“They thought their election heralded a revolution - but what have they achieved?”
In the run-up to this election, UKIP was in the doldrums. In comparison to their triumph in 2004, aided by a blaze of publicity thanks to the likes of Robert Kilroy-Silk and Joan Collins, the party seemed a shadow of its former self.
But, on Saturday, an opinion poll in the Times revealed that the party may get more votes than the ruling Labour party - some transformation.
In a recent radio broadcast, BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell gave a thoroughly entertaining (if pretty harsh) account of the party, but one that unsurprisingly riled UKIP leader Nigel Farage - who described it as “grossly unfair” and “the the worst piece of radio journalism I’ve ever heard.”
Here are some selected highlights from the Mardell report:
“Most members of the European Parliament regard UKIP as profoundly unserious pranksters with a weird obsession.”
“Criminal betrayal - so said UKIP’s rising star, Robert Kilroy-Silk MEP, the former Labour MP and daytime TV host. He’s the man with the orange complexion, you’ll remember.”
“An incompetent joke - that’s the verdict of another leadership contender. The pronouncements of sore losers, perhaps. But there’s something of a theme here which real opponents have been quick to pick up on.”
“Fruitcakes, loonies, closet racists was what David Cameron said about them. And it’s the last bit that annoys the current leadership.”
“Nigel Farage, the current leader has dismissed the idea that they’re the BNP in blazers.”
“UKIP condemns the EU gravy train, but a good proportion seem to have prominent gravy stains all down their blazers.”
And the even MORE damning conclusion:
“For them, the risk is that they become part of an institution they despise - the licensed court jester who can poke fun at the EU’s po-faced pretensions as long as they make the withdrawal look like a lost cause for mavericks.”
As I say, the broadcast was thoroughly entertaining, but one of UKIP’s opponents would have struggled to come up with a stronger diatribe against the party. He also failed to comment on anything about UKIP that actually appeals to voters - which, especially judging from the polls, it clearly does.
While the fringe-party-focus for these elections has been (arguably rightly) the threat of a BNP victory, if UKIP has taught us anything, it is that it would be a massive mistake to underestimate them.
(4 votes, average: 2.75 out of 5)
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You can only feel pity and compassion for Nigel Farage and his colleagues. Such a xenophobic and irrational approach to reality.
The rather obvious purpose of this post is to damn UKIP prior to the European elections - including repeating Mardell’s comments. There’s a lot of this at present.
Despite all the anti-UKIP vitriol, their support still shows that about 15% of Brits are prepared to vote for an anti-EU party (and it isn’t the only party).
Not to forget the support that the “anti-Lisbon Treaty” Conservative Party will get at the European and national elections.
Anna, I disagree that this is a post “to damn UKIP prior to the elections” especially as the title of the post cites Farage’s criticisms of the report. And the post includes references to the massive success of the party in the polls. And how we shouldn’t underestimate them. I’m not sure you actually read what I wrote.
I`m a UKIP supporter and think their poster with Winston Churchill on is irrelevant, uninformative and old fashioned.
But then ,what do EUrophiles cite as the reason to set up the EU project ?