The Wheeler turns in UKIP's favour

Simon

Wheeler has money and a loud mouth

What he does not have is any political power or influence.

He should just be ignored

TGF UKIP

Shrewd man Stuart Wheeler - as he makes plain to the Screws you just can't trust Dave on Europe.

As the last three years have plainly demonstrated that neither can you trust Dave on tax and spending and as he plainly pursues political correctness just as assiduously as Jowell, Hewitt or Harperson it appears rather strange to me that Mr Wheeler or any other conservative should contemplate voting for the Cameron Tories in any election.

Tiberius

Good luck to the guy if he wants to waste his money on a one trick pony, which can't even keep its rather sparse accounting records in order.

James; you cannot conclude with a sentence like that without further explanation!

David Ossitt

He is only doing what many of us are thinking of doing; it is one last chance for us to show David Cameron that he must not take his right wing for granted.

THX1138

TGF will be a happy camper tonight.

JohnAnt

Gracious me, donating to UKIP - and after all the clamour the Tories made in support of his High Court appeal against Labour's refusal to hold a referendum on the treaty of Lisbon. I mean, while that case was going on, Cameron said...er...nothing and, er, did...well, b****r all, really.
I wonder if the Tories realise how many new UKIP voters Wheeler will have taken with him?

Yorkshireman, Yorkshire

Big loss to the Conservative movement. I admire Stuart for his support and principles on this issue.

As for me, UKIP has my vote in the Euro elections in June 2009.

I know Cameron is right not to "bang on" about Europe in the midst of a near economic depression, but the Euro elections allow a limited time period to outline his position on Lisbon ratification. A post ratification referendum commitment from Cameron and I'll vote Tory again. After that David can go back to mainstream issues.

Europe has to be dealt with a some point and the majority of the public clearly want a different form of relationship from Europe, all the recent surveys show it. Frank Field is also another key ally in this battle.

It's not xenophobia folks, its called being anti -fedaralist and pro democracy

David Cameron, if you're reading this please note, I'm not a "headbanger" or "gadfly" merely an everday member of the public who is fed up of the undemocratic and corrupt EU passing irreversible edicts that impact upon my/our lives and that we don't get consulted on and can't change.

Ben Stevenson

I suspect there are lots of people who intend to vote UKIP in European elections but would otherwise vote Conservative. I intend to vote this way myself.
If, as polls suggest, 55% of people favour leaving the EU, then, David Cameron could potentially alienate a lot of people if he expels Stuart Wheeler from the party.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/daniel_hannan/blog/2009/03/19/would_britain_vote_to_leave_the_eu

Alan Scott

Well put, Simon. Donations shoud be just that, donations. And the rest of us can draw our own conclusions. Spread betting, anyone?

THX1138

I actually think this is big psychological blow and will definitely be seen as very high treason by the Tory high command

Wheeler was not only a big donor but was also very prolific on the London Tory social scene attending all the big fund raising & generally getting out & about in LDN Tory land and certainly hob nobbing with Dave a Boy George. Come to think of it, it was probably too close a proximity to the loathsome Osborne that had him scurrying for the exit with his cheque book.

Independent lot these self made millionaires didn't that carpet bloke Lord Harris run off to UKIP too? looks like we're into Lady Bracknell territory now that Wheeler has done a bunk as well.

Verity

That 13 points will evaporate like the morning dew when it comes to an actual vote. There is no appetite for David Cameron. Nor for his policies, whatever they might be.

Dollar to a doughnut if Labour puts in a new Leader before the election, they'll get in. (Not if it's Harpic Harrieman, though.)

Chris

Wheeler is just an odious seedy and arrogant bookie who thinks he can buy power (and doesn't like the EU because he can't buy it). The Conservatives shouldn't have had anything to do with him in the first place and they should expel him now.

Michael M

I salute Wheeler's decision. Cameron is ignoring the majority of the Conservative Party members' views on the EU. Until he starts listening, UKIP will continue to grow.

Fergus Pickering

I do what Wheler does. I vote UKIP in European elections because of the iniquitous list sytem. If I could vote for Daniel Hannan I would but my vote could well go to some Tory Eurocreep.

TGF UKIP

Can I commend to Coffee Housers a brilliant post from Guido on Saturday headed:

"POLITICAL CLASS STARTING TO FEAR THE PUBLIC'S ANGER"

Although Guido is misguided enough to be a Cameron fan, he is not slavishly so as in the manner of the fanzine. Indeed, in this post he flays the Cameron strategy and its principal promoter in the daily press, the fanzine's own favourite mirror image hack, Finkelstein.

Guido unmissable as always at order-order.com

TGF UKIP

PS Can I also commend to Coffee Housers a visit to the UKIP website at ukip.org, where they will find not only at the right hand side of the site a chance to play the video clip of Nigel Farage's flaying of Gordon on the same day as Hannan's and every bit as good as that tour de force but an outline of UKIP policies.

To access this go to left side of screen to section headed UKIP policies, click on "policies" and then go to the brief outline set out on 19th August 2008.

Coffeee Housers will then see that UKIP is, indeed, the only conservative party currently offering itself to the UK electorate.

Steve fowler

As a UKIP member the Tories got us into this EU mess and have tryed to brush it under the carpet ever since.

If they are not prepeared to face up and listen to their party members or voters then they along with Labour and the Lib Dems should pay the by losing members or voters to UKIP simple as that im afraid!.

Cogito Ergosum

Well said, Chris 1104/28/3/2009.

Verity

Michael M - Cameron is ignoring the majority of the CP's members' views on the EU because he sees his future in the EU. People have to understand this about Cameron. His ambitions stretch beyond our shores, so he is in the service of those who will eventually be his masters. Not us.

Verity

David Cameron wants to be prime minister - for what purpose, we do not know. He's never said.

In three years.

One thing we can intuit - he is a paid-up ticket holder on the EU gravy train. You only have to be as intelligent as Tony Blair to go far in Europe, so it's level pegging.

Kevyn Bodman

Cameron is not just ignoring the majority of Conservative Party members.
He's ignoring many of his potential voters and much of the country.
As with a number of other policies, he could solve this with one sentence with no need to 'bang on' about it at all.
'We will hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and be bound by the result.'
Easy.
So why doesn't he do it?
Because he approves of Lisbon and the EU, and the way it controls life in the UK.
So why doesn't he say that?
Because he is simultaneously scared and manipulative.

Here's another sentence he could speak.
'On its first day in office a Conservative government would immediately remove any requirement for British citizens to log foreign travel plans and itineraries.' (e-borders).
Again, easy.

How many open goals will Cameron continue to miss?

david

It's the BNP not UKIP that will benefit from David Cameron wobble on Europe just look at the local election result of late it's the BNP that is gaining in support not UKIP they bearly get a look in these days

teledu

Yorkshireman - spot on in your analysis.
Verity too could well be right regarding Cameron's lead evaporating.
I can't see what Cameron has to lose (apart from alienating a few out-of-touch pro-EU big beasts within his party) by taking a more strident anti-EU approach. Promising a referendum on the Lisbon constitution is mere democracy; is that so bad?
Surely it's a win/win stance for the tories. If you believe in democracy then make that point by promising the referendum and place yourselves above the disingenious zanuLabour crew. Whatever the outcome of the referendum, you're in the clear 'cos the people voted for it not the politicians.
The reluctance of Cameron to bare his teeth on this matter is worrying. It suggests he hasn't got the balls to advocate policies which would prove popular with - dare I say it - middle-class white English voters - not because those policies aren't correct and justifiable - but because he's too much of a robo-Westminster political clone, without any deep political philosophy: a Blairite. No balls, all soundbite.

Oscar

Why has this 'dog bites man' story made it to the top of the BBCs news agenda? Wheeler has been wheeled out for years with variations on this story and is about as tedious as it gets.

johnny come lately

What amazes me is those that say Wheeler should be thrown out of the party! what vision those people have, what a way to treat someone who has contributed so much, and food for thought for Mr Wheeler himself. Does he really want to contribute to a party when people, like Iain Dale, are saying he should be 'expelled'?

He should ask Mr Dale how much he has donated to the Conservative Party, now that would be interesting.

BUT the point is that the Conservative Party are standing shoulder to shoulder with the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats Scots Nats and Greens!

ALL looking towards the EU, allowing such a corrupt and undemocratic organisation to end over 1000 years of our proud history.

Mr Wheeler has shown by his attitude to the EU that he is a Patriot.

David Cameron has no intention whatsoever of giving the people of this Country the choice they desire.

We all know that once the Lisbon Treaty has been ratified that is that. A referendum on that treaty after ratification will not be able to change anything. A move to re-negotiate will amount to an attempt to fool the people once again.

As Mr Hannan says " People are being taken for granted,ripped off, lied to and ignored"

People will no longer take lessons from Parliamentarians who, for too long, have had their noses in the trough. Politicians in general have lost the respect of the people.

Perhaps David Cameron should just ponder on that. He presides over people who are as guilty as those Labour politicians in the news. He needs to bring in a new morality.

Surely that new morality requires giving the British people the RIGHT to say yes or no to membership of the European Union?

Most people of voting age have never been asked their view and this is both undemocratic and very dangerous! What do people do when they feel disenfranchised? They riot!

The one thing that will get great support both within the EU elections and the General Election will be a firm promise to hold a referendum on that one question: IN or OUT of the EU. Then watch the conservative support soar.

But that would need a leader, showing great leadership. I am afraid the Blair Tribute Act is just that a poor imitation of a big fraud.

David Ossitt

THX1138

"Come to think of it, it was probably too close a proximity to the loathsome Osborne that had him scurrying for the exit with his cheque book".

I am very confused; George Osborne 'loathsome', surely not.

I asked her indoors she said "cuddly, winsome, pretty rather than handsome", "oh and he has lovely eyes" but she does find almost all of the present labour high-command loathsome.

As for TB & Cherie Booth QC loathsome does not so them any justice.

David Ossitt

PS.

I found these post's above of much interest; all are well above average.

Nick

There seem to be a number of posters above who don't understand Conservative Party policy on the Lisbon Treaty. It really is perfectly clear, to quote from the Party's website:

"If the Lisbon Treaty is not yet in force at the time of the next general election, and a Conservative Government is elected, we would put the Treaty to a referendum of the British people, recommending a 'no' vote. If the British people rejected the Treaty, we would withdraw Britain's ratification of it."

Oscar

If Cameron expelled Wheeler (which I think is wrong in principle) it would be a gift of a story about Tory splits to the anti-Conservative media. Mandelson and Campbell would be overjoyed at such a story just when all eyes are on the unfolding car crash that is the G20. Fortunately CCHQ, with a pitch perfect shrug of a response, are much smarter than some over excitable bloggers who seem to be clueless about how the media works. I'm very surprised Iain Dale should have fallen for this line.

Oscar

THX1138 - who do you support politically? We know where Verity stands and TGF UKIP, but you are a dark horse. Where are you coming from exactly?

Max Kaye

Nick @ March 29th, 2009 10:58am.

Not good enough.

I want the Tories to promise a referendum even if the Treaty is in force - and pledge to withdraw from the Treaty if so demanded by the electorate.

Until this is Tory policy, I too will be voting UKIP at the EU elections.

Verity

Max Kaye - Absolutely agree. And David Cameron's announcement is almost as stupid as Gordon Brown's announcing (reference Daniel Hannan's speech) the exact amount of gold Britain was going to sell, and naming the day he was going to sell it. Duh.

Cameron surely knows that if he sets such a parameter, the Europeans will kindly take note and make certain the treaty is ratified, sealed and delivered before (in my opinion, if ever) he takes office. In fact, I suspect that this is clue on Cameron's part was not inadvertent.

wonderfulforhisage

I've lost a bob or Mr Wheeler over the years at spread betting, and I'm delighted to see my losses put to such a good cause.

Adrian Blake

By voting Conservative, you are escaping from Freedom.....Freedom to Choose! The Tories have baggage remember...They signed the First Three Treaties that gave much of our Sovereignty to the Political Elite in Brussels /Strausburg. Cameron does not want to bang on about Euope(EU), because he can not go against his masters in the European Elite!