We've seen very little coverage for candidates other than Nigel Farage in this leadership election, aside from pieces by the BBC that have to be impartial. The fact is that Farage, love him or hate him, is highly respected by journalists in and around Westminster.One of the leadership candidates, Professor Tim Congdon, has taken to saying that UKIP needs to focus more in the UK and London. I would put it to him and his supporters that you only have to look at the coverage Nigel Farage has received by those based in Westminster during the last few weeks to see how he has obviously worked hard there already. Sky News, the Daily Mirror, The Telegraph, the Daily Express and now the Sunday Express have all featured pieces from Farage in recent weeks.
Like it or not, none of the other candidates - whether MEPs or not - have received anywhere near as much coverage, if they have received any coverage at all outside of the BBC. And lets not forget Farage was also invited on Question Time not that long ago.
The fact is that Nigel Farage is rightly seen as being an incredibly able and articulate voice for anti-EU argument. There are none better, not just in my eyes, but in the eyes of the press who make their own minds up on who is credible and who is not.
I very much hope and expect that Nigel Farage will become Leader of UKIP again. His job now is to do what Caroline Lucas did effectively and make himself a figure the press go to not just on one key area, but on a broad range of issues. I would suggest there is incredibly fertile territory right now for UKIP on the areas of law and order, education and the fundamental question of the size of government.
UKIP could genuinely be the exciting, diverse grassroots British equivalent of the American Tea Party which has captured the imagination of the American public and which is set to make major gains in America's mid-term elections. But it needs that credible, respected figurehead to drive it forward. There is no one better for that role than Nigel Farage.
7 comments:
Agree with everything you say here.
Though I do agree with Congdon's emphasis on UKIP making a stronger presence in the UK.
If I were a UKIP member, Farage would have my vote. As someone who will almost certainly vote UKIP in the next Eurolections I hope Farage regains leadership.
Sure, Farage gets media exposure. He has been getting loads since 2004. Result - still no MPs, tiny number of councillors but a great EU2009 result. Vote Nigel as Yasin says for profile at next EU elections because that is what a C list celebrity will get you. Want to build a legitimate, relevant alternative to the now main two Parties (ConDem) and Labour? Hmm, not your man I am afraid - that being said he may be the least worst option.
Nigel has also captured the imagination of many on mainland Europe and the USA, especially through his speeches in plenary and his appearances on the Alex Jones Show (which is spiralling up in viewership like no other alternative media).
One point about the Tea Party - sadly, it seems like this has been taken over by the likes of Sarah Palin, the pro-war (neo)con ditz who never attacks the Federal Reserve bank. The Tea Party clan today is a far cry from the original movement that sprouted out of the Ron Paul campaign two years ago. One can say it's gone mainstream - which is good, in a way, but there you are - the red-blue paradigm at work.
As for those who say UKIP should have a stronger presence in the UK, well, do you think that's anyone's fault? There's a huge argument to make as to why UKIP has so many MEPs but no MPs and it has nothing to do with focus. What I am certain of is that none of the candidates can do a better job than Nigel.
"Nigel is the least worst option." ??
Praise indeed !
There is no one who comes within a whisker of Nigel when he appears on television, or speaks on radio etc.
UKIP have a fine public speaker.
May he get stronger.
I'm with Congdon on this one. I think we need Nigel Farage in Europe and Tim Congdon in the UK. We need the UKIP MEPS working full time for us in the EU as their absence in key debates/votes has been noted far too many times in the media and this will impact our percentage of the vote in the next EU elections.
The main point is that for all the publicity UKIP gets, we still can't manage to recruit even the most ardent of Eurosceptics from the three main parties. We need to learn from this before it is too late. We are simply not taken seriously.
A starting point would be fighting the big fights - assuring UK voters that leaving the EU would actually be good for the economy - and not with sweeping statements but backed up by detailed facts and figures. Instead we seem to fight for media coverage and then use it to talk about windmills.
One more point... As your friend Anti-globalist Eurosceptic mentioned above, you definitely don't want to use UKIP's name in the same sentence as the American Tea Party. This group has been hijacked by the extreme right wing gun-toting, bible-belting fanatics and their 'sharp as a marble' idol, Sarah Palin. Mainstream Republicans are trying very hard to distance themselves.
I think choosing Farage again will be a mistake. I like Farage a lot - he's eloquent and capable and he can certainly get media coverage. But if you choose him again you'll remain (in the majority public's eyes) trapped in your stereotype.
Professor Tim Congdon is, in my opinion, somebody with the qualities to give you more gravitas, purpose and solidity as a party. To shake off the image thats become a straightjacket to further gains.
But I'm a Conservative, so what do I know? : )
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