The Saga within Ukip over it selection of list candidates for next May's Assembly Election
One of the original dissident candidates who had publicly criticised the party, and said he would resign if either Former Tory MPs Neil Hamilton or Mark Reckless were picked, on the list has himself been removed from the list of candidates being put to grassroots members.
Kevin Mahoney was removed from the list after a meeting of the party’s Wales committee decided to take disciplinary action in the wake of his comments.
There was a whiff o local democracy with the decision to hand grassroots Ukip members the final say on the party’s candidates
Announcing members were in charge of selection, Nigel Farage said last week:
However according to the Wasting Mule this appears to be a final bid to stop former Neil Hamilton.
The Mule says that according to sources
The source revealed there was “consternation” over the pair’s power bid and the latest row threatens Ukip’s surge in the principality.
Now this Blog has constantly disparaged the use of "sources" in the Mule's articles and sometimes take them woth a pinch of salt and sees no difference when this done about a party I loathe like Ukip
The Mule goes on to say that "A Ukip official" said:
If there any truth in it however it was hardly a triumph for Welsh Democracy if the reason the decision by Ukip’s ruling National Executive Committee to give member in Wales the final was afraid the presence of Neil Hamilton may be toxic to voters in Wales and handing control to members jeopardises his chances.
For most Parties such revelations would be extremely harmful to a Party ,but does this apply to Ukip who seem to have daily internal battles and resignation?
It doesn't seem to have affected their support in the polls so far.
If their current History is anything to go by even if they were to get the 5-6 AM's predicted they would lose a number to resignations before the following elections.
The election of Ukip to the Assembly may provide plenty of Copy for the Wasting Mule and myself and fellow Welsh Bloggers.
But I think I would prefer that this isn't happen.
One of the original dissident candidates who had publicly criticised the party, and said he would resign if either Former Tory MPs Neil Hamilton or Mark Reckless were picked, on the list has himself been removed from the list of candidates being put to grassroots members.
Kevin Mahoney was removed from the list after a meeting of the party’s Wales committee decided to take disciplinary action in the wake of his comments.
There was a whiff o local democracy with the decision to hand grassroots Ukip members the final say on the party’s candidates
Announcing members were in charge of selection, Nigel Farage said last week:
“I have long argued that the UKIP members in Wales should get the final say on who represents our party in the Welsh Assembly elections.
“These elections in May are our best opportunity to make a breakthrough into UK domestic politics.”
However according to the Wasting Mule this appears to be a final bid to stop former Neil Hamilton.
The Mule says that according to sources
Nigel Farage is understood to fear that the notorious ex MP would damage his party’s chances of picking up seats in Wales in May.
Polls put the party on course for anything from five to nine AMs through the regional lists, a form of proportional representation.
Sources within Ukip said that the decision to hand grassroots Ukip members the final say on the party’s candidates was a bid to stop former Tory MP Hamilton.
A senior Ukip source said:
“The thing with Hamilton is that every time someone tries to flush [him] the toilet he keeps coming back up.
“Every single time his name is anywhere near an election it becomes storm. Is there any election he won’t stand for?”
The source revealed there was “consternation” over the pair’s power bid and the latest row threatens Ukip’s surge in the principality.
Now this Blog has constantly disparaged the use of "sources" in the Mule's articles and sometimes take them woth a pinch of salt and sees no difference when this done about a party I loathe like Ukip
The Mule goes on to say that "A Ukip official" said:
“It doesn’t look great that Hamilton, with all his baggage, comes over the Severn Bridge to try and cleanse his CV.
“It could cost us votes, particularly when they see him with his bow tie. He won’t go down well in the places we expect to win votes.”
If there any truth in it however it was hardly a triumph for Welsh Democracy if the reason the decision by Ukip’s ruling National Executive Committee to give member in Wales the final was afraid the presence of Neil Hamilton may be toxic to voters in Wales and handing control to members jeopardises his chances.
For most Parties such revelations would be extremely harmful to a Party ,but does this apply to Ukip who seem to have daily internal battles and resignation?
It doesn't seem to have affected their support in the polls so far.
If their current History is anything to go by even if they were to get the 5-6 AM's predicted they would lose a number to resignations before the following elections.
The election of Ukip to the Assembly may provide plenty of Copy for the Wasting Mule and myself and fellow Welsh Bloggers.
But I think I would prefer that this isn't happen.
2 comments:
Farage didn't push for democracy at all he was quite happy with parachuted in candidates, also the UKIP Welsh committee didn't decide to take disciplinary action at all and has no power to do so against anyone even if it wanted to only the UKIP NEC or national chairman can take such action.
All leaked reports from supposed senior UKIP sources in the Western Mail have to be taken in the context that UKIPs media officer with very strong links to Shipton is Farage's very very close friend and former PR adviser Alexandra Phillips who herself is one of the controversial candidates parachuted in from England.
You'll note that although there is also all hell to play about her candidacy in Wales there is never any mention or criticism of her in these leaked reports alongside Hamilton or Reckless I'm sure you can draw your own conclusions about why not.
Anon is right - this story and its claims should be taken with a pinch of salt. It's obviously a planted story from the kippers press office designed to try and portray farage in a good light in this sorry sordid episode.
The fact is the likes of hamilton, wreckless - and the slippery alexandra phillips - are thick as thieves with farage, and are actually only on the candidates list in Wales because of their closeness to farage. Shame on the scribes at the WM for apparently being taken in by this blatant piece of kippers spin.
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