I hope to god that somebody from UKIP NEC is reading this blog and filters to Mr. Farage. If Farage was clever enough he could slap Cameron down in one go if he stated that Cameron is talking nonsense and that the "colleagues" will not negotiate and that Cameron needs to mention Article 50. Cameron is bound to be supported by the likes of the Daily Mail and other "right-wing" media. It wouldn't surprise me that the "left-wing" media would also support Cameron about negotiation.

As an aside, I am currently reading Nigel Farage's book "Flying Free". What I have read so far he is quite complimentary to you in how you wrote the 90 second speeches for the MEPs in the European Parliament!

Edited by user 04 January 2013 14:08:18(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Does he also reveal how he stitched me up on the MEP selection and then went to Brussels to fire me?

C'mon Richard, the man's a politician and politicians know not truth - only fiction!

The Vapid Ponce is a shallow minded PR spiv who has been found out. No right thinking person should care in the slightest for anything he says or does, you can be sure that whatever he says he is lying, and that really is a cast iron guarantee. It is as plain as a pikestaff that the Tory plan is to do a Wilson Mark II and parade some meaningless pabulum as a "renegotiation". If the British people fall for it twice, then they deserve what they will get.

I'm afraid that does sound awfully like sour grapes Richard. There must be quite a few UKIP members like myself who back the Harrogate Agenda (or would if they had ever heard of it) and have taken on board what you and others have said about the need to plan for exit via TEU Article 50. However it is a fact that UKIP have the lead in promoting the EU exit agenda and that Farage will get the lions share of any media exposure. Your sensible approach will get nowhere unless you are able to influence public opinion and at present having 100,000 visitor stats isn't going to do it. If all that separates you, David and other like minded bloggers from UKIP is disagreement (or difference of emphasis?) over exit strategy, a stitch up and a sacking then surely it is worth getting quartet sympathetic Kippers to place internal pressure. I would certainly be willing to give it a go if I knew how to go about it.

Edited by user 04 January 2013 16:10:44(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

The heart of the matter is simply that Farage has a very limited vision of how the eurosceptic campaign should be run and, if anyone close to him has a different view, he gets rid of them. That is why he got rid of me, and has got rid of many others. There are far more ex-UKIP activists than there are currently activists in the party - some very good people have left or been forced out, and have no intention of repeating the experience. This is not simply a question of "disagreement" - it is far more serious than that.

Farage simply will not tolerate any view but his own, and will not listen to any views that do not accord with his own. Anybody close to him who persists is ruthlessly pushed out of the party. You will not change him. Many have tried, and all have failed. And that is why we are outside UKIP, and will never have anything to do with the party as long as he is leader. Behind the "cheerful chappie" exterior, is a cold, selfish, self-centred, calculating bully. He rewards loyalty with treachery, to the extent that it is impossible to work with him or trust him. "Sour grapes" doesn't even begin to describe it - it is an absurd description to apply to a situation where UKIP has acquired a leader who is, single-handedly, poised to wreck our chances of winning a referendum.

As to any campaign, political parties cannot bid for - or take part in - the official "no" campaign. This must be run by a non party-political entity. The only hope we have is to build a coalition that by-passes UKIP and is able to mount a campaign which is not lumbered with Farage's stupidity and myopia. Fortunately, that is possible, and we may be able to minimise the damage that the man will do.

Thanks for your very straight talking reply - much appreciated. I think I am beginning to understand the situation better. Even so I will retain my membership for the time being and try to get more involved locally. I haven't really got to know my local branch people well enough to ask searching questions yet - let alone the leadership!

I should be engaged with all this, perhaps I am weary, tired of the shilly-shallying of the green tosser - who only believes in the EU because someone told him to be so.

Ifs, buts and apples and nuts, I shall wait until he makes his great utterance sometime in mid January, until that date - Dave is only gauging the wind by putting his finger up, so to speak.

And it is all idle speculation, frustrating but that is how it always is with the EU - we only get half a [sometimes less] story.

Seems Cameron has nailed his colours there then,it is against British national interest to take a secondary status membership(whatever form that might be).I note withdrawal is not even considered

A pretty lame negotiating tactic though,ruling out your starting point.But that would be too confrontational I expect,maybe he has expressed his views behind closed doors as is the way on matters EU.

But even the Guardian reporter has that one worked out

Edited by user 04 January 2013 17:49:30(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I'm sure I'm not alone in having no interest whatsoever in what Cameron has to say later this month, or any other occasion on which he opens his mouth. I have never heard him do anything but spout platitudes, and I expect no better from him now. And anyway I'm sure that all the decisions about Europe have already been taken, behind closed doors, by whoever it is that runs this country. And in due course we will find out what the decisions were, after a showy "public consultation" (perhaps a referendum) in which the public will no more be consulted than they ever have been in the past about anything else.