Thursday 12 January 2012

SNP shows UKIP how its done

The SNP is like UKIP opposed in its main policy aim by every other UK national political and the UK national media including the BBC yet the SNP is making real progress to its aspiration of Scottish independence and UKIP is no nearer getting us out of the EU than when it was founded 20 years ago, indeed we are probably now more embedded in the EU than we were in 1992. UKIP in its current EUKIP incarnation is like Italy and its army going backwards.


The reasons why the SNP is succeeding and UKIP failing are instructive and obvious. Firstly they have campaigned and fought in their own country a sine qua non for any nationalist party serious about its independence aims. The SNP leader, Alec Salmond  , resigned his Westminster seat to return to Scotland to further the SNP cause.  EUKIP's leadership spend most of their working time in Brussels working for the EU! They are EU kept men and women but only in Andreasen's case..


Alex S has built up a talented leadership team who can hold their own with other parties and the media. Appearances on high profile TV political shows are shared among the SNP leadership who as a result are now "well ken't faces" North and South of the border. EUKIP is simply a Nigel Farage cult. All high profile media appearances are reserved for Nigel to further his real ambition to become a TV chat show host. 


In EUKIP anyone else  who might rival Farage in any way is discredited and eventually leaves UKIP. This of course has created a huge number  of dissidents  characterised by those seeking preferment from Farage as malcontents. There is by now a whole army of people so smeared to the extent UKIP ex-members now outnumber EUKIP members! Its difficult to win a war if your army keeps shrinking. Alec's army on the other hand keeps growing.


The SNP has a solid long term experienced membership who are in the SNP for their cause and put money into the SNP not like many in EUKIP who are there in eager anticipation of receiving the EU's 30 Euros.  There are no SNP 18 year old mayoral candidates still doing their A levels.


Note also the complete lack of Lords a'leaping in the SNP whereas EUKIP is stuffed full of broken down old aristos who live in grand houses and on grouse moors and have no idea how the ordinary people live. These aristos are in EUKIP to gratify their huge ego and vanity or as one once said to me to give him a 'platform for his views'.  The problem is his views are irrelevant to the ordinary voters of the UK and not worth listening to.


There are of course no redundant old Tories with lots of baggage in the SNP.  EUKIP has just saddled itself with the Hamilton's who did so much to undermine John Major's administration to add to Gill, Pearson, Monckton etc. What a collection! Alec prefers people like himself who have done real jobs and have solid talent and experience and no political baggage.


Finally read Peter Oborne and Alan Cochrane's pieces in today's DT for an unbiased assessment of Alec's talents and abilities. "Where he excels is with the broadcast media. A consummate TV performer especially with most London-based presenters." Indeed, he reminds me very much of Denis Healey in his pomp. No TV or radio interviewer ever laid a glove on him. Their questions just slipped of his brilliance and ended up in a little heap at the interviwer's feet.


But most of all Alec believes in the SNP cause and would die for it as William Wallace did. Farage on the other hand only believes in Nigel Farage.


PS I recently registered to comment on the Wall Street Journal articles. They will not accept comments from anonymous sources and demand your proper name and address before they will publish your comments. An excellent policy!


It would do a good deal to clean up EUKIP and elicit the truth if this rule were enforced by Anthony Butcher on his Democracy Forum where libellous anonymous postings proliferate and spread.

2 comments:

david abbott said...

spot on!

Eric Edmond said...

Thx David. I trust you and Catherine are well.Call into see us anytime

Eric