| Topic: | Re:Is the ICG displaying "astounding hypocrisy" over UKIP? | |
| Posted by: | Phil Andrews | |
| Date/Time: | 04/05/14 11:57:00 |
| Okay Robin, I have now had the chance to briefly read your article at the Chiswick Chat forum. I don't intend to engage in a protracted debate with you because I recognise that your aim, at this time in particular, is mischief rather than dialogue. However, I would like to say two things to you. Firstly, for the record, my personal view at this current time is that you have not been involved in these current antics. That is because they have been clumsy, amateurish, hasty and wide open to becoming counter-productive. None of these are your hallmarks. Of course if anything was to change to indicate that this view is wrong I would be only too happy to revise my position accordingly. Secondly, amidst all the blather and bile there is one reasonable question that you ask on your forum, and that is what did the ICG offer UKIP in return for them not standing in our target wards? The answer is nothing. Nothing whatsoever. That is because the purpose of our two meetings with UKIP was not to "do a deal" (in fact as I have already indicated we were offered a "deal", which we declined - rather fortuitously as their subsequent conduct would indicate that they would probably have reneged on it and fielded a full slate anyway). Our purpose in meeting UKIP was simply to try to talk them out of standing in our target wards. Our "carrot" for this, if you like, was nothing other than to point out to them that with the ICG being the likely recipient of most of the protest vote, UKIP had nothing whatsoever to gain from concentrating any of its resources in Isleworth or Syon. And it is the protest vote which is at the core of all this. There is nothing sinister about our recognition that a proportion of both our vote and UKIP's is pure protest rather than being ideologically-based. Whilst I recognise UKIP as being hard-right, I do not believe that all or even most of its voters are hard-right. You can use this as you see fit, and doubtless will. But this is an honest statement of our position for the benefit of anybody who is interested in honest debate. |