Fantastic news, yet another simeball leaves UKIP and paves the way for yet still more change. Its a line we have had to grow reasonably used to in UKIP, but why?
I have of course read Nigel Farage’ book ‘Fighting Bull’, I believe anyone with even the slightest interest in UKIP and its beginnings should read it. It is noble, it is inspiring. Every chapter every line makes me sympathise with the great man leading our party. I admire Nigel more as a role model than a politician. He is a man that doesn’t shy away from controversy, he is a man connected with people. He drinks, he smokes and he does things normal people do, not what the political class expects him to.
There is however one thing he doesn’t do, he doesn’t embroider himself in scandal, he is not a liar and by god is he a dedicated and steadfast asset to this party. From the day UKIP began to now he has not changed his stance. He has had to relent and to adapt to the change and the growth of the party, but the rhetoric is still the same.
He is the beacon of light and what any aspiring politician should look up to, as long as he is not a careerist. Nigel will likely never be a minister, he won’t mind me saying this will likely never be the Prime Minister but he is a glorious politician. This is because what he talks about he genuinely believes in and will not change his views to advance and to help his own gains. This is what UKIP wants from its public ambassadors.
One of the main reasons why I joined the party as recently as a year ago was because I admired its origins. It was a group of people from all classes who cared about one thing. Britain’s exit from the European Union. It has changed because rightfully so it has grown into a party with policies and energy.
I joined because it has created its own politicians. The people for whom longer serving members and our forefathers who had campaigned tirelessly, donating every pound they had spare, knocking on doors in all weathers, fundraising to get us a public and european presence wanted change. As the demographics of this party suggest a huge number of these and still are elderly citizens in the twilight years. These are people who had seen the political geography of this country change and wanted action to protect my generation and the future of my children.
A huge number did not want politicians just to fly the ‘get out of Europe now’ flag, they wanted to be the first to elect a new political class. They wanted politicians who were normal people. They wanted to elect the best candidates to do the job, for the first time in many, many years it didn’t matter whether you were a chippy or a lord you could represent. This of course was as long as you believed in the party and could handle the job.
Initially the euphoria of having MEP’s cemented and glued the party together (well as much as a political party could be), but after a while the cracks started to show. This was because they now weren’t just a campaigner but an actual politician. A new world was opened to them and a nigh on £100,000 a year salary to boot, courtesy of our European overlords. This undoubtedly changed many of these people for the worse. Greed, arrogance and selfishness overtook the weaker MEP’s and caused huge problems. They started to lose interest in the people in the party and began to be lost into their glorious political careers. Many and I am ashamed to say still do not attend regular regional meetings and lend their support to events and campaigns by the people who work so hard to elect them.
I personally think David Campbell-Bannerman perfectly encapsulates this new wave of politics in UKIP. He is one of the rotten eggs that has tarnished the UKIP basket. The new change in politics has been tarnished by the greed and single minded careerism displayed in his actions today.
I for one am glad he has gone, I do not however think he is the last to go in such a storm and indeed I go as far as to say he is not the last that should go. I just hope and pray that he has one shred of credibility and stands down as he promised to do in 2009. We need a change in UKIP and his resignation will bring that.
This brings me to who I think would be perfect to replace him. We need someone who is going to offer this change, who is going to bring a breath of fresh air into what I think is becoming an increasingly tumultuous and stagnant party. I can think of absolutely no one in the party who could replace DCB better than YI’s very own chairman Harry Aldridge.
He is so, so, so qualified for this position. He is perhaps one of the first young people to have joined this party many years ago. He has watched so many come and go, he has seen successive leadership and party changes yet his dedication to the party and its objectives has stayed firm, even more exciting is his wish to steer the party in an exciting new direction.
Harry is not just young but represents a whole new political force. He is a self made man, a businessman who has not come from huge wealth and has not studied for years in a university racking up huge debt. He is someone who works hard for what he has and is prepared to carry on doing so until he achieves his destiny. He has proved himself capable of elections and even more importantly he has the resounding backing, support and admiration of the youth of the party Young Independence.
He is a libertarian and is very keen for UKIP to embrace classical liberalism, he is a brilliant tactician and is not just a valuable asset to this party but I would go as far as to say extremely capable at the tender age of 24 to lead this party, not that he or YI would want to challenge Nigel (yet 
).
I would struggle to find any member of Young Independence who doesn’t agree with me and I urge you to come out and support him. From working with him on the recent ‘Rally Against Debt’ I can say he is the kindest, most honourable and professional person I have ever come across. He also I must add has not ask me to say this nor expressed any intention to challenge. This is my opinion only.
24 May, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Harry is a fantastic bloke, and one of the most politically intelligent people I know, Ive been impressed time and again by his ideas and his political knowledge, Id say theres no one better to guide UKIP, besides maybe that Olly Neville character whose ever so dishy
Go Harry, utter, utter legend
25 May, 2011 at 9:02 am
I’ve heard good things about this Neville fella as well, but apparently he has a scruffy beard that makes him look like a hobo? ;p
24 May, 2011 at 7:55 pm
You sort of imply that (evil) DCB has an empty seat for us to fill. This isn’t the case because he won’t give up his seat.He’ll hold it as a Tory.
However, we have to get Harry at the top of the party electoral list. I also think he should be made a UKIP spokesman on something.
Facebook Group: “Harry Aldridge to Top a Regional List in 2014″ ?
25 May, 2011 at 11:17 am
This contract he signed saying he would step down if he left the party. How legally binding is it? If it isn’t, then what was the point of getting people to sign it. I really do hope this can be used to turf the slug out.
25 May, 2011 at 9:07 pm
matt you raise an excellent point, UKIP needs to get lawyers on this straight away
25 May, 2011 at 11:22 am
DCB may call himself a ‘libertarian’, but he has no idea what libertarianism stands for. The Manifesto he was responsible for is strikingly ultra-conservative. So I guess he’s re-discovered his place. Good riddance Mr Bannerman – it’s been a long wait, truly.
As for Harry Aldridge, now there’s a true libertarian who knows what he’s talking about. Harry Aldrige MEP would do great, I have no doubts about that.
7 June, 2011 at 11:01 am
Harry Aldridge may well be a future leader of UKIP, maybe, who, knows, even a future PM.
But, like a bottle of good wine, he has first to mature, to realise than much essential industry is not like a small IT business, that a measure of state intervention is necessary for stability and that 95% of humanity is far less capable than he. Finally, he needs to make enough money so that, unlike the departed and unlamented DCB, he his not dependent upon his political career to pay the mortgage and provide for his family (yes, he needs a family to cure him of his Libertarian tendencies).
So yes, Harry Aldridge for UKIP leader! (sometime after 2020).
8 June, 2011 at 4:12 pm
“Libertarian tendencies” makes it sound subversive
And, oh gosh, you appear to have elevated me now to a candidate for leader :0. If people keep going at this rate by my birthday next month I might be in line to be God!