2004, Part 2, Rigged Systems and Wounded Egos
Some of UKIP's Parliamentary cohort.
“The Tory party is dying. For us to kill it we need to talk about the EU, immigration asylum, multiculturalism and the flat rate of income tax. We cannot be a Conservative side-project.” - Robert Kilroy Silk announces his bid for the presidency
UKIP had steadily grown over the course of the early days of the Commonwealth, cementing itself as the Commonwealth’s fourth party. Party elites knew a strong performance for the Presidency was needed to take the party forward. To this end party leaders such as Nigel Farage and David Bannerman quickly unified around South West Senator Roger Knapman. Knapman had served as a junior minister in the Major Governments, just what UKIP needed to bring legitimacy to their growing party. Knapman was from the traditional “bluekip” wing of the party, who believed in Libertarian economics and wanted to cooperate with the Conservatives where possible.
Senator Knapman announces his bid for the Presidency.
“You tried to ignore us, well now we have a voice at Westminster, you can’t ignore us anymore!” -UKIP Parliamentary Leader Nigel Farage’s speech at the opening of Parliament (2002)
The only major challenger to Knapman was TV personality and East Midlands Senator Robert Kilroy-Silk. Kilroy-Silk was a relative newcomer to the party only joining a few years prior. However his national profile was a great boost to the party. Kilroy-Silk became a leader of UKIP’s “redkip” faction which aimed to appeal to the “patriotic working class.” Kilroy-Silk challenged Knapman arguing UKIP should become a more economically populist party, and should challenge Labour and the Conservatives in equal measure.
Kilroy-Silk had very little support amongst the party faithful. Knapman ran a boring but effective campaign. This was unlike Kilroy-Silk whose campaign was increasingly detached and controversial. The UKIP debate wasn’t broadcast at primetime and would have gotten little attention if not for Kilroy-Silk’s strange racist ramble about Arabic people. Knapman commented on Kilroy-Silk’s candidacy in the debate, saying: “I want to take this party and this country forward, Senator you want to take yourself forward.”
The result was a landslide for Knapman and a humiliation for Kilroy-Silk. Knapman named UKIP’s parliamentary leader Nigel Farage as his running mate and Kilroy-Silk was promptly left in the dust. The next challenge for UKIP was getting the 26 MPs required for a Parliamentary bid. After a call around some old friends Knapman managed to convince two Conservative MPs, Stuart Wheeler and Malcolm Pearson (who was offered UKIP’s lead candidate spot in the 2005 election) to cross the floor giving UKIP the 26 MPs needed.
“This party is full of stars, whether in Parliament or regional Government they have been given a chance to shine. It’s time to show the British people we mean business.” - Roger Knapman’s victory speech at the party’s conference in Newport
Ever dramatic, Kilroy-Silk announces his new party Veritas, during his speaking slot at UKIP's conference.
At the same time Ken Livingstone decried the Labour Party and announced he would be creating an “anti-war coalition” to run for the Presidency. Livingstone managed to talk the Green Party, Respect, the SNP, Plaid and the Scottish Socialists into a rickety alliance.Livingstone promised an open primary allowing all parties to run candidates and all supporters to vote. The short-lived coalition managed to raise nearly £100,000 pounds, enough to pay the Presidential deposit and then some. However the coalition only had 20 MPs in Parliament, Livingstone swore he could get six left-wing Labour MPs to “broaden the debate.” However he failed to win any MPs over and the coalition quickly fell apart over ideological differences between the parties and distrust of Respect and the Scottish Socialists. Ken then denounced the Commonwealth’s political system and told his supporters to boycott the ballot as none of the main parties were truly anti-war.
“I said to Ken, look I’m ready to back you but I’m not going to risk it all for nothing, how many MPs do you have? Ken refused to answer. I knew then it was hopeless, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was the only one” - Lynne Jones in an interview with the New Statesman (2010)
Ken Livingstone on the phone to Labour MP Brian Sedgemore, who informed Ken he would not be nominating him.
The far-right also tried to gather its forces for a Presidential bid. Nick Griffin, having clung on in the North West Senate, raised a mere £38,000 and failed to gain the nomination of even the most unsavoury UKIP or Tory MP. There were no other notable presidential bids, only the Monster Raving Loony Party and a few independents who all failed to make the ballot.
Ken Livingstone had more impact on the 2004 Presidential Election than Roger Knapman, discuss (30 marks) - A Level History Exam (2019)
Last edited: