What should the next UKIP leader do?

Blogs can't run for the post of leader of UKIP. If this one could, this is what it would say.

Introduction

This manifesto is deliberately short and sharp. I am not interested in being a consensus leader or taking the party back to where it should have been two years ago.

I offer you a definite vision. Some members will like it, some will not. If you vote for me, this is what you will get.

Vision

UKIP will not make significant progress if it continues to focus mainly on the EU, because the EU issue is simply unimportant to most people

UKIP has a choice. It can continue to concentrate on just being a focus for opposition against the EU. This is a familiar and comfortable role. If you want to continue like that, vote for someone else.

I believe this focus on the EU is not enough. First, because it won’t get us elected. Second, because it doesn’t deserve to. We wouldn’t just pass an Act withdrawing from the EU and then resign. People are entitled to know what sort of government we would be overall. Getting that across requires more than a manifesto just before an election.

I offer you a vision of a UKIP with a range of radical policies grouped around these themes:

• Leaving the EU, which was and is a fraud on the British electorate
• Less government. Governments are by their nature inefficient and expensive. All the other parties want government to do more and more, at the taxpayers’ expense. UKIP will say the state should stop becoming more and more expensive for its citizens
• Competent government giving value for money.

UKIP will stand for

• Less government
• Lower taxes
• Less regulation
• Care and support for those in genuine need
• More democratic control of central and local government. UKIP will accept the main thrusts of the Power Report and advocate fair votes in the form of fair constituency boundaries and the “Total Representation” voting system
• More choice for the citizens in areas such as education and health
• Overhaul of policies on crime and immigration
• Repeal of most Human Rights legislation.

UKIP will also review and develop positions on issues such as defence, pensions and the environment.

Dynamic change

By common consent UKIP functions poorly. I will make these changes – if you vote for me, you are not voting for gradual evolutionary change.

If she is available, I will invite Petrina Holdsworth to be my deputy, with special responsibility for fundraising, and for communications within the party. Petrina and I will each attend at least one meeting in every Region every year.

I will overhaul the administrative structure. I will take advice on this from a small group which I will invite Anthony Butcher to head, together with Geoffrey Kingscott and one MEP. Any party member who wants to join the team or put up ideas should contact Anthony within two weeks of the result of the leadership election.

Some of our anti-regions campaigning is excellent. If UKIP has a campaigning strategy, it is patchy and ill thought out. I will seek a volunteer to become Campaigns Facilitator. One role of the Campaigns Facilitator will be to find good ideas in regions and spread the word. “Stunts” will be a thing of the past unless follow-up is in place to maintain the momentum. This person will not be there to control campaigning or stop local initiatives, but to help us improve.

I will also seek a volunteer Head of Media, to set up a “virtual” (i.e. decentralised) media unit. Dedicated London premises might be nice to have, but we can’t afford them and if we could it wouldn’t necessarily be the best use of the money. Volunteers will identify media items for comment. The initial task of the media unit will be to issue at least one release a day commenting on issues, and cascade them to members. They will be directly responsible to me. Party members will be welcome to apply.

Web site redesign is by common consent urgent. UKIP has more than adequate web skills within its membership. I will invite Anthony Butcher to head a steering group to drive the changes.

I will also appoint a Policy Co-ordinator. The brief will be to involve members with specific knowledge in developing broad policies from the themes outlined above. This person will be a facilitator, enabler and driver of the process, which will include building links with think tanks and other policy groups. The Policy Co-ordinator will liaise with the Head of Media and the Campaigns Facilitator to nominate spokesmen on particular policy areas. Party members will be welcome to apply.

The people listed above will be named contact points for members, who will know where to go with specific issues. Along with one representative of the MEPs they will be my informal cabinet. We will have short, crisp monthly meetings to review progress.

As the changes progress, we will develop various specialist groups (e.g. perhaps on business deregulation) with links to the Policy Co-ordinator, the Head of Media, and the Campaigns Facilitator. Choosing the right people to lead these groups will be key, since I will expect them to run with a light touch once they get started. I will meet these group leaders at least every two months.

Personal

The job of the leader is to set the vision, make things happen, and communicate, communicate, communicate, both inside and outside the party.

This takes place in the UK. Therefore I promise not to stand as an MEP during my term of office.

Conclusion

The party needs to change, or it will stagnate. I offer you radical and rapid change.