UKIP is not a withdrawalist party

Last year Dr Eric Edmond was thrown off the NEC for trying to raise concerns about corruption in UKIP.

I would advise anyone interested in UKIP to read his excellent blog. Here is a recent extract:

That has been the British political tradition of tolerating within parties those who support the cause but not the leadership. One thinks of Ken Livingston, Wedgewood Benn, Enoch Powell, and Churchill etc. Why is this important? Well in the long run some of these mavericks have been proven right!

Farage’s UKIP however does not follow this tradition. As it is currently constituted UKIP behaves as European dirigiste party, centrally controlled and directed, subservient to one man. Just like these European parties Farage's UKIP has only one way of responding to members who criticise the leader's cabal, anonymous personal smears and character assassination followed by deselection and expulsion. Real debate is not allowed; tolerance is not practised only subservience to the leader. It is an EU model party, based in Brussels, financed by Brussels and run from Brussels.

If we seriously want to get out of the EU this has to change. We have to return to traditional British political values of tolerance and fair play and have a party based in, run from, and financed in the UK, as is every other British political party.

I echo James Purnell’s words and sentiments: “I owe it to our party to say what I believe no matter how hard that may be.”

I want to get the UK out of the EU and regain control of our country for our children. I want to see us have a Switzerland type relationship with the EU covering trade etc but controlling our country ourselves.

I believe Nigel Farage’s continued leadership of UKIP makes a UK withdrawal from the EU less, not more likely.

To view the original: LINK