In a nutshell, I joined UKIP in around 2001 and
found myself, having been co-opted onto the London Regional Committee, working
with mayoral candidate Frank Maloney. Immediately after that campaign I took
myself off to Minsk where I worked with elements of the democratic opposition
that have now been absorbed into the Belorussian Popular Front. Its an
interesting life...
On my return from Minsk I found a letter on my
doormat from Nigel Farage inviting me to come out to Brussels. Thats how it
happened. I had studied European Governance and Democratic Theory at Uni, so I
suppose I was considered to be as well qualified as anybody in UKIP.
Sadly I fell out with Farage, as so many do,
and I have been airbrushed out of UKIP history, and painted as some sort of a
right-wing extremist. Anybody associated with me, it is hinted, is also an
extremist, something that I find extremely offensive.
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| Bulletin From Brussels, Issue
1 |
So lets put the record straight, shall
we?
This is from the first issue of Bulletin From
Brussels, which I edited for, I seem to recall, 4 issues. It was a bit of fun,
and I was quite pleased with it at the time It was a publication of UKIP's
Independence & Democracy Group in the European Parliament.
Whilst I remain on good terms with most of
the fine folk in these pictures, I wonder what would happen to them if they were
photographed with me now?
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| Bulletin From Brussels, Issue
3 |
Although the front page of the Bulletin always
featured Nigel Farage, understandable given that he was head of the UKIP
delegation in the EP, it was Roger Knapman, then party leader, with whom I
always had the most pleasure working.
I
have always credited Roger with UKIP's landmark election results in 2004.
Without his political acumen, contacts, and steady hand (albeit with a little
help from Kilroy and Dick Morris!) I think UKIP would have struggled to hold the
3 seats gained in 1999.
But is was not just
in Brussels that we produced such literature. I was also tasked by Farage with
editing a one-off 'Independence News', similar to something that had been
produced previously. This, however, was officially a UKIP publication. If
anybody associated with me is an extremist, then this cutting must surely beg
some answers!
Of
course, Nigel Farage is no more an extremist than I am, despite what some might
say about him. It was always easy to write copy for him as he always had a clear
idea of what he wanted to say, and generally trusted his staff to deliver.
And
so there you have it. Since leaving the Independence & Democracy Group I
have worked with Independent MEPs in 2 parliaments, and to this day I am happy
to work with, in an official capacity, 2 UKIP MEPs.
I
also had a brief spell working as a journalist, during which period I presented
a report on extremism in the EU to the Simon Weisenthal Centre. Life is never
dull in the world of politics!
To read the original:
LINK