UKIP founder Alan Sked launches New Deal party

 

Comments

[Edward Huxlet]

I joined the UKIP 20 years ago when he was leader. Recently sent him some photos of him speaking at a fund raising event held in our garden. At first the policy was, if elected, our MEPs would not go to the parliament in Brussels, but later that was changed by a majority vote. UKIP is a party for the centre right and doing well.

Is there a need for a new centre left party? I wish you all the best, but don`t do it Alan, we already have one, led by David Cameron.

[It doesn't add up...]

If they aim at taking a couple of points off the Labour vote the next election might get interesting.

[MartinWW]

Alan Sked seems to me a dreamer, and deeply unimpressive. I am not a member of UKIP so I have no exe to grind. But it is not a right-wing party, and is already drawing in voters from across the spectrum, including from the Labour Party. UKIP does need to get its collective act together, and become better informed about how to extract us from the EU. However, Alan Sked's new party, I'm afraid, is a dud.

[Fernando-Hobbs]

UKIP’s problem is that it wants to be a political party rather than a one issue pressure group. There are plenty of groups, which attract a great deal of support and money, for single issues like the environment, Taxpayers’ Alliance, UK Uncut and so forth. UKIP should have stayed as a pressure group advocating withdrawal from the EU and developing rigorously-researched policies to cope with the situation after that. By deciding to have policies on matters like grammar schools and gay marriage it automatically cuts itself off from many people who would otherwise be sympathetic.
It’s in a proper mess: squabbling, incoherent, nasty, repelling more people than they attract and incapable of gaining the 40%+ of the vote needed to win seats under FPTP. This folie de grandeur by Farage and Weeler is ruining any sensible discussion about the place on Britain in the world.

[HYUFD]

If you want a eurosceptic left-wing party then you will vote Green (which is anti-UK membership of the Euro for instance). This is likely to have about as much success as the Pro Euro Conservative Party (which was basically founded by a Europhile MEP who couldn't be bothered to join the Liberal Democrats)

[HYUFD]

Fernando Hobbs Disagree, UKIP's policies of opposing gay marriage and supporting grammar schools will attract not just traditional Tories who feel unrepresented by Cameron, but also many socially conservative, traditional Labour voters

[tarpapershack]

I feel that the country needs a traditional party which will do what the modern Conservatives will not - deal with immigration and get us out of the European Union. We need to improve our education system too. Whether ukip would do these things or not, I dont know. And frankly I dont care as - and I have realised this from the people who post on here - the party is filled with idiots. I hoped a few years ago that the likes of Godfrey Bloom were the exception rather than the norm but, in fact, they are the norm. No one younger or better educated or in any way modern would ever vote for such tomfoolery and so ukip wont get anywhere. I cant comment on this founder person but I wonder why he split from the party?

[HYUFD]

tarpapershack Sked is an intellectual who studied under AJP leader, and basically a social democrat apart from being a eurosceptic, in other words, with the exception of his views on Europe, the total opposite of Farage

[dr_redmayne]

If they take a couple of points off labour, let alone anyone I would be very surprised.

[Fernando-Hobbs]

HYUFD, I don’t think the Greens are the anti-EU party of the left. They are in favour of the EU, but a very different EU from the one we have now. They are certainly very critical of the way the EU operates at present, but their solution is not a return to nation states pursuing their own interests.
By trying to create a fully-fledged political party by attempting to outflank the Tories, Farage and company are splitting the forces wanting an independent UK, and tarring the whole idea with anti-immigrant and extreme right-wing policies.

[ogga1]

Fernando-Hobbs

"Tarring the whole idea with anti-immigrant and extreme
right-wing policies"
Complete and utter rubbish.
Anti mass uncontrolled immigration did that pass you by, as for
extreme right -wing, as i say complete rubbish.

[RC Sharp]

As much as I favour UKIPs anti EU stance,its appeal has a glass ceiling insofar as its domestic policies would not curry favour with the required 40% plus of the electorate.Its basic philosophy is ,if it serves the masses privatise it, i.e NHS,State Schools,Housing Associations,Public Parks,the list goes on.
Alan Sked is hardly telegenic or media appealing,but his ideals would have mass appeal if led by a high profile labour defector,hardly likely this side of general election,but who knows after 2015 ?