Things started badly for me as I drove early into the car park and there was Farage in a one sided conversation with the other three candidates, Tim, Bannerman and Winston. It took a while to get going but I enjoyed my time at the bar meeting other UKIPers. I was pleasantly surprised by how many came up to me, said hello and shook my hand, even Mr Bannerman but not of course Mr Farage or any of his 'team'.
According to the literature at the meetings the teams, most of whose members were not present, were with their promised jobs::
Bannerman: Maloney (present)
Congdon: Batten deputy leader (present) and Allison party chairman
Farage: Crowther CEO (present), Pearson & Woolfe fund raising, Graves Party Sec, Nuttall YI
McKenzie None
The meeting was chaired by Arnott, a Farage/Nuttall appointee The format is each candidate gives a 5 minute opening address followed by one minute to answer pre submitted quesions selected by young Farage man Arnott who seems to have put on a lot of weight since I saw him last 2 years ago. Positively Knapmanesque one might say. The meeting ended with each candidate given two minutes to sum up their position.
There was no unvetted questions from the floor and as a result Farage got away with some quite outrageous answers which were strangers to the truth as some members of the audience well knew.
The high spot was a Bannerman Farage spat over Farage admitting he had not bothered to read Bannerman's policy document/manifesto something which Pearson had obviously not done either and as a result was crucified on live TV.
Tim gave a passable but lack lustre performance. He needs to sharpen his act, speak with more passion, take on Farage's untruths head on and argue strongly for change..
Bannerman was better than I expected from working with him on the NEC. He did take on Farage head on over the policy issue.
Farage gave his usual loud monkey on a pole performance down to the cigarette paper metaphor. Has he ever given a speech without it? It went down well with the Faragistas in the audience who seem to have collectively poor short term memories. It was the same old Farage speech they must have heard many times before.
Winston was funny at times. I expect him to pull out in favour of Farage. He did sign Farage's nomination papers after all! I next expect to see Winston in the London Mayor contest.
Who won the debate? Farage but it was a rigged deck. That is the UKIP way.
14 comments:
Will you be wasting the rest of your life playing this loser's game? Sour grapes, anyone? I mean, who the hell is "Dr Eric Edmond" and who cares?
I write because I care for our country and want to leave it to my children as my parents did for me.
Sadly Farage won the first round.
There was some criticism of Batten's failure to increase UKIP support in London. This was then used to attack Congdon. But what of Derek Clark in the East Midlands? He is a Farage supporter and yet under his leadership the membership of EM is now about 800!
Yes indeed Junius and the EM membership is still falling! But Clarke is a protected Farage supporter so like Pearson his manifest and many failings are overlooked.
Hi,
clearly Anonymous cares about you Eric - in fact he is so embarrassed about his feelings for you he dare not be man enough to use his name.
Isn't that sweet but does your wife know you have become an icon for perverts?
Do keep plodding on - it would be so nice to have a EUroRealist party that we could be proud to support not one where so many of its claimed supporters are ashamed to put their name to it (but who can blame them in association with such corruption and incompetence).
Regards,
Greg_L-W.
Greg, Anon is clearly short of icons if he has gone for me! When you set up your Eurorealist party let me know so I can consider joining. Until then I will as you say just keep plodding on.
Greg, it is noticeable that the supporters of Farage's UKIP are so unwilling to put their name to their nasty and malicious comments. What sort of party is it whose supporters dare not speak their name? Toxic and Septic I opine.
Hi,
I'd be glad of any help any genuine Patriot can give - Have a look at:
http://TheMidnightGroup.blogspot.com
for an active cross party initiative.
similarly:
www.Leave-The-EU.org.UK
which is just sitting ready for action with a built in Forum for comment and discussion.
I hope this helps and if I can help anyone my phone number is always available.
Regards,
Greg_L-W.
Yes, I liked the pics of Nikki talking to Wedgie and BB. Talking of pics and given what unflattering things you have said about my pic may I suggest you think of a new pic for yourself. The current one makes you look a bit Mephistophelian.
Hi,
so when was I 'unflattering' about your pic.?
How could I be rude about a UKIP icon ;-)
Yours,
Mephisto
(flattering pics. of me are IMPOSSIBLE!)
Agreed. We none of us can help what we look like.
Tim Congdon is UKIP's best hope. He is a decent man who really wants to reform the party.
A Farage win would mean the end of the party.
Where was this criticism of Batten? I was there the whole time and I did not hear anything regarding that.
Hi,
Anonymous do you not realise your anonymity grants you the status of untrustworthy?
Regards,
Greg_L-W.
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