Monday 2 December 2013

Ukip's suicide in Scotland not yet replicated in Wales.

It seems that Ukip have committed suicide in Scotland 


According to the Herald UKIP chief Nigel Farage has sacked Scottish party leader Lord Christopher Monckton in an attempt to end infighting north of the Border.

The move has prompted the chairman and chief fundraiser of Ukip in Scotland to quit in protest. The party's administrative body has also been dissolved.
Monckton told the Sunday Herald: "There isn't any Ukip in Scotland. It's been wiped out."
This newspaper recently revealed the internal divisions ripping apart the anti-Europe party in Scotland.
Key figures, including Monckton and chairman Mike Scott-Hayward, believed a trio of senior party members, including former by-election candidate Otto Inglis, were plotting a takeover.
The grievances came to a head when six of Ukip Scotland's nine shortlisted candidates for the European parliament elections, including Monckton, resigned.
They did so in protest at Inglis's alleged tactics during the selection contest, which was eventually won by Farage ally David Coburn, who is Ukip's London chairman.
Relations are now at an all-time low and last Monday, Farage fired Monckton by email.
The party leader wrote: "After much thought and many weeks of dialogue between yourself, your committee and the officers of the party I have decided, with the support of the NEC, to remove from you the position of leader of Ukip Scotland."
One thing you can say about Farage he doesn't pretend that Ukip in Scotland are a Scottish Party.

In Wales alas Ukip  have a presence . Though only having  2 County Councillors they still have an MEP though John Bufton who wil be standing down next year. But there is no reason to give they will not retain that seat in the 2014 European Election.

An indication o UKip strength might come from the to Council by-elections (Splot and Riverside) in Cardiff on Thursday.where  Ukip are standing in both wards .


The threat to Labour however comes probably from the Liberal Democrats in Splot and Plaid  in Riverside.

There no Plaid Candidate in Splot  and they seem to be concentrating on Riverside . Whilst although the LibDems are running a candidate in Riverside this seems to have not registered with their ALDC website as details of only the Splot candidate are given.

Thursday will go some way to telling us if Plaid can reestablish themselves in Cardiff West and the LibDems start making the sort of gains that led them only recently to be the largest party on Cardiff Council.

Or will Ukip take enough of the Anti-labour vote to scupper their ambitions.?

IA failure for Ukip to match their progress in Byelections in England could lead to increased arguments that they are an English Party.

They are clearly seen as such in Scotland hopefully Wales will flow suit.






  

1 comment:

Owen said...

There's a by-election for Porthcawl Town Council coming up, with former Tory councillor and Assembly candidate Chris Smart standing for UKIP. I'd be surprised if they didn't do well.