The UK Independence Party has set up a new branch to cover the Forest of Dean and West Gloucestershire. This follows the Party’s success in the recent elections for the European Parliament where it scored 22% of the vote in the South West.The Inaugural Meeting was addressed by William, Earl of Dartmouth, the newly elected M.E.P. for the South West, at the Courtfield Arms Hotel in Lower Lydbrook. Lord Dartmouth thanked Forest members for the excellent results for UKIP highlighting the increase in vote over the 2004 election.
He gave his initial impressions of working in the EU where voting was dominated by the two largest groups, the European Peoples’ Party and the European Socialists. He remarked on the undemocratic nature of the EU in which more than 80,000 votes were needed to elect a UK MEP but only 60,000 were needed to elect a Maltese MEP. He noted that of the hundreds of political parties formed in the UK since the Second World War only two had made any lasting impact. Only UKIP could claim majority support for its policies.
There followed a question and answer session. There was mention of the need to publicise the extent of EU influence on UK law and for a cost-benefit analysis of EU membership and possible alternatives. Aswell as to push UKIPs domestic policies. Mr Danny Winter of Blakeney was elected as Chairman of the new Branch along with a new Committee. The new Branch’s first priority will be to select a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate to contest the forthcoming General Election.
If you can help, Mr Winter can be contacted on 07950 042625 or by e-mail at [email protected]
Josh O'Nyons is a former UKIP member.
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2 comments:
Good luck to the new UKIP branch just launched in the Forest of Dean.
The article says that Committee's first job will be to select a parliamentary candidate for 2010.
But with the General Election only nine months away at the most, it does not give the new candidate much time to make an impact.
In my opinion it takes at least three years to make any sort of impact on an area.
Unless of course you are a celebrity, then you would get all he publicity you want, and probably more.
Forest of Dean District Council Area.
If you compare their EU Elections 2004 result of 17.3% of the poll, with their EU Elections 2009 of 21.6%of the poll, you get an increase of 4.3%.
This was the biggest rise in the UKIP share of the vote in the South West Region.
Someone has been doing a lot of work in the Forest of Dean area.
All this was achieved without a local committee to organise things.
I would suggest you find out who has been doing all the work in that area and make them the parliamentary candidate.
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