I'm writing an article for News Growl about if any of the new Brexity parties that have appeared on the scene lately will inherit the space on the political spectrum vacated by UKIP.
I'm making a couple of assumptions here: 1) UKIP is on life support and will eventually expire (which may not actually be true) 2) That the populist, pro-Brexit right will not melt back into the Conservative or Labour parties, from whence they fled in the last decade. I am a Remainer, but I actually think there should be a party to replace UKIP. UKIP has proven there is a demand for a working-class, patriotic party that is sceptical of Europe and immigration. These are not positions that can ever be adopted by the mainstream Tories, or the increasingly left-dominated Labour party. Before UKIP appeared people of this persuasion either joined a really fringe group like the BNP (which was an out and out racist party, and totally different from the group that emerged within UKIP) or felt ignored and disenfranchised. Having a widespread political strain unrepresented in the national political discourse is not good for anyone. So even though I don't agree with most of UKIP's agenda, I think UKIP disappearing is a bad thing for Britain. So, those are my assumptions. But I also realise that creating a new national political party is very, very difficult. UKIP's successor will probably be determined by the organisational skill of its members and supporters more than its ideology. So I want to do a profile of the various parties that have spun off from UKIP recently to see if any have a chance of taking over. I've emailed the following groups: One Nation (Henry Bolton's new outfit), The Democrats & Veterans Party (led by former UKIPer John Rees Evans, For Britain (led by a former UKIP dignitary who's name escapes me at the moment), the Foundation Party (in the process of being founded by a former UKIP councillor) and Thurrock Independents (a group of Thurrock councillors who left UKIP en masse earlier this year). So far, only Thurrock Independents have responded. And as they have no aspirations for national government, they are an unlikely successor to UKIP nationally. Yesterday I tweeted to One Nation, the D&V Party, For Britain, and the Foundation Party. Still no response. Why is this so difficult? Do they not want the publicity, or do they not trust me? Or do they just not read and/or answer emails (if it is the latter then the chances of any of these parties being the next UKIP is a lost one I am sure). I hope one of the party leader reads this and gets in touch. The mainstream media is ignoring you. Feel free to get in touch! [email protected]
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AuthorSteve has many disparate and unconnected interests. This, he thinks, entitles him to claim the label "Renaissance Man." Archives
March 2019
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