A Letter To Douglas Carswell Of #Ukip

Dear Mr Carswell,

Douglas. Dougie. Mate!

So, how are things, hmm? Good. Listen, we've been thinking.

You know all those reasons you gave for leaving the Tories and joining Ukip?

We've just reviewed... and you've achieved all of those.

• A EU Referendum? Check.
• Freedom to speak on Brexit? Check.
• A shed load of publicity? Check.
• On TV a lot more? Check.

You've done well ! Really well.

So ... isn't it time you went home, now?

You see, everyone knows you've always been a Tory, really. You've voted constantly in Parliament with them, almost always against Ukip's agenda. So nothing very much has changed in that regard.

But you gave Ukip a legitimacy that you're probably regretting right now. It probably seemed a good idea at the time. You were unknown outside Clacton. Or even in Clacton.

But since day 1, you've never really been accepted, have you? Tories hated you for being Ukip. Ukip hated you for being still a Tory. You freely accepted being the 'acceptable face' of a Party of Hate, telling yourself, every day, "It's all for Brexit".

Thing is, Ukip have now officially disowned you. They no longer need you, or want you. Nigel says he barely remembers who you are. Party members abuse you constantly. And you're are a leading light in the Brexit Group which is a rival to Ukip's own, so you don't need them either.

Now you've got what you wanted, isn't it time you put your coat on, gave Paul Nuttall the finger (metaphorically, please) and headed back?

Is there any benefit, at all, to staying?

You wouldn't lose out financially - but Nigel would. Can't you just imagine the look on his face?

In happier times

Now consider this: The one thing holding back your Brexit dream in the next 80 days is probably the uncontrolled antics of Ukip. Nigel, the long time cheerleader for EU Exit, his 'Cash Daddy' Arron Banks, and his website scrawler, Kassam at Breitbart, are all fixated on bringing you down, as well as Suzanne. Not really a happy family, are you?

Frankly, you probably stand more chance of Brexit if you cut the ties with the clowns, and announce it publicly soon.

Oh, yeah, one last thing: Suzanne phoned, she wants to go with you.

Best to the wife and kids.

SLAT

Share:

Read More

Ukip's Only MP Insults British Engineers, Gets Owned on Twitter over Computing

Carswell.
Idiot.

What is it with Ukip and Technology?

We know we joke sometimes about the Party being stuck in the past - but such a lack of knowledge and appreciation of the European and specifically British contribution to Computing is unacceptable.

We've had an amusing few days with Ukip MEP David Coburn wanting to leave the EU because he is unable to operate a modern toaster.

So now we now have Ukip MP (the only one) Douglas Carswell on Twitter, simultaneously;

• Displaying his total lack of knowledge of IT;
• Insulting all the many British Engineers who have contributed so greatly to our modern world, from Alan Turing to Sir Tim Berners-Lee;
• Ignoring the greatness of other European Scientific, Cultural and Technological inventiveness;
• Making a tit of himself.

It began when Carswell posted this:

We're not entirely sure why listing some successful American companies is at all a comment on the EU.

More pertinently, by omission, he denigrates and insults the companies and engineers he has chosen to overlook, British and European based.

You know, those people who, er, invented the entire infrastructure that the companies he mentions actually profits from, the infrastructure without which we'd never have heard of Google Facebook, et al.

• The Telephone - 1876, invented USA but by a Scottish immigrant, Alexander Graham Bell, with most critical early work done in Scotland.
  
• The Computer - 1822, The Difference Engine' theorised by Charles Babbage but never actually built until 2002. British.Or .. 1943, Colossus, created by Tommy Flowers. British.
  Or .. 1943, Bombe, created by Alan Turing. British.
• The Mobile Phone - 1973, invented by Motorola US but popularised in 1981 by the Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) system in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden by Nokia, Siemens, Ericsson.
  
• The Smart Phone - 1996/2000 - Created in USA by Palm, Inc, based on and inspired by the 1980's British Psion devices.
  
• Li-On Batteries - 1979, developed at Oxford University by a German scientist with his Japanese colleague.
  
• Linux (Android) : 1991 - The Operating System that runs Banks, Secure Transactions, Nuclear Power Stations, Airlines, Air Traffic Control, the Pentagon, entire Governments, 93% of the Internet and yes, probably your TV, Microwave and Car. Oh, and as Android, it's the biggest OS in the world. Oh, and Apple is based on it. Created by Linus Torvald of Finland.
  
• The Actual Entire WWW - 1989 - Invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee as a 'hyper' document format for sharing research information at Cern, Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire - the world-famous Scientific Project created and co-funded by 21 nations, mainly European, and part-funded by the EU.

Secondly, perhaps just as pertinently, Carswell revels in the success of some of the worlds (certainly the UK's) biggest Tax Dodgers; Amazon, Google, Apple, Facebook, Oh, and Twitter. Every company he mentioned, actually.

Thirdly, he omits to mention the contribution that Immigration played in the creation of those companies :

• Google - Co-founded by Sergey Brin, a Russian born immigrant.
• Apple - Co-founded by Steve Jobs, son of a Syrian immigrant. 
• Facebook - Co-founded by Eduardo Saverin, a Brazilian immigrant.
• Amazon - Founded by Jeff Bezos, son of Mexican immigrants, brought up by his Cuban step-father.

Ok. Carswell is specifically talking about a narrow sector, here. He could, of course, talk about the European success stories in Engineering, Commerce, Culture, or any other sector. But he won't. On the other hand, we will.

Where is America's Porsche, Ferarri, Lamborghini, Ducati ?

Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Savile Row ?

Saint Emilion, Krug, Courvoisier, Glenfiddich ?

Share:

Read More

Ukip, The One-Issue Party, is Critically Split On It's One Issue, Brexit.

Farage - no Untiy
in Ukip for Brexit

As we have reported before there are two Brexit groups vying for the nod from the Electoral Commission for Nominated Group: Vote Leave and Grassroots Out; and Ukip still don't know which way to tilt.

Surprising, that after 20 years of planning, Ukip cannot agree let alone on a policy or a plan, but even on a group to support.

Carswell - You rebel, you.

Grassroots Out is the group backed by Leave.EU - which is supported by Nigel Farage and funded by Arron Banks. Nigel Farage claims this is the 'Official' Ukip Group - although no vote was taken and the Ukip NEC was not consulted.

And here's the initial problem: rival group Vote Leave is backed by Ukip's only MP, Douglas Carswell, and Ukip's leading female figure, Suzanne Evans.

Well, Nigel, here's your new problem:

Douglas Carswell claims tonight that the core of Ukip - it's councillors - have turned their backs on Grassroots Out and jumped on the Vote Leave ship.

That's what happens, Nigel, when you unilaterally declare your Party's position behind a group while never actually asking anyone what they think.

Of course, Carswell could be lying. We don't know.

Lying, from a Elected Ukip Official? Shocking.

Share:

Read More

QuantumOverlord on Twitter Wanted A Debate With Us

@QuantumOverlord said Twitter wasn’t good enough, and wanted to write more.

He wrote this.

Q: "I do sympathize with UKIP as a party, however I do not agree with their policies on everything. Furthermore, I do acknowledge some people that vote UKIP are racist. Ironically perhaps more than 50% of UKIP voters sympathize strongly with labor which implies these voters are ignorant to the point they do not even realize UKIP is a fiscally conservative party. Such ignorance is not necessarily a vice, however it does suggest many supports of UKIP do not understand what the party represents. Were I of a more strident disposition I would be tempted to call these people ‘useful idiots’."

Q: "However the party itself and its policies is not well reflected in these individuals. Douglas Carswell, the party’s only MP, is a self described Gladstonian liberal and small government libertarian. And it is the balance of classical liberalism along with the namesake euroskeptism that attracted me to the party. Furthermore I consider myself to be a pragmatist and a realist and appreciate in these terms the need for controlled immigration (with the exception of the Green party, most political parties in the UK would also agree that mass, uncontrolled immigration is undesirable)."

Q: "I suggest to you that part of the reason UKIP is called racist so much is because immigration is a signature policy to UKIP and therefore bears the brunt of criticism from those that support mass immigration. To summarize, while my views are not identical to those of UKIP, my motivations for supporting the party are out of pragmatism, euro-skeptism and economic permissivism. And while my motivations are likely to be dissimilar to a significant minority of UKIP supports, they are not so incongruent with the party itself."

Share:

Read More

To #Ukip Eurosceptics – A Message, A Question

Always we have always fought UKIP on their Racism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Islamophobia, etc, etc.

A trickier subject to fight on is the central Ukip aim of Brexit. In fact, the Exposing UKIP team actually have some Eurosceptics within it.

Yes, it’s true. There *is* actually a Ukip policy which a few of us agree with. Shocking.

However what’s clear is the Ukip central debating point of Immigration. The economics of Brexit are neatly side-stepped as Ukip continue to make Immigration the key point of the debate.

Why ? Because they know that so many are concerned about the issue - and they can and will take full advantage of that. Whereas the economic arguments are trickier to handle for Ukip.
For the economic debate on whether we’ll be better off Out or In, that’s for another day, and is not the point of this post.

Brexit Referendum is why you joined.
No need to stay in Ukip now.

For many Eurosceptics, Brexit is why they joined Ukip. Getting that Referendum was always the goal.

You had to hold your nose to those other policies – and people – that you didn’t agree with. You had to pretend that almost weekly ejections of Ukip Officials, Members and Candidates for various forms of Hate Speech weren’t happening.

Because it was all about Brexit.

Perhaps that’s understandable. We sometimes have to choose strange bedfellows.

Well, the EU referendum will be a reality soon. So … the job is done.

So is there any need for you to support Ukip at all now?

In fact, isn’t Brexit more likely if you target your support towards a more cross-party Eurosceptic group?

Arron Banks.
Runs and owns Leave.EU.
Runs and owns Ukip.

The Electoral Commission will choose which Group will lead the No Campaign, and there are many rivals. The requirement is for this Nominated Group to have cross-party support. Arron Banks’ Leave.EU does not have that – and never will.

No-one – no-one – wants to work with Farage or Banks. Leave.EU will put Ukip – and the divisive Nigel Farage – front and centre, and alienate non-Ukip Eurosceptics with it’s Immigration rhetoric.

The type of UKIP rhetoric that
will piss off the undecideds

That Brexit you’ve been dreaming of? Chance blown. Farage will turn Brexit into a purely Ukip operation. And you will lose.

The most likely Eurosceptic group to actually win the Electoral Commission approval (as of October 2015, although Grassroots Out could now be the favourite, as of February 2016) is probably the cross-party Business For Britain – the group supported by Douglas Carswell, and the group that Farage has spent the last week taking cheap shots at.

Yes, Farage is so dedicated to Brexit that he’s spent more time this week attacking his fellow Eurosceptics who might steal his glory than actually addressing the issues. And he’s keeping the vitriol going.

Oops.

Rather amusingly Farage said that “Brexit would not be won from SW1”.

Issued in a Press statement by Leave.EU, from their London office. In, er, SW1.

So if you’re a Ukip Eurosceptic, perhaps your support should be going to ‘Britain For Business’, simply because it gives you the best chance. A splintered, bickering, Farage-dominated campaign based purely on Immigration with Leave.EU will keep Britain in the EU.

For you, it’s reached a nexus. You have to decide whether you are Eurosceptic or UKIP.

Because right now, it’s one or the other.

You have to ask yourself …

“Do I really need to support Ukip any more?”

“Or should I regain some humanity and credibility instead?”

Share:

Read More

Why The Brexit Campaign Could Be All Over Already

Originally posted in September 2015, updated February 2016. Only the names of groups have changed, the situation for the Brexit Camps is still just as critical.

Ukip have had over twenty years to prepare for this moment - and just at the critical time, Farage's dropping the ball.

---

Confused about EU Leave or Stay? Brexit or Remain? In and Out? Who’s running what campaign with who?

Welcome to the ‘God Only Knows’ Club. Grab a beer from the ‘No Idea’ Bar, take a seat on the ‘Not A Clue’ sofa and we’ll explain it all. Well, we'll try.

The bad news is, despite wall-to-wall rhetoric from all sides, the campaign hasn’t even started yet. Officially. Even the timetable hasn’t been decided. You thought we’d been debating this for months? Funny, we thought that too.

The Electoral Commission has still to 'nominate' one 'Designated Group' from each side to receive the public funding that each side gets. Ah, so there's money involved, is there? We can see the Ukip ears pricking up. Yes, actual hard cash. But only for one Designated Group per side. And there are lots of rules.

Clearly Farage's OUT side is up and dressed and having his first pint while the REMAIN Campaign (or whatever they finally choose to call themselves) haven't laced-up their trainers yet. But the interest right now lies with the OUT Campaign - which appears to be fragmenting already.

The 2014 Ukip Doncaster Conference was a rip-roarer with the defection of Douglas Carswell - but the 2015 Conference exposed the Party weakness. And the weakness is the egos involved. Oh, those egos. When putsch comes to shove, Farage has to be front and center, and this will be his undoing.

It is Nigel Farage himself
that is the single biggest
challenge for Brexit

It might just bring down the Brexit Circus around him.

Nigel Farage's main announcement last week - in fact, the core message of the Conference in toto - was that the Eurosceptic Movement had to come together as one to fight the Referendum. That worked well. Within 24 hours it had neatly been cleaved asunder.

(For Ukip readers: 'cleaved asunder' means 'cut into two parts')

There are two Eurosceptic Camps vying for the official 'nod', the honours, the credit - and of course the cash.

Firstly, "Business For Britain". A professional cross-party group, run by referendum veterans Matthew Elliot and Dominic Cummings.

(Update February 2016 - BfB has now morphed into 'Vote Leave'. Yeah,we said it was complex.)

Allied to 'Business For Britain' is Ukip's one and only MP. Yes, 100% of the Westminster representation. This is the Eurosceptic Movement for those who want to distance themselves from Ukip. 'Business For Britain' isn't even sure it wants to leave - it's strapline is "Supporting A Better Deal From Europe". Doesn't sound very Brexit to us.

(Update February 2016 - This was of course, before Cameron's negotiation process with the EU.)

Secondly "Leave.EU". Formerly trading as TheKnow.EU. Before that it was 'The Know', and before that 'Better For The Country'. Allied to Leave.EU is Farage, Ukip donor Arron Banks and it seems, the entire rest of Ukip.

(Update February 2016 - LeaveEU has now thrown it's weight behind Grassroots Out. Except for Douglas Carswell and Suzanne Evans. Still keeping up?)

Arron 'Go Skippy' Banks

And here's the problem for the Party: Farage and Banks have thrown everything behind Leave.EU. Banks is the Founder, Funder, Chairman, Advocate and The Only Person You've Ever Heard Of (and only then if you're into Politics. Or maybe Insurance).

Under his guidance, TheKnow.EU has already soiled it's reputation by posting streams of falsehoods on Social Media, leading many to conclude that when the Campaign begins for real, they will be unable to stop themselves breaking the Referendum Rules.

They are, in short, uncontrollable mavericks. Which might go down very well with the Ukip faithful, but which won't work at all for a Proper Referendum which needs to appeal to a wide cross-section of British people.

(Update February 2016 - which is why they've now allied with Grassroots Out.)

Leave.EU will have all of Ukip's (few remaining) resources, however; they are controlled not by Farage - but by Banks. I can't recall when a single wealthy individual has ever had so much power over how a party promotes it's one core belief. And so cheaply, too. Murmurs are being heard within Ukip. This is not how Democracy is supposed to be.

Carswell - SHOCKED!

For non-Ukip Eurosceptics, working with Leave.EU is problematic to say the least. It means jumping into bed with Farage, or Banks, or both. What a horrible image.

Add in two egos as large as the EU Headquarters in Brussels and it's clear - Ukip needs moderate Eurosceptics to join them, but moderate Eurosceptics just won't work with either of them.

Both? Not. A. Chance.

The division was aptly demonstrated right in the middle of Conference when Banks, livid with Carswell for what he saw as disloyalty, reportedly "threatened to deselect him if he didn't back Leave.EU".

Banks clearly appears to have a lot more power in Ukip than an unelected donor really ought to have.

He followed this up by describing Carswell, his Party's sole elected MP, as "borderline autistic with mental illness thrown in.” What a charming chap.

And this spat between the two camps doesn't look like mending any time soon. If anything, the gulf is likely to widen.

(Update February 2016 - And indeed it has. Merger attempts have failed, Ukip is still split on which group to back, Vote Leave trying to sack it's own founders.)

So, er, Nigel - how's that "Unified Eurosceptic Movement" working out for you?

Only one of two things can happen: 

Vote Leave gets selected as Nominated Group.

1. It gains some cross-party support for Brexit but probably not enough.
2. Meanwhile Leave.EU disintegrates as supporters and backers flock to Vote Leave, leaving Farage and Ukip isolated from the very cause they've promoted for twenty years.
3. Banks pulls out his money, both from Leave.EU and Ukip.
4. Farage resigns. 

Grassroots Out gets selected as Nominated Group.

1. Carswell gets sidelined.
2. Considers resigning from Ukip and remaining as an Independent MP - (the Tories won't take him back, he's asked already.)
3. Banks and Farage have the much anticipated Total Ego War (get popcorn for that one).
4. Grassroots Out, under guidance from Banks, shoots vitriol at every target in range, and Immigration becomes the core 'message' for the Campaign.
5. Moderate Eurosceptics become alienated at this and reconsider whether the EU maybe isn't so bad after all.
6. The Brexit Campaign fails, Banks pulls out his money, both from the Campaign and Ukip.
7. Farage resigns.

So how's that Unified Cause
working for you, Nigel?

Either way Brexit is rejected.

Farage resigns. 

Sigh.

Meanwhile what of the Remain Campaign? They just have to play a straight bat and wait for the inevitable implosion. They can only lose through ineptitude (but never underestimate the idiocy of any group.)

---

You know, Ukip have had twenty years to prepare for this moment.

It has been their raison d'etre. It they blow their chance now, what has it all been for? Farage is backing UKIP's last chip on Leave.EU / Grassroots Out.

If it fails - and we think it will, either way - what then for Nigel?

What then, indeed, for Ukip? How many donors will contribute, how many members will remain?

And, gee, where will all the racists go now?

Share:

Read More