There is a tendency amongst some to regard UKIP as beyond criticism, displaying a sensitivity that is not extended to other political parties. That said, in any review of this latest piece in the Daily Mail, one must focus as much on the newspaper as its subject. This is the lowest possible grade of personality politics that does no-one any good.

One might thus question the judgement of Farage and his press team in allowing such a travesty to be published. It may play well with his fans, but its portrayal of Farage as the "Jack-the-lad" can do nothing to attract voters looking for a serious politician with workable policies.

However, even when the message is totally under the control of the party, as in this seasonal message on YouTube, we don't get a much more coherent picture. Farage, for instance, in a public utterance on Article 50, displays little of the tactical acumen than one needs of a successful party leader.

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This is the age when Boris Johnson can be spoken of (seriously) as the next Conservative Prime Minister.
This is not an age of gravitas.

Richard wrote -



He has a team, are you sure?

We live in an era and society that would destroy previous towering political leaders such as Churchill or Macmillan.
Churchill would never have survived his financial reliance on Sir Bernard Waley Cohen and Sir Henry Strakosch and as for Macmillan’s wife cuckolding him with Robert Boothby, the homosexual lover of Ronnie Kray!
Johnson is an interesting, if depressing, example of certainly how London’s electorate votes particularly after Livingstone----you may remember him ,he welcomed Irish terrorists at a time the security forces were scrapping the remains of children off walls in various British and Irish cities.
We do still have serious politicians but they don’t appeal to our juvenile media so will not get a sympathetic hearing.

Yes but the problem is the broadcast media, particularly TV, which because of its influence is pivotal. Unfortunately it is also dominated by the BBC, directly due to its size and indirectly due to the fact that it is at the centre of employment opportunities for the sector.

Plenty of wringing of hands - and not surprising seeing how well-entrenched the UKIP hierarchy seem to be, yet how shallow is their Leader and how weak is their organisation.

There is no question that the public in UK will suffer the downward slide of the Club-Med countries. Our manufacturing (trading) ability has been compromised by successive governments allowing Germany and now the Asian continent to develop their industries whilst we sat on our hands, except in some specialist areas.

The politians and financiers hold the high cards. Most politicians in the West, from Obama downwards sing to the tune of the financiers and their agenda. They will make money wherever they can, balancing the current international agenda for their advantage.

UK getting out of the EU is not in their agenda. Their friends in the media and in major businesses like Barclays, Unilever, Royal Dutch Shell et al, will do everything they can to prevent it.

To leave the EU, there needs to be a succession of stages:-

1. To remove the boulder (Farage's UKIP) blocking the path of a serious anti-EU Group and replace it with a genuine body comprised of people without an affinity to Labour, Conservative or Lib-Dem. To do so one must either infiltrate UKIP and take it over from the inside or replace it with something better organised and with a branch structure capable of delivering at election time. UKIP had David Lott, Malcolm Wood and notable others capable of running an election campaign but I doubt whether the current administration will be able to compete in the 2013 Local Elections, let alone a General Election in 2015. A huge effort will be made for 2014 European Elections, possibly with some successes, but they will not be able to make the jump needed for a general election. UKIP needs to be elbowed aside after the certain fiasco of the 2013 local elections and an alternative party with an army of volunteers prepared to compete with UKIP in the 2014 European elections, particularly in the Labour strongholds.
2. The policies which an anti-EU group develop must resonate with both the public and the bankers'/corporate interests. Leaving the EU is not a strong enough motive for the public. There needs to be financial carrot. Democracy in itself does not cut it with many people. It will take people, money, sound economic policies and election skills to compete in 2014 & 2015. Have we a leader ?

We need a figure head because that is what our culture requires.
As I wrote above about Churchill etc, image often differs from fact.
The Great Leader thing seems a bit continental for my tastes.
It won't be done with a big push but by panicking the Conservative brand of our political class.They are hardly much good at anything outside parliament so will support anything that keeps them there.

Farage has the team he deserves ... and the one he has fashioned. He prefers it that way.

If we were playing "fantasy UKIP" though, I would build a team to match and exceed the capabilities of Open Europe, making UKIP the "go-to" team for anything to do with the EU. That way, we would dominate the political and media environment.