The need for a credible professional run high impact 4th domestic party to imaginatively fill the gap created by New/Blue Labour convergence remains. Many now recognize that the objective of getting more MEPs is to provide the £ and staff aimed at building UKIP as that party. This is fully compatible with "out of EU" as long as it realised that impacting on UK politics does that , not scoring points in Brussels.

The post 2004 rallying cry "mere existence of UKIP is enough" meant 4 wasted years, weak branches, no development plan, inability to connect with the public , election humiliation, and embarrasing dedication to amateurism (except in media exposure which has not delivered in votes)

Hence new mindset MEPs of energy vision and initiative are needed to use their resources to reverse neglect and build bottom up capability, capacity, know how, and professionalism to attract quality activists and enable UKIP to actually take up issues, effectively challenge the political status quo and become a feared domestic party... as well as developing vote gathering messages to explain what UKIP believes in and is doing relevant to peoples' concerns in life .

Some candidates (nice guys) seem to be expect votes for qualifications, passive posts held rhetoric on libertry and irelevant waffle on how rotten the EU is. However other than what a candidate states what he has ACHIEVED and WILL DO. Its unfair to expect him/her to deliver anything except enjoy the bright lights of Brussels. So who stands up ?
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This is a big opportunity to vote for candidates who can breath new life into the party.
All those who have complained about the party not moving on and improving its national standing have, at last, got the opportunity to vote for candidates with vision, determination and dedication to the parties aims to lift us into being a national credible force on the political front.
We need candidates at the top of our regional lists who have got the ability to drive the party forward. We should avoid, at all costs, giving chances to those who have already shown that they are unable to lift the party from the stagnant existence of recent years.
It should not be difficult for members in all regions to be able to work out which candidates would bring about no change in the parties fortunes and which would stimulate growth, interest and votes.
My choice in the NW would be Paul Nuttall and Terry Durrance. Both have the determination and vision to take UKIP forward.
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To partly answer ... I have only seen detailed statements of the SE 14 ...thus :-

2 ( Harris, Manzoor) have nothing to say on what they will do. (Are you serious guys ?)

4 (Andreason,Montomery,Webb,Vander Elst) are solely EU fighters or nearly so aiming to impact in Brussels and give anti EU message. eg "fight EU" "ask difficult questions" "promote independence of UK" " do anti EU papers/events" . ( If you are single issue and reckon EU will quake in the face of this then vote for them).

2 (Farage ,Burberry) promise spreading message by media coverage (only). ie no change, no resources for development. (So if you thats all you want vote Farage ).

1 (Browne) offers "support leader in getting out of EU" but adds dimension of tailoring message to working class ( eg Labour) in domestic elections.

1 (Aldridge) stresses credible policies and "presenting a positive vision for a future, not just attacking EU" and is the only candidate committing to building young people involvement. However he says " we have the right message and just need to sell it" ( actually our message is pathetic, loses votes and needs serious attention )

3 ( Belobaba, Montcrieff, Stroud) commit to using their MEP resources for building UKIP domestic capability capacity message and professionalism across the board , aiming at political influence and winning domestic elections. eg :-
Belobaba - "MEPs wont get us out of EU, only MPs will... energy £ and staff will be used to support branches and local/MP candidates"
Montcrieff - " Will develop policies, build credibility,improve organisation and admin as essentials of a viable national party. Work to fill gap as public lose faith in political establishment"
Stroud - " Will formulate effective strategy to attract those unconverted, underpin branch, regional and national activity, voice bridging generations, develop front line winning issues".

For me, playing games in Brussels is largely luxurious displacement activity wasting resources which should build in UK. So on what they SAY, the last 4 have twigged in various ways all or some of what is needed ,and are the preferred candidates with Montcrieff and Belobaba at the top then Stroud then Aldridge

Any similar analysis for other regions ?
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Sorry, I forgot Finch who whilst promising openess and doing his stuff on EU issues, recognizes Brussels is a "hollow shell.. and my committment must be in UK " He will be branch focussed in using his resources , eg fundraising publicity,recruiting, promoting UKIP through local organisations, and publicising issues identified by branches. (This misses out need for this to be in context of central approach to capability raising but is refreshing good stuff and shows some right thinking so he deserves coming high in the list)
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This does seem a long way round - those most able to build UKIP as a force in domestic politics are individuals who live and work [or are retired] in Britain.

Surely the best route would be for MEPs to be banned from any executive position in the party. Membership income must amount to £300k [15k x £20] - this should pay for an office and some UK staff. Anything the MEPs could add by way of time and £'s would be a bonus.

The very real possibility of there being a significant reduction in the number of MEPs has not been considered. If none are elected is the Party over? Actually not metaphorically.
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If none are elected the party must be over ,after all UKIP wishes to restore democratic government to these isles ,it can hardly seek to do that without a democratic mandate itself .
Realistically it can take a bit of a reduction in MEPs but if its number of MEPs is half or less it will surely fade .
If it links with Ganley and co who knows what might happen .
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Originally Posted by prober:
1 (Aldridge) stresses credible policies and "presenting a positive vision for a future, not just attacking EU" and is the only candidate committing to building young people involvement. However he says " we have the right message and just need to sell it" ( actually our message is pathetic, loses votes and needs serious attention )

At risk of being pedantic I would like to point out that what I mean by that statement is that we have the right underlying message (i.e. leave the EU and restore democracy in the UK, make our own laws, make our own trade policies, etc) and that what we have to do is sell it (i.e. get our act toghether and learn how to sell it).

I am not saying we are selling it right and just need to do more fo the same, quite the contrary. Our beliefs/values are the right ones, we now have to find a way to communicate them better and more effectively.
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Bloody hell Prober. I thought you knew something I didn't. I thought I had been kicked off the list.

Given the "letter" was only allowed to be 200 words it had to be narrowly focused.

If I can expand a little.

I see no purpose whatsoever in sitting there pressing buttons at their so-called "Parliament". I simply will not do it. If the party wishes me to turn up for publicity purposes to embarrass the scum then I will of course obey party orders and turn up but I refuse to give it legitimacy by voting there. It is not our Parliament and to acquiesce in this sham merely enables them to have the appearance of co-opting us and makes us appear as much Quislings as the rest of them.

I will instead spend my time here spreading the word. I will be at the beck and call of our branches. They know what they need. If they have a problem that I can deal with through virtue of being an MEP then they can call me and I will be there. I will support existing branches, build new branches and rejuvenate ailing ones. Exactly as I am doing now as the Hampshire co-ordinator. I will build as many media contacts as possible. I have already done this at my local branch level where we made the main headlines in the "Portsmouth News" election special for the May locals with "UKIP leads the charge against the Tories!". at the top of the double page spread. I think I know how journalists think and they always seem receptive to my ideas.

I know the only way we will free our nation is to get ourselves elected in this country. I will help any of our candidates who need it with my time and energy. This is one of the few uses for a UKIPper of having the letters MEP after my name. I will also help Young Independence as much as they desire. I have already established good relations with some of the officers to get an idea of what they need.

I have also committed to giving a tithe of my salary to the party and if I receive any expenses over and above my expenditure due to the way they pay MEPs then an exactly equal sum shall go from my pocket into party funds. My financial records, including the names and salaries of any employees will be independently audited and available to ANYONE to scrutinise at any time. We need to be like Caesars wife. We need to have a "Clean hands" policy.

In short, we must not be a Vichyist party. We have to reject the EU and its mechanisms completely. We must use the resources gained through the votes of the British people to make our party strong and electable both in the local councils (My belief is we need to use the Liberals "Pavement politics" strategy to do so) and, ultimately, in Westminster. That is my proposal.
[Rep]

Originally Posted by Millennium3:
This does seem a long way round - those most able to build UKIP as a force in domestic politics are individuals who live and work [or are retired] in Britain.

Surely the best route would be for MEPs to be banned from any executive position in the party. Membership income must amount to £300k [15k x £20] - this should pay for an office and some UK staff. Anything the MEPs could add by way of time and £'s would be a bonus.

The very real possibility of there being a significant reduction in the number of MEPs has not been considered. If none are elected is the Party over? Actually not metaphorically.

I for one am happy to give the promise that I will not seek any executive position in the party whilst (if) continuing to sit as an MEP (if offered such a position I would resign if I wished to accept it).

I agree with you that the people who can best build UKIP are those here in the UK. Unfortunately as a party we seem to lack direction and focus. This is why I'm standing. I'd happily volunteer to become a county or regional organizer but I have a family and need to put food on the table.

Ideally we shouldn't have to rely upon MEPs to provide funding for the party, which is why one of my main goals if elected is to assist branches in recruiting new members. If our branches had an average membership of about 300 instead of the current average of about 60, then we would probably find fundraising a great deal easier.
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Two of our MEPs get to sit on the NEC - would you stand for that?
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