Before the by-election has even begun there has been intrigue that only UKIP seems capable of – and not for the rights reasons.
With Farage and Carswell, there is the man in the middle, in the form of Roger Lord, who has been the proverbial fly in the ointment of UKIP’s announcement.
Mr Lord was only selected a few weeks ago as the UKIP Parliamentary candidate for Clacton. Yet no one thought to pick up the phone and to work out a way forward. So there now is the ‘two into one’ does not go standoff that is taking place.
For any of you that have seen or heard Roger Lord being interviewed this is not a man for turning, for going quietly or ‘rolling over‘. There can be some sympathy with his position, having given 17 years of service to UKIP including fighting three parliamentary campaigns, it would be reasonable to presume his Party would be behind his fourth run, standing in Clacton. Clearly not.
This all creates the reverse picture that UKIP want to portray. Consider that they are supposed to be the Party
of freedom, democracy and taking fight the establishment – now drops the democratically selected candidate in favour of a bigger name.
The latest development is that Roger Lord refused to rule out that he could stand for another party in the by-election. Every by-election is described (unfairly) by the media as a ‘circus’, then this by-election has the hallmarks of the ‘Cirque du Soleil’ of by-elections.
What is the real shame is this by-election did not have to happen. The Conservative Party is the only mainstream party that can deliver a referendum on the EU. Which is why there has been such dismay at Carswell’s decision. Where he says he wants change faster, well that change will go backwards if there is a Labour or Labour/Lib-Dem government.
When the by-election does start I will have my bucket and spade packed to campaign for a Conservative MP to be returned to Clacton on the journey to see a Conservative majority government. As only the Conservatives are delivering the policies to take our country forward.
