UKIP - Beginning Of The End

Too skint to hold another leadership election, membership numbers in freefall, and with the departure of Jonathan Arnott, another MEP lost, the motley convocation of saloon bar propper-uppers otherwise known as UKIP faces that final curtain. The party will decide the fate of leader Henry Bolton tomorrow - or he may just ignore their confidence vote and tough it out, all the while shipping members, money, and credibility.

The last Kipper gets smoked

Not only do the Kippers not have the means to hold another leadership contest without first disposing of at least one staff member, they also, as Arnott pointed out, do not have anyone better than Bolton to replace him. There will be no return of Nigel “Thirsty” Farage, as UKIP is now on its uppers, and Nige ain’t going anywhere other than where the money is at. The bankers could pull the plug as early as next week.

And adding to the collective-nervous-breakdown-cum-self-destruct-inevitability of UKIP right now have been yet more revelations of most unfortunate social media outbursts from the young woman who Bolton took up with, then dumped, but then dined with last week and who accompanied him all the way back to the location on the Kent Coast where he has a flat. Jo Marney’s intolerant and bigoted back catalogue had more nasty surprises.

Ms Marney’s Facebook messages include one tirade which contains the observations “I’m voting UKIP … I hate these PG English people who are scared to speak out about the tidal wave of European scum coming over here in case they get labelled as racist … Personally, I freely admit I am racist. I didn’t use to be, but I am now. These people are given more rights than us in our own country … They come here purely to use and abuse our system”. She isn’t too clued up on human rights, either, but then, she votes UKIP.

There was, sadly for Henry Bolton and his decision making process, more. “Just let ‘em all come over … let ‘em all live off us … have 50,000 brats … and claim benefits … well, that’s what’s happening … it’s the truth … and personally, I couldn’t care if we do kill Iraqi kids … I personally think the entire country needs a nuclear bomb dropping on it”.

She isn’t too good at separating EU member states from those in the Middle East, too, it seems. And as Bolton has decreed that he does not rule out “rekindling” his relationship with Ms Marney, it is most relevant to his suitability for continuing as UKIP leader. Is he in favour of these dishonest and spiteful attacks on EU citizens (and, indeed, Iraqis)?

Meanwhile, five of the party’s councillors in Hartlepool “have resigned from the party citing ‘national distraction’ and formed a new Independent Group … Councillors John Tennant, Shane Moore, Bob Buchan, Tim Fleming and George Springer, have quit the party amid increasing negative headlines and in-fighting within the party at national level”, following the move by Arnott, their local MEP. There are likely to be more.

UKIP can’t afford to dump Bolton, they don’t have a credible alternative, and all the while their members and elected representatives are drifting away. The party is visibly breaking up. Next week it may all be over. Just rejoice at that news.