The Nouse tightens...
Apologies for the light blogging over the weekend. TB has been enjoying his last few days in Edinburgh and just as he sat down earlier this afternoon to catch up with some stories, his wireless died. Again. Fast forward three hours and it's fixed, don't ask.
A ridiculous story has
broken
this afternoon that has seen Ralph Buckle, Chairman of the University of York Conservatives
expelled from the Party for suggesting that those who are eurosceptic might want to consider voting for UKIP. All of this was in an article that sought to explain the options available to people and although it concludes that those who are more eurosceptic should vote UKIP, this is no different from what certain more high profile Tories have said in the last few weeks. TB still is technically head of a university branch and has given less than guarded comments to student papers in the past. (One hack in particular had an uncanny way of always catching TB with a text after about three pints.) However TB was never particularly worried though, as lets face it, university branch chairman don't exactly have much sway, influence, or real power other than over their own cohorts. No one is particularly interested in anything they have to say, as countless press releases fired off and ignored show.However an
article in Nouse
, York's student paper has led to the little guy being well and truly done over by the Party. When Norman Tebbit spoke out along similar lines, he was given a slap on the wrist in the form of a very very public warning from Cameron to shut up. Why was it felt that what Buckle did required a harsher and permanent punishment? Granted he could have been asked to step down from being head honcho at York and given a bollocking in no uncertain terms on the phone, but TB can't help but feel the reaction to the comments is totally over the top. Perhaps Buckle could have been more guarded with his comments but lets not forget that UKIP only exists due to the failure of the Conservative Party to listen to it's members views.There cannot be one rule for people at the top of the Party and another for those on the lowest of rungs. Buckle will no doubt go straight to UKIP, and who can blame him, the Tories today have given them an open goal.
How many more eurosceptic Tories will follow?
Posts
24 comments:
I think you're right. Buckle will probably go over to UKIP, with more to follow. If Cameron is not careful, a tipping point will be reached, causing the flow of Tories to UKIP to become a veritable stampede.
In his speech today, he undermined his stance on Europe by being even less clear on the issue.
Those who had been undecided about whether to vote Tory or UKIP in the EU elections will be more inclined to vote for the latter.
UKIP exists because of the paranoid delusions of a vocal minority of people. If those in UKIP even got to be as good as second rate it would be an advantage to them.
The UK is far too important a nation to exist in permanent high dudgeon with the rest of the world. UKIP's contention is that the EU is unreformable, how do they know? Has anyone actually given it a serious shot before they reached for Le drapeau blanc?
This is a case of young political wanabees who haven't learnt political maturity.
For goodness sake, the Tories need to be elected to government first: only then can their EU agenda be judged.
Does anyone really think that electing people to the EU parliament is important to the people in Britain - in terms of reducing the influence of the EU ?
Of course not. Any EU change will only be institited from the national government level.
And to see the Tories in power, a little political focus and maturity is needed - and we can start by people stopping sounding off about Tory policy on the EU.
Have they learnt nothing about the years that we were in the wilderness ?
Sorry, that's bollocks. He was chairman of a Tory branch and said he was going to vote UKIP and encouraged others to do so. You cannot do that in an election period. Full stop.
Well that a done deal for how I will vote now, as a card carrying Tory I will be voting UKIP in this election.
Cameron should stop being wet on Europe when the majority of the party are Eurosceptical.
Mr Bear, sorry but I disagree.
He held the most influencial position in his paddling pool and said in so many words to vote UKIP.
Tebbit was within a whisker of doing the same but didn't. He also holds no official position AFAIW.
Yes maybe a big slap would have been enough but I don't think so close to an election. Stuart Wheeler got thrown out on the same criteria.
Imagine a Labour opposite number saying vote Green or Libertas...
I don't agree. The chap was using his position to tell fellow students to vote UKIP. He failed to grasp the fact that this was disloyal to his party. Had he resigned and said it, then fine but he didn't.
UKIP can never and will never be any more than an overgrown pressure group, the only way to reform Europe is to have the Conservatives in power, rather than splitting the anti Labour vote.
It's all going to go horribly wrong for DC.
Trying to gag someone who actually has an opinion on Europe is so Gordon Brown.
The point here is that Ralph was given a platform in the student press, along with the heads of other political student groups, to put forward the view of their party prior to the elections in June.
Ralph used the outlet to put forward his own personal views on why people should vote for UKIP.
He is entitled to his personal view, but in this case it conflicts utterly with the views of the organisation he is meant to lead.
If he wanted to make such comments public, he should have first stood down from his role within the Party and joined UKIP.
I will be giving my 2nd preference vote in Northern Ireland to the Conservative & Unionists (he's an excellent MEP). In 2004, I voted UKIP in England and later became a Constituency Chairman of the Conservatives. Later, my membership lapsed.
You're right that frustration with the Tory EU policy (which is so weak so as not to offend Ken "Council Tax Rebate" Clarke) drove people like me in the past - and others this June 4th - to vote for UKIP. However, it's not right to expel young activists - who, after all, push thousands of leaflets EACH - in this 'one strike and you're out policy' (just give them a warning).
So much for Dave's promise to loosen the noose of the Party Machines - ha.
I will be giving my 2nd preference vote in Northern Ireland to the Conservative & Unionists (he's an excellent MEP). In 2004, I voted UKIP in England and later became a Constituency Chairman of the Conservatives. Later, my membership lapsed.
You're right that frustration with the Tory EU policy (which is so weak so as not to offend Ken "Council Tax Rebate" Clarke) drove people like me in the past - and others this June 4th - to vote for UKIP. However, it's not right to expel young activists - who, after all, push thousands of leaflets EACH - in this 'one strike and you're out policy' (just give them a warning).
So much for Dave's promise to loosen the noose of the Party Machines - ha.
@ Iain Dale
Sorry, that's bollocks. He was chairman of a Tory branch and said he was going to vote UKIP and encouraged others to do so. You cannot do that in an election period. Full stop. You can do whatever you wish. Most people live their lives under the illusion that "you can't do that".
That attitude would not have Ghandi very far, would it?
Full Stop.
Dale. You're the one spouting bollocks. He said the same as Tebbit, down to emphasising that the "decision is up to you". Tebbit did it in the run-up to an election period. Who the Hell are you to decide when the cut-off point is??
Stepping down as head of York Young Tories?? WOW! That WOULD be a punishment! hahaha
Dale is an arrogant shit. Period.
When EPP-ED kicked Hannan out ("You can't say that" after his remarks about Ermachtigungsgesatze), it was the start of his rise to fame and ultimately made them [EPP-ED] look very stupid and undemocratic.
It looks like the Tories may have done the same here. Why do the Conservatives hate Ukip so much when they have all the same policies? It can only be because the Tories don't want to commit themselves fully to Euroscepticism. If they did they would have joined IND/DEM instead of forming their own grouping.
Come on Tories, let's have some real Euroscepticism, the disillusioned who come back to you will far exceed the Europhiles you lose (poll data show that a majority want us OUT). Why not join IND/DEM? Why not lay off UKIP or even ally with them - they want the same things as you, don't they?
The problem here is that he was given an opportunity to tell people why they should vote Conservative (alongside his Labour and Lib Dem counterparts speaking up for their parties) and he used the entire article to instruct readers to vote for another party. So in one fell swoop he failed in his duty and it seems reasonable enough that he is given his marching orders.
I find it reassuring to know that, in these times when Cameron has members of the Parliamentary Party bleeding the taxpayer dry, the CCHQ machine is focused instead on the ramblings of the Chairman of York University Conservative Association. I never knew they cared about CF so much :-)
His expulsion literally happened hours after Cameron spouting crap about moving power away from the political elite.
Unfortunately, that obviously doesn't apply to the elite at CCHQ. It should have been down to the members of York Tories to get rid of Mr Buckle, if they disagree with his view that is.
This cannot be any more straight forward. Most people want a Europe to trade with but not be governed by.
UKIP have stated that if the Conservatives put a strong Euro-sceptic policy in writing they would not stand against the Conservatives.
It should be noted however that the Conservatives offered to champion Britain (Hague) and be tougher on immigration (Howard)and it got them nowhere - people still voted for the shambles of New Labour. Personally I hope and pray that the masterplan is to play it softly but to stay true to core Conservative beliefs. here's hoping.
I ran a university branch of CF last year. I will be voting UKIP in the EU elections.
It doesn't matter who gets elected to the EU parliament. So we might as well use it to send a signal to David Cameron that there are votes to be had if you withdraw from the EU.
Come on Cameron, stop letting pro-EU people on the Tory list, and get your MEPs to join the IND-DEM group.
TTT is somewhat at a loss. When did we become the party which has a stranglehold over opinion? Is this what DC would be like in office? Now, TTT understands that if your views become contrary to those of the party you represent in office then one should resign from that office, but to be thrown out of the party for one's expression of one's views is not right. We are not that party, and if that is the way we're heading yours truly is off. It is through the freedom of expression that socialism is triumphed over, and we will never get these constitutional bandits out of power if we fall to pieces over freedom of expression. DC will begin to see mass deflections and betrayals if he does not begin to listen to the worries and beliefs of his party on any issue not just this one, and that will be our ulitmate downfall, the Party Leadership's inability to be in touch with the party faithful NOT our varying views on Europe. TTT is a little stunned at the party's actions of late.
There is another way Join the LPUK and forget about Shiny Buttered new potato David Cameron
www.lpuk.org
"The problem here is that he was given an opportunity to tell people why they should vote Conservative" (Tom)
Well perhaps he felt that he couldn't make a convincing case for voting Tory without being dishonest; that's certainly how I interpreted his words. He seemed to me to be frustrated with his party's leadership, and I think the same is true of most natural Tory supporters.
As a first step the Conservatives' MEPs should join IND/DEM. Then maybe we could trust Cameron on EUrope.