tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post8584995989467176979..comments2024-03-20T08:05:26.167+00:00Comments on Bracknell Blog: Can we Learn From UKIP ActivistsMark Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00744387583593537268noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-59179919218472822102009-11-23T23:38:50.629+00:002009-11-23T23:38:50.629+00:00Now Neil for Change I agree with you. although I ...Now Neil for Change I agree with you. although I think I must then fall into insane as I dont meet the other two optionsdazmandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14859994295771083457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-7810393416930795922009-11-23T18:23:30.793+00:002009-11-23T18:23:30.793+00:00I think a lot of it is that members fell, correctl...I think a lot of it is that members fell, correctly, that they have no influence on what they are supposed to be supporting. Cameron made it glaringly obvious when he reversed the "cast iron" promise purely on his say so & quite obviously against the wishes of most members.<br /><br />At one stage I believed the "LibDems" commitment to conference's legal sovereignty had some truth but obviously learned better. <br /><br />It is simply impossible to inspire people's loyalty to a political movement if they can have no role in saying what that movement stands for & this is probably why mass membership of all parties has gone. I remember hearing somebody say that to be a member of a sizable perty now you must be ambitious, insane or have a family history (I was the last).neil craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09157898238945726349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-70553265977452742812009-11-22T14:04:46.001+00:002009-11-22T14:04:46.001+00:00Ah the UK Independence Party, now there's a br...Ah the UK Independence Party, now there's a brand name to conjure with! The original aim was independence from the other members of whatever the Common Market is called this week. Not a bad aim, not a good aim, but a late aim.<br /><br />Even so they make a valid choice in what should be their home territory, European Elections. Getting a UKIP MEP elected is the type of thing that says to real political parties "You have to pull your sock up!"<br /><br />I've voted for them in European Elections. I see the point of them <i>there</i>.<br /><br />There isn't a chance I'll vote for them in elections about local government of the UK. They just aren;pt credible and aren't competent to govern.Tim Trenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00698536468287397610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-12919656740953255962009-11-21T22:20:48.468+00:002009-11-21T22:20:48.468+00:00Green Party had 7441 members as of 2008 (that come...Green Party had 7441 members as of 2008 (that comes from that ever reliable source wikipedia). I would copy + paste in here but my computer appears to be playing up...<br /><br />I think you make an interesting point re: political activism. I find it difficult to understand how anyone could feel inspired to get active for the Labour or Tory parties thesedays (and to a lesser extent Lib Dem).<br /><br />Neither of the UK's two major parties appear to stand for any true principles. I'm not sure why anyone would want to spend any lengthly period of time attempting to keep the red people in power over the blue people when in truth they are as purple as each other.<br /><br />I think it's far more understandable to hear of people willing to deliver leaflets or stand for election in UKIP or the Greens as they have clear and differing messages from the main parties. (I stop short of bracketing the BNP in the same bracket as I used the word 'understandable' in the previous sentence..)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-6905141367002629752009-11-20T19:50:22.353+00:002009-11-20T19:50:22.353+00:00Thanks this is a very honest blog about the member...Thanks this is a very honest blog about the membership. Membership in the main parties is changing because its more than a pound to join these day and people r worried about what they may be asked to do. -t was once just a club really now they want you to get involved.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-84939576591014783912009-11-20T19:33:45.544+00:002009-11-20T19:33:45.544+00:00As A UKIP member I know I do work very hard. Howev...As A UKIP member I know I do work very hard. However I think somehow Neil Craig is arong about the Lib Dems, I do expect they have alot of members who are old but wrong about Lib dems not having principles. Natually I think they have more principles than most.Ian Thompnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-63086934745963445642009-11-20T18:29:58.962+00:002009-11-20T18:29:58.962+00:00You are probably unfairly running down your own av...You are probably unfairly running down your own average membership since a lot of them are dead or in nursing homes & have not been active for years but are kept on the rolls to keep the numbers up.<br /><br />The other difference is that UKIP members have something to believe in, largely liberalism, whereas your own party gave that up long ago when they decided to abandon any principles & follow a leader committed to a criminal war & genocide.neil craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09157898238945726349noreply@blogger.com