Election Snippet 3: UKIP, Ego overloaded and policy light

UKIP are spinning that they are selective and very choosy about who they will let stand for the Council under their banner.

This is of course rubbish, a bit of propaganda put around to cover their only having 41 candidates for the 63 seats up for grabs.  NO party that seriously puts itself forward as one of power, can have credibility when only contesting 2/3rds of the available posts.

So why are they failing to grow the activist base in their Rotherham powerhouse?

Much of the blame has to reside with their most prominent politician Caven Vines

Caven is infamous for promoting his own ego at the expense of others, even his fellow UKIP members. His judgement is also notoriously dodgy, as is his engaging mouth before brain.

For example, you may have viewed with sympathy his ongoing libel battle with the three MP. But whichever way you look at it, it has seriously drained both his time, energy and yes his credibility.

Nowadays he drops reconciliatory comments, even a little praise for Sarah Champion MP.  Sarah, a relatively recent Rotherham arrival who on landing here was provably without any CSE baggage. Someone who has since done more than any other politician to expose perpetrators and help victims.

His stupidity in saying she knew more about CSE than she was letting on cannot be understated, in making him and UKIP look silly in the eyes of all but the most blinkered UKIP supporter.

When Caven should have been building the party locally he has instead been arguing with fellow UKIP members and with the justice system.

He gets away with much. The anger of most UKIP voters with the Labour/Tory establishment, and with immigrants means they don’t ask much of UKIP by way of policies.

However surely UKIP supporters are confused by his hypocrisy in attacking one of the few policies where the Council at last appear to be cracking down on corruption and seeking to clean up our local sink districts.

The registration of private landlord’s programme is aimed at reducing drugs dealing, racketeer landlordism, slave labour, prostitution and Child Sexual Exploitation. Walk around Eastwood and you’ll see why we need it.

Caven is now saying that the Council are being too draconian, too broad in their requirements for all Landlords in certain Wards to register themselves and their properties. I always thought draconian action was what his electorate wanted?

No. Instead he wants it watering down, so that only the baddies have to register. He fails to identify how we will know the goodies from the baddies, other presumably than registering them after they have committed offences. Also who will pay for his proposal, presumably the baddies themselves? That is people who specialise in being unidentifiable?

So is this pure ineptitude or is he seeking the Landlord, that is Kashmiri, vote? Whatever, if they think about it I don’t see his traditional voters liking it.

Caven, tough on crime? Hell no. Tough on selling out to get a few extra votes?  Hell yes.

Jake Martinson