As soon as UKIP announced its candidate to contest the Eastleigh by-election then out come the Tories saying to UKIP supporters don’t vote for her – vote for us.
The United Kingdom Independence Party has selected councillor Diane James to fight the Eastleigh by-election now that the seat has become vacant after LibDem Chris Huhne resigned following his speeding points saga.
Cllr James said that she joined UKIP in 2010 as that party was the only one that represented her political views. The UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, said "Diane has a successful record as a healthcare and political campaigner and she wants to stand up for ordinary communities who are being so badly affected by the coalition government in this country."
But in a sign of how increasingly worried the Conservative party are over the increasing success of UKIP Daniel Hannan, the Conservative MEP for South East England, argues in the Telegraph that UKIP supporters should vote tactically for his party’s candidate, Maria Hutchings, in the upcoming election.
Further he even suggests that UKIP should withdraw from this battle and openly support Maria to show some sort of good faith towards their ultimate cause. “First, and most obviously, it would mean one more vote in Parliament for withdrawal.” He says and continues “Second, it would impress voters. ‘Golly’, they would say, ‘these Ukip people really mean what they say about putting country before party.’”
He then outlines another five reasons why UKIP and its supporters should meekly withdraw and vote Tory.
But why should UKIP worry about a party whose government is unlikely to survive the next general election?
Why should UKIP supporters even consider voting for the Tories, whose leadership is totally committed to keeping the UK tied ever more tightly to the EU yolk?
Diane James (UKIP)
Why should UKIP throw away the chance to shine in this by-election and show the country that they are now a totally viable party with rounded policies that go far beyond the ‘EU out’ single issue?
A strong result in Eastleigh would also send a strong message to those future ‘on the fence’ voters that a vote for UKIP was by no means a wasted vote.
In fact it makes more sense for those Conservatives (and any other party supporters or the undecided) who want out of the EU to vote tactically and actually back the UKIP candidate. Now that would make the Tories sit up and listen! And that would also force Labour (and possibly the LibDems) to wake up to the real feeling in the country and promise an in/out referendum, albeit belatedly.
UKIP now needs to stand firm and fight a vigorous campaign. It needs to show people how far the EU encroaches into our everyday lives and drives the decisions that our national politicians make.
I totally agree with you. Everyone knows the only reason flim flam man Cameron has 'sort of' offered a 'sort of' referendum if he wins the 2015 election (and he won't) is the UKIP vote. I expected better of Dan Hannan. I usually agree with most of what he says. I guess he is trying to have it both ways.
Hannan would be a great asset to UKIP. If he wants to put country before party, why doesn't HE act tactically and defect to UKIP?
Well said and a good point about Daniel Hannan. He's the one who should be voting tactically for UKIP!
UKIP has a great chance here of really scaring the 'Big Three' (or is that Two and a Half?).
There is no longer any Conservative party to vote for ( except UKIP ). The Tories are a bunch of snivelling traitors who have no intention of leaving the EU, they gave votes to prisoners and pushed through gay "marriage" after publicly denying that they would do so. What a bunch of despicable spineless blobs.
Hannan should be ashamed to remain in that party.
Diane James is a wonderful candidate and I have a feeling she is going to be UKIP's first MP at Westminster.
I will admit to being a disgruntled former Conservative voter who now votes UKIP although I have voted Labour at 3 elections before now and used to be in the Green Party 25 years ago. But UKIP are NOT the Tories in a different colour. We are earning votes off all parties, as became clear to me canvassing in Eastleigh yesterday.
Labouring English men and women people have begun to realise that mass immigration has driven their wages down and affected their housing and hospitals. For example, stopping us deporting foreign criminals because of their 'human rights' (the rights they took from others by their crimes). Stuff like the EU loan that allowed Ford to relocate the Easteigh Transit van production to Turkey wth the loss of 480 local jobs. And they are getting fed up with being called racist bigots for saying they don't want another half a million immigrants from Bulgaria and Romania next year when the gates open.
Hopefully the class war rhetoric and tribal loyalty may give way to enlightened self interest as working class voters realise their Labour MP is more likely today to be a millionnaire Oxbridge political studies graduate Milliband clone than an ex-miner or postman.
UKIP is not just for disgruntled conservatives.