It takes vast amounts of chutzpah and hard work to get a new political party up off the ground. When you have already shown that you’ve not got enough of one nor are willing to do enough of the other to keep an extant political party afloat then perhaps setting up new political parties just isn’t going to be quite your thing.
But The Numpty, Henry Bolton, is going to have a go:
The ousted former UKIP leader Henry Bolton has announced plans to set up a new political party.
Mr Bolton, who lost the party leadership following a vote of no confidence by UKIP members last month, said his ‘One Nation’ party would “contribute constructively towards determining the trajectory the UK follows” upon leaving the EU.
Amazingly, political parties do not succeed with solely the support of one leggy bottle blonde, as Henry will soon find out.
He told the BBC his “OneNation” party will be “a truly professional political party that believes in Britain, that preserves our national identity, culture, heritage and confidence and talks our great nation up rather than down; a party dedicated to the full independence of the UK in all areas of law, government and public administration.”
In a press release sent out announcing the party’s creation, Bolton said: “The colour of OneNation is British Racing Green. BRG was the international motor racing colour of the United Kingdom. It represents British branding and excellence.”
Dear God…..
On its website, the new party says that Ukip had, until the EU referendum, been seen as just such a party “but it has sadly lost much of its credibility, influence and ability to shape national events”.
It says: “Policies are being drafted, a variety of campaigns and events are in the planning, membership will be open soon and more details will emerge over the coming days and weeks.”
Argle argle.
Now, it is possible to dismiss what I’ve said as just being sour grapes. I have a certain identification with the old regime at Ukip for example, worked as a press officer in the lead up to the 2009 elections, stood as an MEP candidate in them. Never met Bolton either. But then we can also describe me as having a certain experience can’t we? It’s also true that Bolton has been described to me by one old hand, one I like and admire, as being a “numpty” which isn’t a recommendation in a would be political leader.
Yes, I did indeed know Nigel Farage, worked for him, found him to be vain, superficial to an extreme and often enough petty. Good points all in a would be political leader, very much what made him, by a long shot, the most successful politician of his generation. He took a small rabble to referendum victory, no mean achievement. I also like Nigel, politics be damned. Fun bloke to have a drink with and there’s little a male praise singer can say greater than that.
Henry Bolton doesn’t have it. Anyone with a little more awareness, just as an example, would not be bidding to be the one leader of a party whose name variously translates as Ein Volk or Ein Reich.
Sigh. Perhaps Jo could help him modelling Eulalie or something?
Sure. I know very little about Mr Bolton, but he looks like a twat. Not the successful kind of twat, sadly. We desperately need a halfway credible proper right wing party. The Tories are the party of managed decline and bitchy nagging. I dunno what Ukip are up to, all I hear from them these days is nonsense. British people who work for a living and don’t want their pockets picked, their kids being handed dildos in school, or their towns being turned into refugee camps for the most violent and primitive people on the planet currently have nobody to… Read more »
Steve’s correct. There’s a yawning gap in the UK political spectrum & eventually someone’s going to fill it. Just not Henry Bolton, by the look of things. But “Ein Volk or Ein Reich.” Bit of a cheap shot, no? One Nation was at one time the claim of a certain faction of Conservatism wasn’t it? When there was such a thing as a Conservative. And whatever name the party decides & whatever its central defining slogan it chooses it’s going to be accused of being #literallynazis by factions of its opponents. Although its leader’ll probably miss out on being #literallyhitler.… Read more »
We have a One Nation Party in Australia. It occasionally gets used in the more conservative states as a stick to beat the insufficiently conservative Canberra conservatives with. Its peak vote was around 10% in Queensland in its heyday. And it keeps the media occupied. But our major parties have successfully rigged the system to exclude minority parties from any chance at power.
They still got scared once, and conspired to jail One Nation’s leader on a technicality. Let’s hope Bolton can avoid this.
If the worst they can throw at me is that I was a vain, superficial and petty individual, Bernie will rest easy in his grave.
I’ve been saying for some time the continuity Liberal Party is ripe for entryism to build a non-Socialist left/liberal free trade Brexit party. Those are already their policies, they just need the corners rounded off a bit.
He took a small rabble to referendum victory, no mean achievement.
Exactly. And a colossal achievement.
Was Nigel Farrage really successful because of himself or because of the failure of remain?
Personally I credit Nick Clegg, David Cameron, Ted Heath (for not standing firmly against the common fishing policy) , Tony Blair and others with Brexit – they were so incompetent, that even a man so decisive that he regularly lost 25% of his MEPs could beat them.
I predict a possible high of around 17 members.
I can date the moment when I stop trying to find excuses to vote Remain down to the second I heard David Cameron on the radio claiming “success” in persuading the EU to allow us to not pay Child Benefit for children who don’t actually live here….. at no more than they would get from their own benefits system.
NOOOO!!!! You F*** ***t. If they don’t live here we shouldn’t be paying their Child Benefit FULL STOP! Their Child Benefit should be being paid by the government in the country they actually f****g live in.