Bob Spink, the party\’s first MP.
"We\’ve an honourable history of fighting for freedom"….absolutely right, given that we pretty much invented the concepts of individual freedom and liberty.
"In joining UKIP I put my country before my career. The young men and women in our Armed Forces put their country before their very lives: my risk is minimal in comparison."
Tony Blair said "I\’m a pretty regular guy"….he lied.
David Cameron said he would withdraw from the EPP immediately. He lied.
Gordon Brown said we would have a referendum on the Constitution…he lied.
"Unlike David Miliband, I\’m not afraid to mention my party leader\’s name."
A very interesting little logical point. Why shouldn\’t we have a retrospective referendum on the Lisbon Treaty?
After all, 100% of referendums we\’ve had on European mars so far have been retrospective.
"As long as I have a voice in Parliament I will fight for its sovereignty".
“We’ve an honourable history of fighting for freedom”
Except of course when a certain Mr Spink votes for 42 days detention without trial.
Bob Spink is even less democratic than the EU. Nobody voted for him to be their UKIP MP. He should have stepped down and fought a by-election in order to confirm that the voters wanted a UKIP MP. Hypocrites.
Actually, Bob Spink didn’t include the word ‘Conservative’ in his manifesto and the policies he stood on are the same policies UKIP have.
Apart from the 42 days but that’s what he said his constituents wanted.
Trixy:
We live in a representative democracy, not a direct one, therefore the only time we can hold our politicians to account is election day. Most MPs are elected on the back of the popularity of their party (as shown by the lack of minor party/independent candidates elected to the Commons). An MP that changes parties and continues in his or her job is therefore betraying the electorate.
It might be that Bob Spink’s views coincide with the majority of his constituents. If so, let him prove it by getting a fresh mandate in a by-election. Many people would have voted for Bob Spink because he was a Conservative candidate (48.3% went to the Conservative candidate, 7.5% to the UKIP candidate). These people have been betrayed, because they voted for someone who no longer represents the party which they picked. I don’t live in Mr. Spink’s constituency, nor have I ever, but I am the sort of person who would vote Conservative, but not UKIP. What about all the Conservative activists who canvassed for Mr. Spink? Or those who donated money to his campaign? Or the association that selected him?
To turn the tables, let’s say that UKIP targeted three seats in the next election, and actually managed to get an MP through democratic means, i.e. an election. A year into the new parliament, this MP suddenly announces that he or she is defecting to the Conservatives, because UKIP are a bunch of anti-immigrant weirdoes. Is this right? What about the people who voted for this MP because of their UKIP badge, or the time and effort put in by UKIP volunteers, or those who were pushed aside to select this parliamentary candidate?
Mr. Spink would make a fine EU official, as he has the same mentality.
Trixy,
And what about the ballot paper? What was on that?
I’ve always had a problem when anyone from any party defects. You want to move parties? You stand down and give the electors a chance to give you a fresh mandate.