ConservativeHome's ToryDiary

'UKIP have completely wasted their big opportunity'

In terms of defeating the UKIP threat in June's European Elections a leaflet from Tory MEPs chooses to emphasise their MEPs' record of failure rather than addressing the independence argument head on.

Point 1 of a leaflet charges:

"UKIP let down their supporters. They returned 12 MEPs in 2004, but completely wasted their big opportunity. Their MEPs have been characterised by in-fighting and scandal; as a result, one third of their MEPs have left or been expelled."

Access a full PDF of the anti-UKIP leaflet.

The leaflet in the series that attacks Labour focuses on a failure to honour a promise to hold a referendum on Lisbon, Labour MEPs' support for joining the Euro, support for the Working Time Directive, support for an EU Space programme and also for a Euro Army:

"Labour MEPs have repeatedly voted in favour of steps towards a European army. For example, they voted in favour of an ‘integrated European Armed Force.’ Yet on another occasion, they voted that the EU should be a ‘nuclear-weapon-free zone.’"

Access a full PDF of the anti-Labour leaflet.

The best of the leaflets is against the Liberal Democrats.  The themes are similar to the Labour leaflet with LibDem Europe policy at least as bad as Labour's and much less known among the voters in, for example, the West Country, who still support Britain's third party in large numbers.  Key quote:

"The EU Court of Auditors has been unable to give the EU accounts a clean bill of health for 14 successive years, but Liberal Democrat MEPs have voted year after year to approve the EU accounts."

Access a full PDF of the anti-Liberal Democrat leaflet.

Tim Montgomerie

> Last Monday we published the leaflet that made the positive case for voting for Conservative MEP candidates.

Telegraph: Stuart Wheeler has been expelled

Telegraph leader:

"The expulsion of Stuart Wheeler from the Conservative Party was inevitable from the moment he decided to write out a large cheque to finance Ukip's campaigning for the European Parliament elections. The contests on June 4 will be a crucial staging post for the general election. It is imperative from David Cameron's point of view that the Tories perform as strongly as possible to provide a launch pad for the challenge ahead. He knows, as Mr Wheeler must also know, that the difference between a good Tory result and an exceptional one is the extent to which Ukip can attract Eurosceptic voters who would normally support the Conservatives..."

...continues.

8.15pm Confirmation from BBC News:

11pm Statement from CCHQ: "Eric Pickles, Conservative Party Chairman, has confirmed that the Board of the Conservative Party intend to expel Stuart Wheeler due to his support for another party. As a precursor to expulsion he has been formally suspended and has 28 days in which to appeal."

Pro-Europe Tory MP calls for Stuart Wheeler to be expelled

Ian Taylor MP of the Conservative Group for Europe has become the first Tory MP to call for Mr Wheeler to be expelled.

He has just emailed ConservativeHome this statement:

"David Cameron has said that: "UKIP is sort of a bunch of ... fruitcakes and loonies and closet racists, mostly."

They have nothing to do with the Conservative Party, thank goodness, not least because we are firmly in favour of reforming the EU from within.

No-one who is a supporter of UKIP can be accepted as a Conservative Party member."

I don't think it's helpful to resurrect that David Cameron quote but for reasons already blogged, I agree that Mr Wheeler must now be expelled.

Tim Montgomerie

Eric Pickles must expel Stuart Wheeler

I cannot hide the fact that I've dithered somewhat over this one but reading the thread below my earlier post has convinced me that Eric Pickles should enforce party discipline and expel Stuart Wheeler from the Conservative Party.  I have three things to say:

Party members cannot be allowed to openly support other parties: One of the strengths of the Conservative Party under David Cameron has been its unity. Although members' privileges are being eroded by the leadership there has to be responsibilities attached to the fact that members, for example, have a right to elect the party leader and select candidates. If the party leadership turns a blind eye to members openly advocating support for other parties then unity and discipline will be difficult to maintain in more difficult political times. It is also important that Stuart Wheeler isn't seen to get special treatment because of his status as a Conservative Party (ex-)donor.

We should thank Stuart Wheeler for his support for the Conservative Party: As I commented last night, Stuart Wheeler helped the party when we most needed help. He did so from high principle. He has never sought personal advantage from his giving to the Party. In fact, he has specifically ruled out joining the House of Lords. His Euroscepticism and campaigning on human rights are admirable. The Conservative Party is already experimenting with non-membership affiliations - such as internet 'friends'.  I hope he does vote for the Conservative Party at the next election. He should be expelled with regret and there must always be a way back into the party for people who are natural allies.

Europe is an issue that cannot be ignored: I am delighted that David Cameron is set to deliver on his pledge to take our MEPs out of the EPP.  For the first time the European Parliament will have a serious opposition to the EU's constant drift to ever closer union.  Europe as an abstract issue may be low on voters' list of priorities but European law and directives affect every aspect of British life including immigration and our ability to fight crime.  Some in the Conservative leadership want the issue of Europe to go away.  A head-in-the-sands stance will only encourage more members to follow the example of Stuart Wheeler.

Tim Montgomerie

"There are no plans to remove Stuart Wheeler from the Conservative Party" Wheeler may be expelled

11am update: A Tory spokesman tells me that Stuart Wheeler may still be suspended from the Conservative Party.  "We are not going to take these decisions late on a Saturday night," I'm told.

Iain Dale argues that Stuart Wheeler should be expelled from the Conservative Party for supporting UKIP's European Elections campaign but a Tory spokesman, quoted on Radio 4's 8am news bulletin, says that there are "no plans" to remove the Tory donor from the party's membership list.  Mr Wheeler who writes in The Sunday Times that the EU is more expensive than the recession, has said that he intends to support UKIP in June's European Elections but will vote Conservative in County Council elections on the same day and "is likely" to support Conservatives at the General Election.

The case for expulsion: If action is not taken against Mr Wheeler, many other Conservatives will conclude that there are no consequences for them doing the same. The consequences for party unity and discipline could be serious. Conservatives who advocated supporting UKIP at previous European elections - while promising to return to the Tory fold immediately afterwards - have been expelled.  Taking action against a donor will send a powerful signal that they can't buy special treatment.

The case against expulsion: Mr Wheeler's support for leaving the EU is shared by many Conservatives and expelling him could trigger more tensions between the grassroots and the leadership.  It is better to turn a blind eye to Tories who vote UKIP in June but have every intention of supporting Conservatives in the real contest - the General Election. The political party system is in decline anyway and the idea that people are going to be rigidly loyal to party structures in future is out-of-date.  And, let's not forget, Tory grassroots members were not allowed a say in ranking existing MEP Tory candidates.  Finally, Mr Wheeler has been generous to the Tories in the past and we should forgive him this one disloyalty.

What do you think?

Tim Montgomerie

Stuart Wheeler defects to UKIP supports UKIP with £100,000 donation but "likely" to support Tories at next General Election

The News of the World has the scoop that Stuart Wheeler has defected to UKIP and gifted Nigel Farage's party a £100,000 donation.

He told the News of the World:

"The EU is doing so much damage to our economy and our way of life that I can no longer vote Conservative at the European elections. The Conservatives, though perhaps more eurosceptic than Labour, just wish no one would talk about the EU so that they can win the general election in peace."

Very disappointing news.

Tim Montgomerie

5pm: I've left this comment below: "Look, I think Stuart Wheeler has made a serious tactical error but he has been geneous to our party when we most needed help, he's a man of principle on Europe and human rights. Let's remember that as we comment."

7pm: I've now spoken to Stuart Wheeler. He will be voting UKIP in June's European Elections but Conservative in local elections.  He says that it is "likely" that he will support the Conservatives at the next General Election and will donate too.  I've updated the title of this post accordingly.

Immigration could be top issue at European Elections

Last Friday's Telegraph reported that immigration was becoming voters' top issue.  This morning's Times warns of "hordes of unemployed workers heading west" unless radical action is taken to bail out recession-struck Eastern European nations.  But although the "rich" EU nations will struggle to afford any bailout this week's Economist uses its cover feature to warn that "western Europe cannot afford not to pay it."  It warns of catastrophic implications for EU banks and the wider economy if the East is allowed to fail.

The same issue of The Economist carries an article examing the pressures facing Germany as it moves towards a reluctant acceptance that "the collective" will have to help.  The article is illustrated with a photograph of Angela Merkel digging into her handbag.

Both UKIP and the BNP will undoubtedly seize on these issues as June's European Elections approach.

UKIP's political credibility was damaged last night, however, after Robin Page accused his former party's leadership of falling in love with "the high life of gravy and status".  Writing for The Telegraph Mr Page said: "The party created to fight centralised government, sleaze and corruption has become a parody of itself, a mirror image of the body it professes to loathe."  UKIP is dismissing the attack as sour grapes after the former presenter of BBCtv's One Man And His Dog was prevented from standing as a UKIP candidate in East Anglia.

Tim Montgomerie

10% of people who will vote Tory in a General Election will vote UKIP in June's Euro elections

That's the suggestion of a YouGov poll carried out by The Taxpayers' Alliance and Global Vision and released to tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph.  The Sun Tel's Patrick Hennessy warns that that number will only harden if Ken Clarke returns to the Conservative frontbench in the much anticipated reshuffle.

Overall voting intentions for next June's elections are (with 2004 actual voting percentages in brackets):

• Conservatives 35% (26.7%)
• Labour 29% (22.6%)
• Liberal Democrats 15% (14.9%)
• UKIP 7% (16.1%)
• Greens 5% (6.3%)
• BNP 4% (4.9%)

The poll also finds that 16% of Britons want to leave the EU altogether and another 48% want a looser relationship.  64% reject Euro membership.

Prepare for next year's European Elections

The biggest electoral hurdle for the Conservatives and the General Election are next June's European Elections.

A strong showing by the Kilroy-Silk-powered UKIP at the 2004 Elections somewhat derailed Michael Howard.  UKIP are a shadow of their former self but the Tories worry about a strong BNP performance.  The BNP won a seat on the GLA during this year's London elections.

It is the duty of the Conservatives to ensure that voters feel their concerns about European integration, immigration and crime are being heard by the mainstream - as well as highlighting other Conservative themes of free trade, concern for the environment and international justice.  Our manifesto for those Elections must have policies in all of those key areas to minimise any swing to the extremes.  A pledge to hold a referendum on Lisbon, a transparency agenda for MEPs' expenses and the Tory plan for a Border Police Force must all feature in our campaign.

Some Tory MEPs favour term limits as a way of stopping their colleagues from 'going native'.  One MEP supports making a link between the UK's budget contribution and improved auditing of the EU budget.

Rupert Matthews, one of our East Midlands MEP candidates, has already been leading a ConHome discussion of what could be included in our manifesto.

> Step 6/10: Conservatives need their own democracy agenda

The new UKIP

We had missed UKIP's makeover until 'Libertarian' pointed it out...

Bob Spink becomes UKIP's only MP

Just a short while after he lost the Tory whip, Bob Spink has decided to join UKIP.

Mr Spink told The Telegraph:

"I am delighted to join the Ukip team, helping to fight for Britain's interests in Europe and for better policy on the issues that really matter to people. I have been increasingly disappointed with the Tory Party's failure to be honest with the public on a wide range of issues like pensions, crime, immigration and defence. "Dishonesty over the EU constitution is the Tories' greatest failure.  They heap criticism on other parties, but refuse to remove the constitution if they ever get power.  The public see this as opportunistic and hypocritical, but sadly, it is typical of Westminster politics.  It is little wonder the public hold politicians in such contempt."

Some predicted that Mr Spink would join UKIP but he initially denied it.  At 11.14am on 17th March Bob Spink left this comment on ConservativeHome:

"I am a principled Conservative and intend to stand as that at the next election.  I can be more influential as an Independent Tory, pushing for stronger policy on pensions, Europe, crime and immigration, and against corruption and bad local planning decisions and I will redouble my fight for local infrastructure and for Castle Point people... no change there then!"

Mr Spink also spoke on Radio 4's Today programme earlier today.

11am: Jim McConalogue on CentreRight congratulates Bob Spink on his defection.

When are the LibDems going to be asked to repay £2.4m from Michael Brown?

The Electoral Commission's likely demand that UKIP forfeit £363,697 of donations may "ruin" Nigel Farage MEP's party according to Brendan Carlin in today's Telegraph.  The repayment demand is much bigger than the party's claimed annual income of approximately £250,000.  Brendan Carlin, who was first on Fleet Street with the story, notes that the donations from retired bookmaker Alan Bown were illegal because Mr Bown failed to ensure he was on the electoral register at the time of his donation and UKIP failed to check that he was registered.

Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act of 2000 all illegal donations are not returned to the original donors but go to the Treasury.  Alan Bown's money will end up in Gordon Brown's pocket. 

And that brings us on to another Brown...  If the Electoral Commission succeeds in reclaiming UKIP's money there should be new pressure on the LibDems to forfeit the £2.4m that Michael Brown gave to Charles Kennedy's 2005 election effort.  That Mr Bown, always a UK resident and taxpayer, was ineligible to give to UKIP was something of a (not insignificant) clerical error.  The vehicle that Michael Brown used to give to the LibDems was "fraudulent and never traded" (Times).  Why one rule for UKIP and another for the LibDems?

The stay-at-homes are a bigger worry than UKIP

Peter Riddell writes an article for The Times this morning in which he says that the Tories have little to fear from UKIP.  He notes that UKIP support stands at only 1.5% in recent Populus surveys and that the "the real danger for the Tories is among former Labour and LibDem supporters who might return to their earlier party loyalties if they conclude that Mr Cameron is not providing a strong enough lead or clear enough direction."

A few observations about Mr Riddell's article:

1. I've already written about the risks of talking about UKIP's agenda. The Greens have grown in support as the environment has topped the political agenda and the same could happen to UKIP's support if Europe came back to dominate Tory speeches and announcements.
2. Gordon Brown could choose to go to the country on the same day as the next European Elections.  This could boost UKIP and make Europe more of an issue at the next General Election.
3. Why do commentators always have to suggest that there is a deep conflict between appealing to potential UKIP supporters and LibDems/ Greens?  Most west country LibDem voters and most Greens share Eurosceptics' dislike of the EU.  More significantly it is possible to address most constituencies simultaneously through the 'politics of and'.  Most Britons believe in strictly controlled immigration and want to invest in medicine and food aid to the world's poorest people.  Most voters believe that gay couples deserve fairness and they believe that traditional marriage isn't properly supported by Government.  Tony Blair was at its electorally most formidable when he was greedy for all political territory.  He did not allow the Tories to develop advantages in any major policy area.  That must be the challenge for the Tories - we must want to dominate political debate from environmental and social justice questions on the one hand to immigration and defence questions on the other.  There are, of course, important choices in politics.  You can't keep everyone happy all of the time but we should be less willing to accept the simplistic notion that appealing to the concerns of more right-leaning voters inevitably undermines more centrist sources of support.
4. Finally the UKIP danger isn't the big one for Mr Cameron.  The bigger danger is the stay-at-home vote.  YouGov's Stephan Shakespeare has written that Project Cameron is perfectly pitched for the voters floating between the three main parties but the risk is that as the parties become more and more similar those people floating between voting and not voting at all will grow.  And the fear is that it is right-leaning voters who are most vulnerable to staying-at-home.  The traditional belief is that the 40% of people who don't vote in elections are more left-wing than right-wing.  That's probably true but there is a good case to be made that the population that is on the edge of voting and non-voting is more conservative/ right-leaning.  The danger for Cameron is in this group - not so much with UKIP although the summation of all the factors could be critical in a tight electoral contests.

Cornerstone and UKIP attempt to offer 'real conservatism' to voters "abandoned by David Cameron"

Two stories next to each other in today's Telegraph both point to Mr Cameron's exposed right flank.

Story one is the news that UKIP is rebranding as 'The Independence Party' for May's local elections (ConservativeHome predicted this last February).  UKIP leader Nigel Farage has told The Telegraph that the party wants to broaden its agenda from EU exit and immigration to also include local independence, lower taxation and deregulation.  Mr Farage said that these arguments had been "abandoned by David Cameron."  Yesterday Liam Fox warned that "the person who would be happiest if people went out and voted Ukip would be the leader of the Labour Party."

The Telegraph also reports that the forty-strong group of socially-conservative and Eurosceptic Tory MPs - Cornerstone - are planning to publish their own "mini-manifesto".  Cornerstone will make twelve submissions of 2,000 words each to the policy review process.  The Cornerstone group's Chairman, Edward Leigh, warned Mr Cameron that he could not take the party's 'core supporters' for granted:

"We can see merit in David Cameron's leadership style but it is important to understand and reflect the views of our natural supporters.  The core Conservative vote cannot be overlooked in the necessary re-making of the Conservative Party."

The Telegraph notes that Conservative MPs believe that the Tory lead in the opinion polls is too modest given the extent of Labour's troubles.  In an article for today's Platform, Mike Smithson of PoliticalBetting.com forecasts a hung parliament at the next General Election.  Read his article here.

Are Eurosceptic Tory candidates in for a better deal from UKIP?

Guido has an important story this morning concerning Lord Pearson's recent defection to UKIP.  Guido reports that Lord Pearson attached a vital condition to his recent decision to become a UKIP peer:

"UKIP, Pearson was promised, would not field candidates against Eurosceptic Tory candidates. Pearson does not believe that defeating friendly anti-EU allies would serve the national interest. In 2005 UKIP were reckoned to have cost the Tories six seats, including in Thanet South where the candidate was an ardent anti-EU campaigner.  This commitment could in some ways secure Cameron's right-wing flank and benefit UKIP by allowing them to focus resources on more useful targets. It will also encourage Eurosceptics in the Conservative party to advertise their loyalties and put pressure on the Europhiles. The old UKIP policy scared many wavering Conservative voters who feared voting UKIP would only benefit Labour and the LibDems. Lord Pearson may yet have done the Conservative party a final great service..."

If true, this is significant news.  Up until now the (not-entirely-clear) UKIP policy has been to give Eurosceptic MPs a clear run but to fight Eurosceptic candidates.  If UKIP are now going to focus resources on those Tory MPs and candidates who accept the European status quo there will be an increased incentive for Conservative Associations to select more Eurosceptic candidates.  The devil is always in the detail, of course, and it will be interesting to see how Lord Rannoch and Nigel Farage have defined 'Eurosceptic.'

It may be that support of the Better Off Out campaign is necessary to qualify to be 'Eurosceptic' - a campaign that enjoys the support of at least a third of Tory members.  Jim Allister MEP, Jeffrey Donaldson MP, Iris Robinson MP, Sammy Wilson MP and David Simpson MP of the Democratic Unionist Party have signed up to BOO today.

Rifkind welcomes defections to UKIP

In an article for the House Magazine (not yet online) Sir Malcolm Rifkind sees benefits for the Conservative Party from recent defections to UKIP.  "If some Europhobes wish to defect to UKIP," he wrote, "as a result of the Conservative line on Europe, then that only highlights the degree of our reasonableness."  "Shedding some of these divisive elements may even help the Conservative Party avoid the trouble that bedevilled it in the 1990s," he continued.

The former Foreign Secretary said that UKIP poses no threat to the Conservative Party because people understood that withdrawal from Europe was an "utterly reckless and untenable proposition."  (Although that is not the view of many Tory members).

This week's Economist also suggests that there may be some political benefits from the defections to UKIP.  The Bagehot column wonders if the defections will convince voters that David Cameron's changes to the party are "for real."  "After all, change that doesn't upset some people isn't change at all," the weekly newspaper concludes.

'Europe may be important but it's probably best not to campaign on it much.' Discuss.

"Tieless was Year 1. In Year 1 the huskies were great, the moody shots with starving kids were affecting, the shirtsleeves and high-fives made a useful point, and the webcam and the messy kitchen were fine. Year 2 wants some rather formal poses, more suits, handshakes with US Democrats who might become President, and a backdrop sometimes of marble halls."

That is Matthew Parris' advice to David Cameron in this morning's Times.  Mr Parris (ConservativeHomies' favourite writer in last year's awards) believes that 'Operation Tory Detox' needs to end and be replaced with 'Operation Boss Cameron.'  OBC needs to "encompass not just command of an emerging manifesto, but a sense of personal command too."  All this is necessary if Cameron is to avoid looking like blancmange to Brown's basalt.

One of the things you do as Prime Minister, of course, is focus on the big issues facing Britain and one of the very biggest issues is Europe.  As Ken Worthy writes on today's Platform the EU is responsible for a huge share of British legislation and a large part of the regulatory burden on British business.  If PM Cameron needs to be focused on Europe are we so sure that Candidate for PM Cameron needs to talk about Europe?

The danger of talking about Europe is that we give parties like UKIP the opportunity that has been enjoyed by the Greens over the last year.  The focus on climate change and other environmental issues by the Tories and other mainstream parties hasn't caused Green Party support to collapse.  Quite the contrary.  Green support registered 5% in a recent survey.

After reporting UKIP's latest attempt to woo Eurosceptic Tories, the main leader in today's Telegraph warns the Tory leader to 'heed the threat of UKIP.'  It warns:

"When 79% of voters tell the pollsters that they don't trust any MPs, the party promising "independence" – for Britain from the EU, but also for the individual from the state – suddenly seems appealing. This is the sort of territory that Mr Cameron should not cede by default."

But, as The Telegraph notes, UKIP's Nigel Farage has been talking surprisingly little about Europe.  Farage is talking about school selection and immigration and tax.  He may rebrand the party as The Independence Party.  David Cameron's task in this year of the striver - is not to talk a lot about Europe but to address the concerns of the millions of hard-working families who have had enough of Labour's taxes, regulations, crime and failing public services.  When he gets into Downing Street we must hope that he realises that succeeding in championing strivers will require a lot of Eurosceptic action.

How stupid can you get? As stupid as UKIP

John Redwood has a blog.  One of his first posts takes on UKIP.  Here's a key extract:

"The last three General Elections have shown that neither the Referendum Party nor UKIP can win a single Westminster seat, however strongly and fiercely they put their case for disengagement or withdrawal from the European Union.  They have also shown that by putting some of their better candidates and strongest efforts into opposing Eurosceptic Conservatives in seats the Conservatives can win, they may give us  more federalist MPs by tipping the balance in favour of the pro-EU Liberal Democrat or Labour candidate.  How stupid can you get?"

There is 'somewhere else' for discontented Tories to go

It is said that the now 32% of Tories who are dissatisfied with David Cameron have nowhere else to go.  The number who stayed-at-home for the Bromley by-election showed that the dissatisfied did have another option.  Joining UKIP is a second option and today's Times highlights the case of three Tory officers who have chosen this option.  The three Tories are Toby Horton, former Chairman of William Hague's local party, Mark Hudson, on the official candidates' list, and Kevin Davidson Hall, former Tory candidate for Peterborough.  Anthony Browne, who wrote The Times' story, obviously does not pay enough attention to ConservativeHome as he makes no mention of our hugely relevant Monday finding that UKIP was the favourite choice of party activists when it came to mentioning the other political party closest to their views.  If David Cameron does not adopt a more Eurosceptic outlook - and certainly if he fails to deliver on his revised EPP pledge - he will only risk more leakage of supporters to Nigel Farage's party. 

For most Tories, however, UKIP candidates are the Europhiles' useful idiots.  Again and again they deprive more Eurosceptic Conservative candidates of a majority over LibDem and Labour candidates.  1997 taught the Conservative Party that a fringe party like the Referendum Party does not need to do spectacularly in order to deny us victory in crucial marginal seats.

Tory members are closest to UKIP

"OTHER than the Conservative Party, which of the following political parties in Britain is CLOSEST to your views?"

That question at the end of the ConservativeHome Members' Panel survey produced the following results for self-declared Conservative Party members:

• UKIP: 43%
• Liberal Democrat: 7%
• Ulster Unionist: 6%
• Labour: 4%
• BNP: 3%
• Democratic Unionist: 2%
• Scottish Nationalist: 1%
• Plaid: <1%
• None: 31%
• Don’t know: 3%

A survey of the CHMP in July found that 30% of members fully supported the Better Off Out campaign to leave the EU and another 33% had sympathy with it.

Farage is new UKIP leader

More later.

10am update on 13/9: In fact I've got nothing to add to the wide-ranging discussion on the thread below.  Only 7,574 votes were cast in the election of Mr Farage and it doesn't appear the press could work up that much enthusiasm either.  There's very little coverage in today's newspapers. 

Helmer accuses Cameron of 'betrayal' on EPP

Team Cameron's media management of the 'EPP deal' was very impressive - as ConservativeHome noted at the time.  MPs David Heathcoat Amory and Philip Davies made their anger clear but the Cornerstone Group and other Eurosceptics were notably quiet.  Roger Helmer MEP pulls no punches today, however, in an article for the latest edition of the Freedom Association's magazine.

Mr Cameron, he writes, has not fulfilled his promise to leave the EPP - he has "betrayed" it.  Mr Helmer says that David Cameron broke clear promises to take Tory MEPs out of the EPP "during his honeymoon period" - "it would be a first week task".

Mr Helmer's account of Mr Cameron's promise will be dismissed by some as he has had the Tory whip withdrawn from him (the reasons for this are disputed but he mounted attacks on alleged corruption in the European Parliament using procedural devices that the EPP disapprove of).  Nevertheless, two other prominent Eurosceptic MEPs have corroborated Mr Helmer's account in private briefings to ConservativeHome.  They remember  Mr Cameron promising to take Tory MEPs out of the EPP at the same time as he announced the A-list.

Helmer fears that Mr Cameron's "indefensible, humiliating and wrong" decision will cause some defections to UKIP.  It is understood that UKIP, which is in the middle of its own leadership contest, have offered Mr Helmer leadership of its grouping of MEPs but he has declined.

Download a pdf of Mr Helmer's article and visit the campaign to restore him to the full membership of the Tory group of MEPs here.

UKIP continue to enjoy the oxygen of publicity

UKIP are sending some sort of tank up to Manchester today to park on the 'Tory lawn'.  The media stunt is meant to underline the right-wing party's bid to colonise Tory turf on such traditional issues as public service reform and tax.  UKIP are rebranding themselves as 'Independence' with policies on greater independence for schools, hospitals and councils.

Confirming the oxygen of publicity that David Cameron's 'fruitcake attack' has given UKIP, Nigel Farage MEP was on this morning's Today programme underlining this attempt to steal Tory votes.  After New Labour voters won't want "blue Labour", Farage insisted.  UKIP will give voters a real alternative, he promised.

A little more oxygen was given to UKIP yesterday by Francis Maude.  The Tory chairman told the Today programme that UKIP "is a bit of a party that just wants to turn the clock back, that doesn’t like the fact that Britain is a multiracial country, a multifaith country, would like to return to a world where Britain is all-white and Europe didn’t exist — well, that’s not the real world.”

UKIP have reacted petulantly by promising to target Tory seats at the next General Election.  They will not be able to take legal action "because it would have to prove damages while, on the contrary, the party had benefited from the Conservative leader’s outburst," a party spokesman told The Times.

Related link: Donal Blaney's latest Law of the Public Policy Process - You cannot make friends of your enemies by making enemies of your friends.

Telegraph calls for Cameron to apologise for UKIP "mistake"

A leader in The Daily Telegraph admits that it does not know if yesterday's attack on UKIP from the Tory leader was a "spur-of-the-moment remark or part of a considered strategy".  Either way, it writes, "it was a mistake".  Today's Sun describes it as a "rare show of temper".

UKIP has certainly won lots of coverage from the dispute and is threatening to sue Mr Cameron if he does not apologise.  UKIP claims that Conservative members resent David Cameron's attack.  A UKIP press release referred to the debate that took place on this site yesterday.  The Telegraph does the same: "There appeared to be mixed reactions last night on the ConservativeHome.com website, with one applauding Mr Cameron for "showing some edge"."  ConservativeHome knows of at least one constituency office which received a constant stream of phone calls from outraged Tory members.  Conservatives have long been subject to incendiary charges of racism from left-of-centre parties.  Offended by those accusations themselves, Conservatives should be cautious about accusing others of such a serious vice. 

The Telegraph notes that the Conservative party has lost many voters to UKIP in recent years because such voters "feel the party has been insufficiently true" to the "self-government of Britain".  These voters "deserve solicitation, not scorn," the newspaper concludes.

David Cameron refuses to apologise, however.  Local government spokesman Eric Pickles, who has been charged with defending the remarks, has certainly been unapologetic.  The Guardian quotes him as saying that "a number of organisations ... accuse UKIP of spreading hate and bigotry and they say it's not just anti-Europe, it's anti-black, it's anti-minority, anti-immigrants, anti-asylum seekers."  Some Tory modernisers believe that the row underlines that David Cameron is a different kind of Tory without a racist bone in his body.   They have long been anxious for a row to dramatise the change that he represents.  They relish this debate.

Related link: The Conservative leader can move his party towards the centre without fear of a right wing challenge (Peter Franklin in The Guardian).

Cameron gaffe angers UKIP

The Guardian: "The UK Independence party today demanded an apology from David Cameron after he described them as "fruitcakes", "loonies" and "closet racists".  The Tory party leader's remarks came after Ukip threatened to use the Freedom of Information Act to force him to reveal the names of individuals who have secretly lent money to the Conservative party.  "Ukip is sort of a bunch of ... fruitcakes and loonies and closet racists mostly," Mr Cameron told LBC radio.  Nigel Farage MEP, Ukip's co-founder, described the remarks as "disgraceful. We demand an apology".  "We don't mind name-calling, it's politics, but in this day and age there are things you can't call people and racist is one of them," he said. He demanded to know "where and when" Mr Cameron was accusing the party of racism."

Also see BBCi.