UKIP: Lack of Joined up Thinking, or Something Else?
UKIP never showed much of a propensity for joined up
thinking. I well remember: the much vaunted policy paper launches which were
embarrassing, with content being so controlled (and redacted) from above, and
with the suggestion of unseen hands in the background that I eventually came to
agree with Roger Knapman - architect of the 2004 Euro election success -
that UKIP should have remained a one issue party.
I note an article on their party website complaining that a recently announced cut in wind energy subsidies is not enough - (complaining about wind energy is the party's stock in trade). But I also note that in UKIP's aged and out of date environment and energy policy, the party calls for 50% of Britain's power to come from nuclear generation. I have no problem with that per se, in fact I contributed to that paper, but does the party not realise the extent to which nuclear energy is subsidised in the UK?
Subsidies for nuclear energy are largely disguised, a matter recently brought up with ministers by backbenchers in the Commons. For example: limitation of liabilities, underwriting of insurance costs, subsidising waste disposal, and most importantly providing institutional support for the concept of nuclear energy. Other areas of concern have been identified.
UKIP states in the article I refer to above that "The whole wind farm industry is a con and is not viable without subsidies. It is wrong that the taxpayer should be paying to keep afloat private businesses, often based abroad,..."
British energy, which operates nuclear plants, came close to bankruptcy in 2004, and was saved by, guess what, a government subsidy of £3billion. France's EDF now owns 80% of British Energy.
Do you see what I mean about lack of joined up thinking?
But as regards UKIP's position, we have to ask if it is indeed lack of joined up thinking, or is it those aforementioned unseen hands in the backgroung that are responsible for the lack of consistency, at least in this policy area? I personally suspect the latter.
I note an article on their party website complaining that a recently announced cut in wind energy subsidies is not enough - (complaining about wind energy is the party's stock in trade). But I also note that in UKIP's aged and out of date environment and energy policy, the party calls for 50% of Britain's power to come from nuclear generation. I have no problem with that per se, in fact I contributed to that paper, but does the party not realise the extent to which nuclear energy is subsidised in the UK?
Subsidies for nuclear energy are largely disguised, a matter recently brought up with ministers by backbenchers in the Commons. For example: limitation of liabilities, underwriting of insurance costs, subsidising waste disposal, and most importantly providing institutional support for the concept of nuclear energy. Other areas of concern have been identified.
UKIP states in the article I refer to above that "The whole wind farm industry is a con and is not viable without subsidies. It is wrong that the taxpayer should be paying to keep afloat private businesses, often based abroad,..."
British energy, which operates nuclear plants, came close to bankruptcy in 2004, and was saved by, guess what, a government subsidy of £3billion. France's EDF now owns 80% of British Energy.
Do you see what I mean about lack of joined up thinking?
But as regards UKIP's position, we have to ask if it is indeed lack of joined up thinking, or is it those aforementioned unseen hands in the backgroung that are responsible for the lack of consistency, at least in this policy area? I personally suspect the latter.
To read the original: LINK
2 comments:
Hi,
isn't it possibly just The Farage Party jumping on yet another shodily researched & crassy amateurly presented 'Band Wagon'?
It becomes ever cleare that UKIP has become part of the problem - sustained by a claque of self interested hopefulls willing to bully, abuse and lie to advance their own chances of enrichment & glory.
UKIP can note cire a single achievement of any consequence towards the aim of Leave-The-EU since 2004 & before that its only real achievement was Roger Knapman leading the party to 12 MEPs!
12 MEPs & huge opportunities & huge amounts of money squandered to turn it into The Farage Party with Farage given near dictatorial powers & fall out with 1/3rd of his own MEPs!
IF Farage Quit has he so damaged the brand as to ensure it would wither & die as clearly there is no one of consequence to take over.
Farage built the party helping others who were leaders in turning it into The Farage Party for lack of ANYONE of probity, competence, gravitas or ability has he destroyed the very vehicle that has enriched him after his catastrophic failure in The City before he became a career politician?
It does seem that part of UKIP's lack of joined up thinking has led to it being a one man band & irrelevant in the cause of Leave-The-EU moving between 'BandWagon' jumping, foolish stunts & crassly amateur or even bad publicity!
It is sad to see the party & ideals I supported destroyed & as Gary Cartright implies, there is still an outside chance it could be 'cleaned-up' and made Fit for Purpose.
Regards,
Greg_L-W.
Hi,
I also thought this posting of Gary Cartwright's was interesting minded that he WAS a long term supporter of UKIP and WAS employed by UKIP:
http://gary-brusselsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/whats-in-word.html
Obviously he has made many other comments on UKIP!
I understand that Gary Cartwright is currently NOT employed by UKIP or any UKIP MEP past or present but is directly employed by The EU on behalf of The Non Assigned Independent MEPs and has been assigned, no doubt for convenience of language and association with their aims to Leave-The-EU to Trevor Colman & Mike Nattrass who have rejected the leadership of Farage and membership of his squalid money making machine The EFD and also is assigned to Nikki Sinclaire MEP who rejected working with Farage's racist, xenophobic, anti Jewish, anti homosexual, anti Muslim Reformist Nationalist self interest group in The EU.
There are some who claim she was thrown out of UKIP subsequently as she is both homosexual and also a withdrawalist with ideas, there is no doubt her determination to be transparent and act with integrity & probity investing a substantial amount of her own money in the Leave-The-EU cause has proved embarrassing for the corrupt MEPs in UKIP's Group.
Let us not forget it was Sinclaire who first published her full accounts auditted on line and it would seem as a result all sorts of false allegations have been made against her - leading at this stage to a West Midlands Police investigation which seems to center on John Ison her very much ex manager who had responsibility for her accounts when Nigel Farage controlled them and whether he set out to corrupt them deliberately to mislead the police and whether he acted in collusion with Nigel Farage or his agents.
It does seem farcical to claim or believe that an MEP might be guilty of fraud yet invested considerably more of their own money than the 'claimed' fraud.
Sadly I incline to agree with Gary Cartwright in his implications that UKIP is so befouled and corrupted it is unlikely to be fixable with Farage in situe and I incline to believe his destruction of the party for his own gain has reduced it to an irrelevance as clearly there is no one of stature or competence in the leadership team or on the staff - There can not be as without exception they have colluded in the corruption as not one can claim to have spoken out against it.
Read Gary Cartwright's blog - check out the FACTS on The Junius Blog and at:
htt://UKIP-vs-EUkip.com
see what a huge array of talent has been driven away:
http://ukip-vs-eukip.com/ukip-members-quit
Then read the comments of people like Dr. Eric Edmond, Dr Richard North and juxtaposition that with the dishonesty, outright lies and criminal behaviour of the likes of Mick McGough, Gerard Batten, Derek Clark, David Bannerman, Stuart Parr, Godfrey Bloom, Stuart Agnew and their ilk - not to mention a host of Farage sock puppets on and off of his staff with silly names to hide their lies behind.
It would be nice to think that the party people like Gary Cartwright, Niall Warry, the Junius posters, myself, Nikki Sinclaire, Petrina Holdsworth, Dr. Edmond, Dr. Abbott, myself and so many others once supported could be revivified but sadly the greed and personal agendas & ambition of the sordid clique leading UKIP and its claque will fight tooth and nail to hang onto their bloated income stream.
But we can but try - until an organisation of probity, vision, competence and gravitas is able to step up to the plate to lead Britain to Leave-The-EU - preferably before its collapse as then it can be done in an orderly manner unlike the rout in Iran and the idiocy and failure in Afghanistan that reflects British political elite of today!
Regards,
Greg_L-W.
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