Tory fears over UKIP splitting county council vote (From Worcester News)
Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting WN NEWS to 80360 or e-mail us
Tory fears over UKIP splitting Worcestershire County Council vote
10:07am Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News By Tom Edwards
Tory leader Adrian Hardman
THE Tory leader of Worcestershire County Council has revealed his concern over UKIP potentially “splitting the vote” in May’s elections.
Councillor Adrian Hardman has reached out to disgruntled supporters in the county by saying there is “not a single” politician in his Conservative group which is not eurosceptic.
It comes after UKIP revealed it was fielding at least 40 candidates in Worcestershire’s local elections, the biggest challenge the ruling Tory leadership has ever faced.
The Conservatives have 41 of the 57 seats on the authority, but UKIP support has surged to 17 per cent in the latest national opinion polls, only 10 per cent behind.
It also follows a UK-wide poll of 19,000 adults by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft suggesting the party could lose 93 seats to Labour at the next General Election.
The poll reveals surges from the likes of UKIP could hand Labour a majority of 84.
Coun Hardman said: “I would say to people, this is a local election and we would hope our councillors have good enough track records to stay in.
“I’d be concerned about UKIP splitting the vote of the right, but I can also say there is not a single councillor in our group who is not eurosceptic.
“What UKIP could also do though is split the protest vote, so less people vote for Labour or the Lib Dems - it could even help us in that respect.
“Any party is allowed to field candidates and we are ready for the challenge, so bring it on.
“We will be out there defending our record and what people have also got to remember is that UKIP is the party of protest, whereas we are in control of the council.”
In the Eastleigh by-election UKIP came second behind the Lib Dems, a result which dumped the Tories into third spot and raised the prospect of major battle in May’s town hall contests.
In Worcestershire UKIP branches are reporting interest at record levels, with people wanting to become party members or stand for council.
Carl Humphries, who runs the Worcester office, said: “Popularity of the party is so high at the moment, interest has gone through the roof.
“We’ve had more applicants than vacancies in some parts of the county, that’s how it’s been going.”
Every county council seat will be up for grabs on Thursday, May 2.
Comments(19)
TDH123
says...
12:02pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Hwicce
says...
12:11pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Otherwise start looking for another job.
Malaky
says...
12:32pm Tue 12 Mar 13
If the councillors feel strongly about the EU dictatorship then, logically, they can defect to UKIP. Otherwise, they are just paying lip-service to being eurosceptics, and hoping for a sympathy vote.
Membership of the Conservative Party in Worcestershire has dropped to the lowest levels in living memory, and they will struggle to get election help in May.
The latest opinion polls show that UKIP is still gaining votes and that is obviously what has caused this panic statement from the Council leader.
Replacing a failed and disliked party is always right!
wonkotsane
says...
12:38pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Endconreignforever
says...
12:41pm Tue 12 Mar 13
"In the Eastleigh by-election UKIP came second behind the Lib Dems"
Lets remember they came 2nd not 1st!!
truth must out
says...
3:45pm Tue 12 Mar 13
mrwrighty
says...
4:00pm Tue 12 Mar 13
We pay these people to look after us. We pay their salaries, their pensions and their expenses and they treat us all with contempt. The conservatives are in power and are doing very little to support this country, a country which is now damaged beyond repair and gives little hope regarding jobs,housing,pension
s, savings, cost of living.
Arthur Blenkinsop
says...
4:19pm Tue 12 Mar 13
truth must out wrote:The big problem is that the alternatives are as bad as, if not a whole lot worse!
Of course he is worried...this government is the worst I have ever known and the sooner they are all voted out the better.
Landy44
says...
4:34pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Frankly with the state of the political parties and the politicians in this country, I'm inclined to agree.
One party left us bankrupt, the two that have taken over are finishing us off - UKIP would be a dangerous vote which would probably finish us off even quicker, but at least the pain would be over quicker than it will be with the others constantly "tinkering"m rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic while this country continues it's slow agonising death.
If any of you think any party is going to make a big difference over any other in this country, then you are sadly misguided. None of them have the first clue what our problems as a country are, never mind how to fix them! It would be nice if they knew the basic difference between our national debt and our national deficit. It's all schoolboy stuff really, but from their actions it is clear they do not understand! Instead they are intent on growing government at the expense of it's tax paying citizens.
Last one out, turn out the lights!
Malaky
says...
5:27pm Tue 12 Mar 13
mrwrighty wrote:You are right, if the governing party only re-arranges the deckchairs. When you examine most of the UK problems the end-point is always the EU.
A major change is well overdue in our council offices. They have become complacent. Unfortunately the main parties are as bad as one another and it appears that once they have power and the gravy train starts rolling, they are not keen to get off.
We pay these people to look after us. We pay their salaries, their pensions and their expenses and they treat us all with contempt. The conservatives are in power and are doing very little to support this country, a country which is now damaged beyond repair and gives little hope regarding jobs,housing,pension
s, savings, cost of living.
That is why the only course of action that can possibly hope to correct our countless problems is leaving the EU dictatorship and governing ourselves once again.
If the Cons allow us a referendum and then organise our exit when the resulting vote is to leave, then fine. UKIPs campaign would have succeeded.
However, we all know that will not happen. We will not get a referendum. The EU will not allow it to happen. They have their Grand Design for the creation of the United States of Europe and they are determined to force us into it kicking and squealing.
However, by voting for UKIP the balance of power in the country can be altered, and the start is by electing UKIP councillors at local level.
Think of it this way - a vote for the Conservatives is splitting the UKIP vote!
Graham Price
says...
5:55pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Conservatives - the "Nasty Party"
Liberal Democrats - "sold out their principles for the tappings of power"
Labour Party - the only party fit to govern. Co-operative association and mutualism is the only way to defeat the evil that has befallen us since the Bankers robbed us blind.
The rich got us into this mess, now they want the poor to pay for it.
Don't blame the EU, blame the Bankers.
Lew Smoralz
says...
6:34pm Tue 12 Mar 13
The figures show that 28% of people now trust UKIP to manage migration, only 15% trust the Conservatives and 12% Labour.
With migration the third most important issue facing the country after the economy and unemployment, this shows why UKIP are now such a major player in British politics.
The old parties have failed the people of Britain in their handling of migration. Nobody trusts them to get a grip, for the very good reason that while we remain in the European Union they just cannot do so. We must return to common sense policies that allow the British people to determine who does, and who does not, have the right to move, work and live here.
Other than UKIP there is no one who is even scratching the surface of the problem.
So, the only sensible vote at the May elections is for your local UKIP candidate. Many of these are people of all ethnic groups, who have never been involved in politics previously, but have become so concerned at the mismanagement of the old parties that they have felt it is their duty to support the only party that can hope to put right the damage done to our countries finances, jobs and immigration.
If enough people vote for change then we can change Worcestershire for the better.
knick-knack
says...
6:59pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Graham Price wrote:It was "slippery Dave" Cameron who said UKIP is a party of "loonies and closet racists". Nobody believes Cameron any more, so UKIP can ignore this deliberate slur.
UKIP - a party of "loonies and closet racists"
Conservatives - the "Nasty Party"
Liberal Democrats - "sold out their principles for the tappings of power"
Labour Party - the only party fit to govern. Co-operative association and mutualism is the only way to defeat the evil that has befallen us since the Bankers robbed us blind.
The rich got us into this mess, now they want the poor to pay for it.
Don't blame the EU, blame the Bankers.
Only loonies would refuse to leave a club that steals your membership money, the EU "lost" another £1.5billion only last December, but no Police investigation, just the same old gravy-train chugging along! For 18 years the auditors have refused to sign-off the EU accounts. Siding with THAT is lunacy!
As for being "closet racists" the UKIP will be fielding candidates at the May elections from all ethnic groups, disproving the Cameron untruths. As a long-standing immigrant I am hoping to stand for election as a UKIP candidate as well.
I agree that the Liberals sold out their principles, and they will not be trusted again for a long time, if ever.
That leaves the Labour party who have bankrupted this country twice in my life-time; who regulated the bankers? With their financial form, I don't think that anybody believes Labour can be third-time lucky!
Mrfade
says...
9:21pm Tue 12 Mar 13
MEAN WHILE YOU PAY the price.
Hardman said himself that the only ones interested in the cost of the incinerator were UKIP and The Greens, and they were not elected.
Soon they will be!
BRING IT ON- TOO RIGHT! LETS PROTEST ALL THE WAY
Doogie 46
says...
10:04pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Windy Miller
says...
11:48am Wed 13 Mar 13
gosssnell
says...
2:21pm Wed 13 Mar 13
Graham Price wrote:GRAHAM PRICE! as a man who is completely disillusioned with politics in general and labour in particular as the party that obviously still holds fast to Gordon browns mantra that " if they don't agree with us, shout them down as "bigots and racist's "then you mr price have just proved with your comments that you have not learned anything in your 10 years of dictatorship. which convinces me that ukip is the party to vote for because liebour and conlib are not in the least fit to govern this country or any local council.
UKIP - a party of "loonies and closet racists"
Conservatives - the "Nasty Party"
Liberal Democrats - "sold out their principles for the tappings of power"
Labour Party - the only party fit to govern. Co-operative association and mutualism is the only way to defeat the evil that has befallen us since the Bankers robbed us blind.
The rich got us into this mess, now they want the poor to pay for it.
Don't blame the EU, blame the Bankers.
A.N.Other
says...
7:32am Wed 27 Mar 13
knick-knack says...
11:21am Tue 12 Mar 13
Another promise of a referendum on the EU is not good enough. Cameron has already pulled that trick once before and then refused to provide the referendum.
Conservatives cannot be trusted to keep their words.
In any event, the County Council is a joke. There is no vision, no drive and a complete clean-sweep would be best for the county. The list of failures is embarrassing!