Why is Diane seeking your support as a candidate for leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party?
There are not many people who have a realistic chance to become the leader of one of the major political parties in Britain. There may be fewer people who even with such a chance want to grasp the opportunity with both hands. Being a party leader is an honour with much responsibility but the personal and professional pressures are great indeed.
When asked why he was stepping down as leader of the United Kingdom Independence party (UKIP) Nigel Farage was characteristically frank and to the point when he responded, “I want my life back!”
So the first question I had to ask of myself when I decided to stand in the election to replace Nigel is, “Why am I doing it?” I am already Deputy Chairman of the Party, a Member of the European Parliament and, appointed by Nigel, to be UKIP’s Justice and Home Affairs Spokesman. I appear regularly on radio and television both nationally and internationally. So what’s my motivation? Certainly not fame and fortune!
No, my motivation is that having seen where UKIP stands in the firmament of UK political life, I believe that I have the skill set, experience and knowledge to lead UKIP to even higher political achievements such as winning seats in the Westminster parliament.
I recently voted to put myself out of work as an elected UK representative in a foreign parliament because I want the laws of my country to be made here at home. Having won the Referendum, UKIP must now ensure that we have representation for our political platform where it matters – in the House of Commons.
To this end here are five priorities I will work on in the run up to the General Election currently scheduled for 2020.
UKIP is not a single issue pressure group or a ‘Movement’ it’s a properly constituted political party which had the support of several million people at the last General Election. Of course, leaving the European Union was (and is, see below) a key theme for UKIP not least because the EU interfered in almost every aspect of a Briton’s daily life. Let’s not forget that our manifesto at the last General Election was the most professional of all the major political parties. It was widely respected for being independently costed and our policies were detailed and explicit to such an extent that the Tory Government has been stealing them (the 2% annual commitment to defence spending for example). In short, as UKIP leader I will make a commitment to building a policy team that continues this work because UKIP is a political party of substance and ultimately, over the long haul of the next few years’, policy substance wins support and elections.
UKIP will continue to shine with sensible, common sense, policies under my leadership.
If substantive policy development is a strong card for UKIP, working within the constraints of the real world is our card deck. Here’s a real world fact that all political parties need to face up to if their policies, ideas and representatives are to be seen as credible: The size of the UK's national debt has soared under David Cameron, from £1 trillion in May 2010 to £1.61 trillion in May 2016. When expressed as percentage of the UK's economic growth (GDP), debt has increased from 71.7 per cent in 2010-11 to the current level of 83.7 per cent. All of this debt has been accrued for payment for future generations of UK taxpayers at the same time that income inequality in our country is increasing. UKIP, like any other political party not seeking to destroy our country’s future, will be unable to make grandiose plans which involve unfunded billions in public expenditure. It must however, unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of our people by helping to create a level 'prosperity playing field' for small businesses, working mums and sole traders.
Instead of making unrealistic spending pledges, I want to see UKIP become the party of competent social and private enterprise under my leadership. UKIP - the enterprise party.
Becoming the party of enterprise means being like neither the Tories who distrust the public sector nor Labour who see huge expenditure and public ownership as a panacea to all our country’s problems. UKIP must support private free enterprise (particularly small businesses) because this activity is ultimately what pays for the public services which we all rely on. In turn, our party must cherish the hard work of people providing state and local services across this Great Land and involve them in decisions which, because of our current financial circumstances, means making public expenditure choices where some will be asked to do more with less. Therefore, we must listen and learn from those with experience in front line public sector jobs on how they think we can make policy so they can do their jobs better. I started this process in Justice and Home Affairs when visiting prison officers in their places of work and saw a world distinctly different from that described by then Home Secretary Theresa May in her policy speeches in the House of Commons.
UKIP will become a listening and learning party under my leadership.
Listening, learning, innovation, building. All very nice words from our modern age but meaningless unless we win seats and power and can directly influence legislators and laws. As an ambition for UKIP, winning is an evergreen like leaves on a tree. A strong, powerful tree has a solid, reliable trunk and healthy branches. I have experience in leading in both public and private sectors and importantly recognise that leading in politics is different, not least because the backbone of most political organisations are volunteers. This is why calls for 'professionalism' of our party structures can only go so far in helping us to reach our goals. Both the 'professional' team and elected officials within the party must be accountable to the membership. UKIP is at its best when the professionals, officers and volunteers are in step and motivated to win.
When elected I will review every aspect of UKIP’s organisational structure and propose changes to the membership that will both include and enable them to effectively take our political messages to the British people across the land.
I shadowed Theresa May for two years. Her record in the Home Office is not spotless. Our prisons are in crisis. She says, “Brexit means Brexit”. I say, “Trust but Verify!”. The people I shared platforms with during the EU Referendum campaign from Glasgow to Aldershot, wanted to see a global trading, outward looking Britain, outside of the EU. In the years (if not months, if a snap election is called) to come, UKIP must be able to stand Westminster candidates in all parts of the Kingdom but particularly against those sitting MPs who do not support or try to frustrate the will of the British people for Brexit. I will lead UKIP to ensure that we have a laser focus on how the government is implementing its ‘Brexit means Brexit’ promises so that we can control both our own borders and negotiate quality bi-lateral trade deals with the dozens of countries around the world who want to increase prosperity with an Enterprising Brexit Britain.
If you agree, join me in UKIP and let's do this together!