Wednesday, March 21, 2007

UKIP Split Imminent?

Three of UKIP's eleven MEPs have apparently formed a separate group and are operating semi-autonomously from the main UKIP group. The MEPs are Roger Knapman, Tom Wise and Mike Nattrass. Knapman and Nattrass were incensed at Nigel Farage's lack of support for Wise when he was accused of (and admitted to) financial irregularities. You can see more of the ferrets in a sack on the Democracy Forum site HERE. Here's an extract from one the posts.
"Last week it became almost common knowledge amongst a fairly large group of people that Roger K , Mike N,Tom W,and possibly one other had formed a sub-group in the Ind Dem Group .In short they have distanced themselves from Nigel`s control but for ,the time being anyway, they have remained within UKIP .So they have rather cleverly made their point without bringing the roof down and still allowed the group to claim shed loads of money.Apparently EU Parliamentary rules allow this sort of thing ."
Bearing in mind that UKIP had eleven MEPs elected in June 2004, to lose a third of them within three years does seem just that little bit careless.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shall we wait and see what happens in the con. EPP heaven before we get too excited?

Marcusian said...

I dont know why iain dale is so worried about? He will probably defect UKIP as soon as Cameron's lack of policies is exposed...Or he doesnt get selection for the Tories because he doubts Climate Change actually exists!

Anonymous said...

And if Cameron and Maude keep to their promises regarding the EPP and Europhile MEPs then there won't be any reason at all to vote UKIP rather than Tory anyway.

Anonymous said...

3 out of 11 is nearer a quarter than a third.

Anonymous said...

Is this where the Sunday Telegraph and "Foggy" get their scoops?

UKIP@HOME said...

UKIP have lost egomaniac Kilroy-Silk - 1, alleged Housing Benefit Fraudster Mote - 2, Embezzler Wise - 3 and Knapman - 4 and Nattrass - 5 have just stormed off in a huff to form their own group with Wise with another possible MEP (6?) joining them.

They started with 12 Massively Expensive Parasites (MEPs)and have lost 5 - possibly 6. Somewhat careless!

And the news for UKIP just gets worse as one of their Councillors has just defected...

...to the Conservatives!

Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPe8ad8eLIE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fe%2Dukip%2Dhome%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F

Anonymous said...

Quelle surprise. Iain with an anti-UKIP half-story and the BNP's finest racist@home to add to the thread.

You work well together... ;-)

Anonymous said...

matt davis-Didn't someone pen a ditty called "IF"?

Andrew Ian Dodge said...

Yeah good to see the UK's interests are being well represented by the right in the EU. I fail to see why its good to see UKIP suffering, its not as if the Tory MEPs have Britain's interests. (Well except for one or two.)

Anonymous said...

UKIP's EU grouping has members from 9 countries. Cameron's post 2009 grouping has just 2, its founder members. He has not been able to find a single new member in almost a year.

Which makes Francis Maude's statement on Tory Radio that a newly elected Tory government will have "more leverage" in the EU completely laughable.

The EU will laugh in their faces.

How the Tory/UKIP roles are reversed in the EU!

Anonymous said...

'UKIP split Imminent'

It would be a pity, as the Conservatives does not stand up for this country's identity and way of doing things in the EU. But then that does not mean that the present UKIP is the most perfect vehicle either. Typical political 'Ferrets in a sack' I think.

Anonymous said...

Actually, Chad, Cameron has recruited some Bulgarian conservatives to the MER.

Remind us of the minimum number of members required for a political group to be established in the EP?

Anonymous said...

Iain, perhaps we should go back to appointing MEPs as in the past ? The List System strikes me as a hybrid development from that time pre-1981 when Parties simply nominated their functionaries to sit in the European "Parliament".

It is really a problem to know who to vote for; if UKIP implodes maybe abstention will be an option.

It is not worth voting Conservative since they are charlatans just like the LibDems or Labour or Greens.......

Perhaps a Suicide-Bomber Party could send elected representatives into the "Parliament" and to visit the Commission ?

Anonymous said...

Actually, Chad, Cameron has recruited some Bulgarian conservatives to the MER.

Remind us of the minimum number of members required for a political group to be established in the EP?


Wow! You have reached the one-third of UKIP's total!

The EU will be quaking in its boots!

Anonymous said...

What are they called - UKIPIPIP?

(All together: Hurray!)

Anonymous said...

Come now, Chad, answer the question, and don't make the mistake of assuming I'm a Cameron/MER Tory.

How many UKIPpers need to leave the Independence and Democracy group in the EP before it loses its group status and funding?

My calculation is that three defections will leave it at the bare minimum of 20, at which point any of the single-member national delegations in Independence/Democracy can start to name their price on Group policy, as they will have the Group leadership by the short and curlies.

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen 3 MEP's leaving. Just a disgruntled old witch Suchorzewski supporter up to her usual tricks. It's a cross we have to bear. ;-)

It's a tough life being a ukipper! :-)

Devil's Kitchen said...

"Remind us of the minimum number of members required for a political group to be established in the EP?"

I believe that you need 20 MEPs from 6 different member states to form an EP grouping.

The IndDem Group currently have 23 MEPs from 9 different member states.

DK

wonkotsane said...

Mike Natrass hasn't joined an alternative grouping - I've had that from the horses mouth.