Farage is not UKIP's only loser

It looks like the skids are under Farage and not before time as the membership realise what a disaster he has been and dodgy MEPs demand his head. The crucial requirement of a good leader is his judgement of people and his ability to attract people of talent to the cause. Farage failed both these tests. Marta Andreasen was patently a political opportunist who would do anything to become an MEP. Farage foisted her on the the South East region with the help of that other political disaster Pearson who appears to have provided Andreasen with an accommodation address to facilitate her nomination as an MEP despite her failing six of the UKIP MEP requirements as I and many others pointed out to Farage at the time.

Rather than surround himself and UKIP with people of talent and integrity Farage did the opposite with the result that the higher echelons of UKIP are now full of mediocrities. Former Farage nominated chairman and now deputy leader Nuttall is a prime example. He was not even voted in as first on the Lancashire MEP list and was only elected as an MEP when the members first choice, Beaman, decided to stand down allegedly after receiving phone calls from Farage. I personally experienced Nuttall's lack of ability to chair NEC meetings.

As well as Andreasen many UKIP MEPs are am embarrassing to listen to and do the party no credit whatsoever with their behaviour which in some cases borders on Europhilia. Bloom, Clarke, Agnew, Dartmouth and Bannerman spring to mind. Only Nikki, Trevor and Mike Natrass have tried to fulfil their and UKIP's election promises. Further down the chain we have 18 year old mayoral candidates a chairman of YI who should be on the HMV record label, Gawain Towler, Mark Croucher, Annabelle Fuller etc, all Farage proteges and sycophants whose real ambition is to get on the EU gravy train preferably as an MEP.

I watched the Daily Politics yesterday when a SNP minister I had never heard of was given a very hostile interview by Anita Anand during a totally pro-Union programme. The SNP MSP coped brilliantly. Neither Anand or rabidly pro-Union Andrew Neil could dent this housing minister. UKIP has no one of this quality and that is why they will not succeed until not only Farage goes but also all his appointees.

So who next for UKIP leader? The only UKIP MEP I have not mentioned is Gerard Batten. Gerard is a decent man but lacks backbone when confronting Farage so for that reason cannot be a contender. Tim Congdon is very clever, UK committed but is far to academic and lacks the common touch. Of the current NEC only Steve Allison looks to me a possibility. At least he does know how to run an election campaign and given UKIP's latest disaster that is a considerable positive. The truth is most of the talent has been forced out of UKIP by Farage and his paid sycophants who masquerade under anonymous names like Septic and pretend to be independent.

I hope that as in a Wagner opera some pure UKIP youth will emerge to lead UKIP to its true destiny but I expect yet another recycled old useless Tory.