UKIP

I am one of the founders of UKIP and stood for them in the 1992 Election (when we were called the Anti-Federalist League) and the 1994 Euro Election. I recruited Nigel Farage to the party, in a pub in Wiltshire. So I wish them well even though I no longer take any part in the Party. I believe the EU to be an expensive, corrupt, undemocratic shambles and have no doubt whatsoever that we would be better off democratically and financially out of it.

But UKIP has had its problems: internal party bickering, some pretty dodgy characters as candidates, and a bit too much noise on immigration (if this is going to be an election platform, and there is no reason why it shouldn't be, you have to control the language used, as David Cameron showed so well at the Tory Conference).

There are signs now that it is getting out of the rut. Nigel Farage is a good leader and trenchant speaker, the funding crisis shows signs of being behind it, and the immigration verbiage seems to be under control (5-year moratorium on economic migrants). Most people agree with them, if not on actually leaving the EU, on the euro and the constitution.

And the recent news is that Marta Andreasen, the whistle blower who was fired for exposing EU corruption, to the shame of Lord Kinnock and his appalling wife, will be the new Treasurer. Short of having your accounts signed off by the Governor of the Central Bank (and as a matter of fact I have my doubts about Mr Trichet) you could hardly do better. Is this a renaissance for UKIP? I hope so, if only to keep the other parties honest about Europe.