UKIP: Derek Clark's hypocrisy

Derek Clark is such a hypocrite! He has the gall the complain about Bannerman's 'gross betrayal' in a recent article (see below) but what about his own 'gross betrayal' of UKIP when he went to Bucharest in 2007 - at the behest of Farage - and signed a declaration espousing the principle of "subsidiarity". Prior to this UKIP has always been in favour of total withdrawal from the EU. By accepting the principle of subsidiarity UKIP was now accepting the authority of the union to take decisions which are not devolved to national or regional government.

At the same time Clark also signed up to the principle of "reforming" the Common Agricultural Policy, something which UKIP had previously refused to recognise at all.

Here is an internal memo (2007) sent by Roger Knapman to his fellow MEPs. It concerns Clark's betrayal.

Memo to UKIP MEPs

I am afraid I cannot in any way allow myself to be associated with the joint declaration with the Romanian Party PIN.

I hope you will agree with me.

The declaration contains statements with which we should not possibly agree and which are against the principles upon which we were elected.

May I draw your attention in particular to paragraphs 3 and 6. We are not in favour of the EU concept of subsidiarity which presupposes basic authority is centralised at EU level; we are certainly not in favour of the CAP and farming subsidies.

I am uneasy about paragraph 8 which implies that sovereignty is negotiable in areas other than fiscal policy. Paragraph 7 is vacuous and its meaning unclear.

We should not allow UKIP to be linked with this dubious initiative under any circumstances. Nor should we become involved in internal elections in other countries.

I also hope no UKIP MEP will become involved in the junket in Romania. We agreed in the group at the beginning of this Parliament that we would not allow ourselves to be seduced into the free international trips circuit. We should stick to our resolve. Nothing is to be gained by slap up dinners in Bucharest or bus tours round the countryside.

There is merit in us being part of a loose grouping, but with minimal policies in view of our unique position as withdrawalists. Group and bureau meetings should therefore be limited in nature and take place in Brussels or Strasbourg or we are bound to face justifiable criticism for “going native.”

Roger

Gerard Batten also spoke out against Clark’s betrayal:

From: gerard.batten@btinternet.com

To: alanbown@btinternet.com; bryanukip1@aol.com; davidfabbott@btinternet.com; partychairman@ukip.org; del1young@yahoo.co.uk; douglas.denny@btopenworld.com; emb@westanstey.fsnet.co.uk; gerard.batten@btinternet.com; percyguest@onetel.com; mazukerman@bensonmazure.co.uk; ukipse@ukip.org; rjoxley@lineone.net; dclark@ukip.org; ukipse1@keme.co.uk; gbloom@ukip.org; mrgrahambooth@aol.com; jtitford@ukip.org; jwhittaker@ukip.org; mikenattrass@hotmail.com; rknapman@ukip.org; tomwise@ukip.org

Subject: FW: Message from RogerDate: Wed, 16 May 2007 13:17:01 +0100

Dear All,

IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE TO UKIP NEC MEMBERS AND MEPS ONLY. I have just received a copy of this letter from Roger to the NEC. I agree with its contents.

Regards,
Gerard

And let us not forget another 'gross betrayal'. Clark lied to UKIPPERS in the East Midlands when he stated that he was not under investigation by OLAF . So when is Clark going to come clean about the OUTCOME of the investigation?

And why is Clark more than happy to welcome Tory councillors who have defected to UKIP when he clearly regards Bannerman's defection to the Tories as a betrayal of the voters? You can't have it both ways! More double standards.

From Click Press:

Bannerman’s defection a gross betrayal

The defection of David Campbell Bannerman to the Conservative Party has been labelled a “wretched defection” by UKIP MEP Derek Clark.

The defection of David Campbell Bannerman to the Conservative Party has been labelled a “wretched defection” by UKIP MEP Derek Clark.

Mr Clark, MEP for the East Midlands, joined leading UKIP figures in slamming the decision, saying it betrayed the party and voters in the Eastern region who voted for Mr Campbell Bannerman.

And Mr Clark pointed to interviews given by Mr Campbell Bannerman only last year when he claimed the Prime Minister could not be trusted on Europe.

He said: “Mr Campbell Bannerman's defection is a gross betrayal of UKIP.

“He has betrayed those on the party list in the Eastern region who did not get elected because he was top of the list.

“He has betrayed the officers and members in that region who worked so hard to get him elected.

“And worst of all, he has betrayed those who voted UKIP, thinking they were getting a real opponent of our EU membership. The electorate will take note and Eastern region members will have to work even harder to overcome this handicap next time round.”

Mr Clark said: “In 2010, Campbell-Bannerman wrote a trenchant criticism of David Cameron and the Conservatives in the UK, accusing them of hypocrisy.”

In the interview, Mr Campbell Bannerman said: "Over the years observers in Brussels have learned first-hand how the Conservatives talk ‘Eurosceptic’ at home but behave quite differently when they arrive in the Belgian capital to carry out their parliamentary work.”

He added: It's overwhelmingly clear now that trusting Cameron with Europe will be as misguided as trusting Blair on Iraq."

Mr Campbell Bannerman even said the British people faced higher prices all because the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition did not have the stomach to either get the country’s rebate back or suspend EU payments until it had its accounts signed off, adding, “it's like Blair never left.”

Mr Clark added, that as an MEP, the party’s position was weakened by what he called Campbell Bannerman’s “selfish actions”.

He said: “Having started with 13 MEPs we took the lead in forming the EFD group, which enables the party leader to speak for the group.

“This privilege means that, in important debates, our UKIP leader is in the first round to address Parliament, after Jose Manuel Barosso and/ or Herman Van Rompuy who often then withdraw, leaving it to ‘other speakers’.

Mr Clark offered his total support to the party in the Eastern region and pledged he would continue to work for UKIP, both in Brussels and elsewhere.

He said: “I condemn this wretched defection but it makes no difference to whatever efforts I am able to make in the name of UKIP.

To read the original: LINK