six months. I agree with most of your sentiments and views on UKIP.UKIP is the only political party I have ever been a member of and through it I met many fine people whom I still count as my friends. It is sad, but not surprising, to realise from your dossier that my UKIP experience merely repeated the experiences of those who had gone before and that if by chance in future any non – Farage supporter is elected onto the NEC list or MEP list I fear they will suffer the same fate!
I was elected both to the NEC and MEP SW slate on the democratic vote of UKIP members. UKIP is not a democratic party but a Farage cult and hence can never have any impact on UK politics
Regards
Eric Edmond
Ukip-vs-EUkip 