LETTER: Delight at UKIP’s growing support

The Parliamentary Constituencies of Horsham and Arundel and South Downs are traditionally amongst the safest Tory seats in England and they incorporate large parts of Horsham District.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th May 2014, 07:00 BST
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But, when the people of that District voted in the European Elections last week, they reduced the gap between UKIP and Tory votes from 5,899 to 810.

That contrasts last week’s district election results with the 2005 EU elections, with the UKIP vote increasing by 3,917 (46 per cent), whilst the Tory vote reduced by 1,172 (-8 per cent) and the Lib Dem vote fell by 2,642 (-44 per cent).

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This follows on from the May 2013 WSCC elections, when Lib Dem votes fell by around 60 per cent, Tory votes fell by 40 per cent and UKIP’s rose by over 170 per cent, when compared with 2009.

Since the District embraces two of the safest Tory seats in the country, I am naturally delighted at this result.

Of course the turnout and voting tactics are likely to be different in a General Election, but I doubt if the people will be in any hurry to let their MPs off the hook.

Voters are clearly unhappy with the diet of spin fed to them by this and the previous government and they want to see transparent democracy at all levels, with councils that are not the puppets of central government.

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Parliament has not only lost our respect due to sleaze, but it has become increasingly subservient to the EU, as we are sucked towards ever closer union with a continent that is in long term economic decline.

If we are to regain control of our destiny, against enormous resistance from the EU and its unelected bureaucrats, then a referendum will not be enough.

We will also need leaders of strong conviction and tenacity, so that if the British people do vote NO in a referendum (as the Irish and French did) we will be better equipped to counter that resistance.

For the moment, the people have spoken and the sea change of May 2013 is turning into a tsunami and with UKIP’s boats rising on the tide, the prospect of a return to real democracy may not be too far beyond the horizon.

ROGER ARTHUR

(UKIP) Horsham district councillor for Chanctonbury ward and UKIP parliamentary candidate for Horsham, North Street, Horsham

Related topics:ArundelSouth DownsEnglandParliament