26/09/2015
Although I had some hint of what was going down yesterday, and was quick off the mark
reporting it, I had little inkling of what was to follow.
Centre stage â exactly as the legacy media likes it â the whole thing has degenerated into an unseemly squabble between Arron Banks and Farage on the one side and Douglas Carswell on the other, typified by
this report in the
Guardian.
The spat came after a public confrontation in a corridor at Doncaster racecourse, where Douglas Carswell was claimed to have been "appallingly rude and provocative" towards Arron Banks, over his campaigning group,
Leave.EU. This ending up with Banks, in front of journalists, accusing Carswell of being "borderline autistic with some mental illness attached".
Actually, given the exceptional skills often exhibited by sufferers, I personally do not see "borderline autistic" as an insult â although I do recognise that many would find it highly offensive. Perhaps I myself â as many have accused me of being â am "borderline autistic".
This, though, is yet another "foot-in-mouth"
outburst by Banks who is entering politics without, it would appear, the personal skills that would enable him to survive and proper in what is a hostile environment, with unique characteristics unlike anything he will encounter in business.
The trigger for the exchange in this event was Carswell
saying he intended to continue supporting Matthew Elliott's rival
for Britain campaigning group, rather than Banks's operation.
This, incidentally, had Nigel Farage accusing his only MP of having residual loyalties to the Conservatives, and was enough to enrage Banks, who told Carswell that he would already have been sacked if he had worked for one of his companies.
Following the dispute, Carswell told the
Guardian: âItâs really important that we build a united campaign and a good place to start with that is to unite Ukip. And a good place to start with that is not to suggest that Ukip MPs who don't fall into line get ousted from Ukip. I think this a serious, important politics and it is too important to be reduced to a squabble at Doncaster".
Farage then went on to accuse
for Britain of being a "talking shop in Tufton Street" and failing to be sufficiently clear that they definitely want to campaign to leave the EU. "The fact is", he claimed, "Mr Elliott's group do not advocate leaving the European Union".
"They might do one day", Farage added: "It's a bit like John Redwood, who has been a Eurosceptic for 25 years who says we must wait to see what Dave comes back with. Our view is that is absolutely hopeless and allows the prime minister to set his agenda. It is wholly unacceptable".
Remarkably, this had the
Guardian actually defending Elliott, saying that "
for Britain" is preparing an "out" campaign after being unconvinced about David Cameron's aims for renegotiation. Publicly, it wishes Ukip and
Leave.EU all the best but behind the scenes, senior Tories want to keep Farage away from their "EU-out campaign" over fears he could put off swing-voters.
In fact, Elliott and his supporters are planning to launch in October the "
Campaign to Leave" â reflecting the proposition expected to be on the ballot paper, giving him something of the high ground, and leaving Mr Banks with the unfortunate label of the man who called Douglas Carswell "borderline autistic".
Potentially damaging his own brand even further, Banks had already decided to feature immigration and "border control" on his hired Ad-van, putting him alongside Ukip in making this a key issue for the referendum campaign.
Even then, the damage was not complete. As the
Times spread the news about Banks, the
Telegraph intervened, picking up a claim from Banks that the Electoral Commission will find it hard not to designate the group that Ukip decide to endorse, and Carswell will either have to leave or also support it.
But this paper also adds that doubts have emerged over the legitimacy of the anti-EU umbrella group claimed by Banks, after Lord Lamont, vice president of the Bruges Group "and one of
Leave.EU's alleged supporters", issued a statement denying claims that he backs it. He said: "I was surprised to be told it was being claimed I supported the Leave.EU campaign. I have had no contact with this group whatsoever".
Another senior anti-EU campaigner is claiming, according to the
Telegraph, that Ukip was in "chaos" and warned that the split raised questions about Mr Farage's motive for backing the Leave.EU group. This is also supposed to throw into disarray Ukip's claim to have cross-party backing for the new campaign â a condition said to be required to win Electoral Commission endorsement.
Here, of course, there is no such requirement. Where there are two or more applicants for designation, the Electoral Commission chooses the group that represents to the greatest extent those campaigning for the proposition. All things being equally, cross-part support helps, but it is only one factor that the EC will take into account.
As it stands, both the Banks and the Elliott operations have their strengths and their weaknesses. But if Banks insists on continuing to damage his own brand, not least with a crass website, riddled with errors, he stands to give the game to Elliott.
Thus do we see the most important preliminary skirmish of the campaign being fought out. The official designation will have a massive effect on the battle and perhaps even determine the outcome of the referendum. But with the stakes so high, this is an issue which is far too important for the sort of games we are seeing at the moment.
