Where is Farage?

[Chunterbust]

Does anyone know if he's even made it back after THAT eu speech?

[RedToothBrush]

Yes, he was on a radio station yesterday slagging off Carswell. Sounds like UKIP plan to remove their only MP from the party on Monday.

[lovelyupnorth]

Hoping for a general election using PR according to one paper. Seem to remember a 2011 referendum which was lost. And we know we have to live with democracy with the queen as head of state and the House of Lords.

[SwedishEdith]

And Arron Banks intends to dump Farage for his new English National Socialist party.

[Thefuturecouldbebright]

Hopefully he has slithered back under his rock.

[Spinflight]

Carswell seems like a good bloke, always seems happy to tell it how it is and criticise Farage.

I doubt Farage even has the power to remove him, though why he would want to in the first place is rather confusing.

I suspect Carswell talks for far more ukippers than Farage does.

[Chunterbust]

Rebranding maybe, to keep himself in a job? I'd imagine he will be thinking of rewriting his manifesto to appeal to all the voters he wants to pick up in the event of a GE being called?

[claig]

'I suspect Carswell talks for far more ukippers than Farage does.'

I very much doubt it. If Farage stood in Clacton against an independent or Tory Carswell, Farage would win easily un my opinion.

[claig]

'When Iain Dale asked if Carswell should return to the Conservative Party, Farage said: ‘Why would you join a party like Ukip, with me as the leader, with our policies and manifesto, and then from almost day one of joining disagree with everything we say or do? I find it really, really odd.’

And asked if Carswell would be expelled from Ukip, Farage added: ‘That will be up to the NEC to decide.’

metro.co.uk/2016/07/02/ukip-could-soon-kick-out-its-only-mp-5980269/

Carswell has done hardly anything but snipe at Farage since he joined. Carswell is the Establishment's dream within UKIP, causing dissension and challenging lots of Farage's statements and policies.

[Just5minswithDacre]

Jolly good. The UKIP implosion is underway already, then?

[Spinflight]

"I very much doubt it. If Farage stood in Clacton against an independent or Tory Carswell, Farage would win easily un my opinion."

I think Carswell would win in Clacton if he stood for the Monster Raving party against Nye Bevan and Winston Churchill!

Since Farage declared himself saintly ukip leader for life he has become somewhat irrational in my opinion....

[SnowBells]

Oh... anyone saw this???

[ErrolTheDragon]

SwedishEdith - arron banks isn't really planning on using that name for a new party, is he?

Claig - are you sure? Carswell is UKIPs only MP, don't you think really that had a lot to do with him having a good track record as their MP as a Tory and a lot voted for the man more than the party?

Oh well, good to know that UKIP can do infighting as well as the big parties.

[claig]

'I think Carswell would win in Clacton if he stood for the Monster Raving party against Nye Bevan and Winston Churchill!'

It is Essex. We love Farage, here. If he had stood in Essex in the first place, he would now be in Parliament. Carswell heard polling that he may lose his seat to UKIP at the 2015 general election because according to Rob Ford and the other researcher, Clacton was the most UKIP town in Britain. He left the Tories and saved his seat, but he opposes Farage on lots of issues and ends up playing into the Establishment message that Farage is a bit of a bigot etc which the BBC love to invite him on for. He has caused dissension along with some of the other ex Tories who got top positions and are always invited onto the BBC. I am amazed they all survived so long. It made UKIP look unprofessional and weak, which helped the Establishment.

SnowBells That is funny.

[claig]

'Claig - are you sure? Carswell is UKIPs only MP, don't you think really that had a lot to do with him having a good track record as their MP as a Tory and a lot voted for the man more than the party?'

No, it is Essex. They elected Carswell because he was UKIP. They would much prefer Farage. If Carswell would have stood as a Tory against a half-competent UKIP candidate, Clacton would have turfed him out.

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

It's very funny that UKIP are joining in the establishment in fighting but they've only got 1 MP so it's not really grabbing the headlines.

Anybody remember Robert Kilroy-Slime's short lived Kipper ambitions?

[claig]

'Anybody remember Robert Kilroy-Slime's short lived Kipper ambitions?'

I didn't follow it in those days, but some people felt that Kilroy Silk may well have been a plant

[Spinflight]

Ukip is unprofessional and weak. Farage a bit as you described.

Carswell believed Ukip to be the Libertarian party it claimed to be, before Farage became despotic.

If Ukip is ever to be strong and professional it needs people like Carswell far more than Farage.

[bluebloom]

Fingers crossed he's finally received all the telepathic messages I've been sending him to fuck off down a hole.

[ErrolTheDragon]

The Clacton I grew up in would keep carswell over farage , but that was a long time ago so maybe I'm wrong.

UKIP probably should eject carswell, he seems to have some decency (attacking that foul poster) and must have been hideously embarrassed by farages ridiculous EU performance.

[claig]

'Ukip is unprofessional and weak'

I agree. They are pretty useless, but that is because they are being deliberately sabotaged.

' Farage a bit as you described.'

I don't agree with that.

'Carswell believed Ukip to be the Libertarian party it claimed to be, before Farage became despotic.'

He says that, but Cameron called them "fruitcakes and closet racists". Carswell wanted to promote his ideas in his book etc and wanted to change UKIP and challenge Farage all along in my opinion.

'If Ukip is ever to be strong and professional it needs people like Carswell far more than Farage.'

No, because the Establishment fear UKIP and they will sabotage and destroy it. In the end, I expect Carswell and some of the other ex Tories will all join the Tories again after their profile has been improved and promoted by the BBC.

There is only one way that UKIP will win and that is to be courageous just as Trump has been in the States where he has singlehandedly defeated the entire Republican elite by not bowing to the political correctness that Carswell stands for.

I don't know how good Banks is, but if he has the necessary courage and vision, then with Farage as the politically incorrect salesman defying the BBC's political correctness etc, then Farage could do a Trump.

[claig]

Brexit showed that the British people were prepared to defy and ignore the Establishment. A common sense Farage could easily sweep up despite the entire Establishment trying to paint him as a villain. They did that to Trump, but he had the confidence to mock them and beat them.

[claig]

The problem is Farage has been weak and not serious. Carswell should have been removed ages ago as well as some of the other ex Tories and Farage should not have said he wanted to stand down and go fishing. He should have stood in a bye-election in Essex and should have shown that he is serious and really wants power.

[Spinflight]

Well Aaron Banks is starting a new party and he doesn't seem to be keen on having Farage in it.

I can't find much self aggrandisement in Carswell's actions, nor do I think he want's Farage's crown.

He, Reckless and Hannan are all good friends whose primary goal was always to extricate ourselves from the EU. Ukip itself was a slightly odd smelling vehicle for that aim. Reckless joined and Hannan campaigned for Ukip at the last European election despite being a tory candidate.

Ukip was the only game in town, though now that Brexit has been achieved it needs to refocus on domestic issues and appeal to the sort of people who respect Douglas Carswell's humane libertarianism.

Frankly a wannabe world statesman who has never won an election is about as useful to Ukip now as Tony Blair is to the labour party.

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

claig do you feel now that UKIP have done the punk thing by becoming part of the Commons and therefore the establishment themselves? I must confess that I smile every time that R4 mention the Establishment now.
But I'm curious as to when you decided Farage was weak?

[ErrolTheDragon]

'farage could do a trump' - yeah, just about sums up his EU speech. (Sorry, anyone with kids surely can't help arfing at that!)