Is Douglas Carswell MP an honourable man or just plain stupid?
Douglas Carswell was first elected as a Conservative Member of Parliament in 2005. This week, the Member for Clacton defected to the United Kingdom Independence Party. In doing so, he showed himself to be both be duplicitous and honourable simultaneously and here we analyse the two sides of this Eurosceptic politician.
43-year old Carswell has been honest in where he stands on Europe since he first entered politics and is is an MP who bravely defied convention when he took on the then Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin after he failed to bring greater transparency to the chamber. Carswell supported Zac Goldsmith in his campaign for a genuine Recall Bill and today, though he was not required to, he voluntarily triggered a by-election after he switched political parties.
For this, we commend Carswell but the former Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans MP is right to have pointed out that his defection will achieve little. UKIP is a party that has not a single MP in Westminster currently whilst even the Green Party have one. It is a party run by a tub thumping, beer swilling, Volvo driver named Nigel Farage who falsely claims his ‘People’s Army’ stands for the “aspirational workers of this country”.
Caravan loving Farage is not the man for Britain as we believe UKIP to be a flash-in-the-pan protest party and even more curiously its members don’t even want Douglas Carswell. In light of yesterday’s news, the existing UKIP candidate for Clacton, Roger Lord, 57, told BuzzFeed that he has “no intention of stepping down”. Lord added:
“As far I’m concerned I’m carrying on… If Mr Carswell wants to join us then he can get in the queue and hand out leaflets with the rest of us…. Until they fire me, shoot me, or blow me out of the party for being a rebel, then I’m here”.
“I think it’s rather arrogant of any MP to act like this. We’ve proved we can succeed and take on the establishment. But now the establishment is wanting to join us. Why should we put up with people carpet bagging from somewhere else?”
“I joined UKIP in 1997, delivering leaflets, calling public meetings where five people turned up on a cold, wet night. I think I’ve got a lot more experience of life than he has. Just because he’s joined doesn’t mean he’s got an automatic ticket. It’s an insult to the electors for politicians to think their votes can be traded”.
Anne Poonian, the secretary of UKIP’s Clacton constituency association, added:
“There will be some Ukippers who think [Carswell’s] a Conservative in UKIP clothing… He isn’t necessarily our man”.
Douglas Carswell survived the scandal of his having bought a £655 “love seat” using parliamentary expenses in 2009 but he may now have just dug his political grave. One has to ask if he and his new UKIP comrades will still be sitting comfortably by the time of the 2015 general election.
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Matthew….please….leave political analysis to experts. This is just facile.
UKIP has some highly intelligent backers and supporters. To write them off in this shallow, superficial way appears naive.
And it’s mere snobbery to suggest that because he drives a Volvo;lives in a semi detached house and likes caravan holidays he is common: in fact, it’s worse than that….it’s plain stupid.
As for Nigel Evans…well, I take anything this man has to say on the situation with a real handful of salt!
I have met Nigel Farage on an number of occasions. What sets him apart from other politico’s I have dealt with is that he actually listens to what you are saying. Michael Gove is another of that ilk.
Personally, I prefer the cut of a man who swills beer rather an MP who swills wine and then behaves ineptly with young interns.
Like it or not, UKIP is here to stay. A party lead by a liar like Cameron is not worth voting for.
There will be no in/out referendum whilst this guy runs things.
Reserve your judgment until the next election. You might find UKIP ends up with several seats and taken with the Ulster Unionists could help put some backbone into a Conservative Party whose membership is collapsing like a burst balloon. Unlike UKIP whose membership expands daily.
You are so patronising and arrogant. From the comments I’ve read you live in Knightsbridge or somewhere else in Kensington yourself. What do you know about the rest of Britain? What a bore you are and defending the racist policies of UKIP shows you for what you are. Matthew Steeples should ban you from commenting on the articles here. You are so tedious.
Roger is playing the race card again. The same card that was responsible for a council and a police force to turn a bind eye to the sexual abuse and explotation of 1400 children from the lower socio-economic classes. A civilised and responsible society safeguards all children, the children are our future We can not become a nation that is known to bugger children, only those with low socio economic status and no means to defend themselves, and no chance of being believed by anyone……It is not about politics, it is about morals and decency…..
Well put Chaim
Oh Roge….do calm down. You have no idea where I live, though at the moment I happen to be at my home in France so am not too ‘au courant’ with what’s going on in the rest of Britain…weather a bit variable here though.
It would be quite refreshing if Matthew banned you for being such a crashing bore….
Now go and think reflect on what a silly, angry little person you are.
Oh God… You again… Captain Bitter. No wonder you like UKIP.
The Savile Scandal, Edwina Currie handing over the keys of government institutions to a sex offender and ignoring the concerns of doctors, nurses. Sheer arrogance…………The Elm House Scandal; A bury the head in the sand approach. And now for something completely different………..Political Correctness claims another 1400 children………Guess what?……They are so sorry. I am sorry too, I am going to make that protest vote in 2015. I don’t give a flying fuck what Farage drives.
Good on you – I feel the same. I am feeling nauseous with what is going on.
God – You’re bloody predictable.Yawn.
Oh Roger…do go and bugger off. You add nothing and are tedious in extremis.
And that ‘Yawn’ thing so infantile and(predictable!)
I think Chaim says cogently what most of us think. Matthew….you are spending too much time in C. London restaurants.
I say he he’s Stupid 🙂
he he! Now you really sound stupid!
What a rude remark. How predictable.
It seems very predictable….your overuse of predictable! Twice in a couple of comments!
I wish they would stop making those stupid masonic hand signs to each other !
Just come across an apposite photo on LinkedIn, which unfortunately I cannot post here: “The ability to speak several languages is an asset, but the ability to keep your mouth shut in any language is priceless.”
The comments here sum up what Pete Wayde and his “chum” Chaim Paddaman (are they one and the same?) is: A TEDIOUS BORE.
There is no substance to your argument, attacking character and becoming abusive seems to be your only defence. Some mothers do have them………..
Matthew: You should ban the forum on this site. The only people who comment now are Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, AKA Chaim Paddaman and Peter Wayde. They’ve driven away all the sane folk.
I think Matthew might have some difficulty with your suggestion…”Matthew, you should ban the forum on this site”. Clearly, you are none too bright!
You all need banning and Matthew Steeples should be banned too.
Why should i consider him?! The man’s a plonk!
We know you are Irish but try to make sense