Tory Mp Carswell Switches To Ukip

[Jomlett]

He will stand down as MP for Clacton to seek re-election in a by-election.

If he wins the by-election he will be the first UKIP MP to take a seat in Westminster. Don't go and upset Nigel, now!

BBC News - Tory MP Carswell switches to UKIP http://bbc.in/VPpz8Y

[ichkeria]

Carswell cannot really lose here: if he wins the seat: good news for the Faragists. If he splits the xenophobic vote and lets in Labour at the next election, or even if he holds onto his seat, he'll hasten the end of the Tory Govt and therefore Cameron. Which is all these people really want.

[mikey4444]

But Chili.....Farage was the Leader of UKIP during the 2010 Election, so he has to accept responsibility for his Parties actions. He campaigned on a Manifesto that was clearly drivel, but didn't come clean at the time. That is hardly the actions of a "honest, straight-talking" person. It is duplicity itself.

If the Leader of the Labour Party had done the same, you would have been shouting it from the roof tops, and quite rightly so. Why is it good for the goose but not the gander ?

Please explain the hypocrisy !

[Sqad]

ich.

\\\Carswell cannot really lose here:\\\

I don't follow you. if he loses and the Tory wins.............he is out of Politics big time.

[mikey4444]

Afternoon Sqad...not seeing so much of you on here of late !

Yes....I didn't understand that either. If he loses the by-election, he not only loses his safe-ish seat, but his considerable livelihood as well. The Tories will not want him back, and UKIP will view him as damaged goods. He also risks letting in Labour by the back door, as the right-wing vote will be split.

I think he is being a bit of a pillock here myself !

[Sqad]

Hi! mikey...I have been about..........;-)

[Zacs-Master]

I think joining UKIP proved that Mikey.

[Gromit]

Mikey,

Farage was not UKIP leader of UKIP at the last election. He became leader in November 2010. He was responsible for the 2010 manifesto, which is why it is easy for him to rubbish it.

[Gromit]

Should read:

He was NOT responsible for the 2010 manifesto, which is why it is easy for him to rubbish it.

[ChillDoubt]

Thanks for the confirmation posts Gromit, I'm indebted as they confirm what I'd read somewhere recently.

Care to revise that assessment, mikey?

[ichkeria]

"I don't follow you. if he loses and the Tory wins.............he is out of Politics big time. "

My point is that a lot of these people are playing the "long game". In any case, if he loses he'll be back with the Tories, mark my words. By that time possibly a Tory party under new leadership, even more Eurosceptic and xenophobic than the current one.
A view seemingly shared, interestingly, by the chap who had been selected to fight the seat for the Farage party. He doesn't seem to share his Fuhrer's high opinion of Mr Carswell at all. What was it he said "People like him are here one minute gone the next" or words to that effect :-)

[mikey4444]

ichkeria...do you really think that the Tories will have Carswell back, after he has been a traitor ? Really ? Why would they do that ?

[ichkeria]

No the current Tory party won't have him back.
But many right wing Tories are so disillusioned with what they see as the namby-pamby Cameron-style of Toryism that they would not be disappointed to see the party lose the next election and be "reborn" under a new leader who would not be as soft on Johnny foreigner etc.
It's not hard to see him returning under those circumstances.
Meantime he'll be in UKIP, which is still "being in politics" even if not an MP. Farage may paint UKIP as something that is "not normal politics" but that of course is rubbish :-)

[ChillDoubt]

Erm....am I invisible mikey? When you're ready.......