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I suppose anyone who goes into politics is a bit of a fruitcake.
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Letter to the Yorkshire Post 5th April 2006
Sir.
I was rather surprised to hear that David Cameron, or “Dave” as we must now call him, had fallen back on the totally discredited argument that UKIP are “Closet racists”. He also said we were loonies and fruitcakes. Well, I suppose anyone who goes into politics is a bit of a fruitcake. It comes with the territory. A few years ago we were tagged as BNP in blazers by The Guardian newspaper. It was picked up pretty quickly by the BBC who of course are Guardian rustlers to a man.
Notwithstanding I am a Saville Row suit man, and can only be found wearing a blazer at Cambridge University bumps week or the Horsehouse Formals Cricket tour, dubbing me a racist is actually pretty stupid.
It shows, I fear, that the new Conservative leadership is not just struggling with policy matters but for an identity. Most of my Conservative friends (I have plenty) are pretty horrified to hear that they now have a leader who takes his lead from The Guardian on so many matters. Indeed I have heard him referred to as a not so closet Liberal Democrat.
I also feel that it raises a question mark over his suitability for the high office he covets. At the European elections UKIP won 3 million votes and pushed the Liberal Democrats into fourth place. It was a massive endorsement of our policies from middle England. In Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire UKIP got a quarter of a million votes, many from people voting for the first time in years, but also significant defectors from Old Labour and the Conservatives. It happened to be a Labour seat we won but in other parts of the country they were Conservative and Lib Dem. The BNP had significant support in parts of Yorkshire, a clear indication their vote is a quite separate political identity.
Our membership has just finished the National Executive Council elections. The second highest vote was secured for Mr Delroy Young, a West Indian. Our most popular conference speaker is celebrity chef Rusty Lee, who, for those who have not seen her show, is black. We have supporters from the new commonwealth, many of whom are personal friends. The point is “Dave” must know this. Yet he perpetuates this racist myth in the face of all the evidence to the contrary. One senior Conservative was approached about this in the Strasbourg Parliament the other day by a colleague. He knows it to be untrue but just gave a wry smile and said “It’s just politics old boy!” although other more honourable Conservatives are already coming forward to disassociate themselves from the remark.
Let me also pick up on the “loony” and “fruitcake” accusation. If you drill down a bit and look at UKIP policies, the first and foremost is the withdrawal from the European Union and the renegotiation of a trade agreement. This is what we all thought it was in the first place. In short we want a return to the status quo, a return to over five hundred years of evolving parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy. A view shared by over 50% of the population every time they are asked by the pollsters.
One might be tempted to think the real “fruitcakes” in the political world are those who constantly reject the will of the people in a democracy. Loonies who think you find out what people want by asking focus groups instead of going to the pub. It is not just Europe but crime, tax, pensions, health and education.
Political leaders would do well to realise that the reason people are disengaging with party politics is not because they are not interested, it is because politicians have stopped listening. The electorate want real policies, leaders who lead, some clear blue water between the parties. Taking off your tie calling for more motherhood, apple pie and sunshine does not cut the mustard with the average Brit. Standing foresquare for nothing in particular but looking good on telly might impress a few remaining blue rinse Tory ladies in the shires but it is no way back to power. If the political system reflected these 3 million it could facilitate UKIP members at Westminster the people would have some opposition worthy of the name. These recent comments from Cameron show he too will disappear along with the long list of other failed Tory leaders and for the same reason.
The real tragedy it means this discredited, incompetent and untrustworthy government will continue in office for yet another term.
Godfrey Bloom MEP
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