Bob Spink to be first UKIP MP?

A lot of turmoil seems to have been created at the margins of party politics at Westminster of late. Labour rebels on the EU Treaty. Then Nick Clegg getting his own dose of rebellion. Nothing much to upset the applecart, though. Now there is a minor scuffle going on on the Conservative benches. Nothing much to upset David Cameron's applecart, either. He's on a roll lobbing tart cookers at the grumpy Brown!

This little local difficulty is over Bob Spink. He's the MP for Castle Point, and not much in favour of the EU. Apparently he's got a few troublesome types in his constituency (from his point of view, that is). He was due to meet with his local association, but decided he'd jack in being their MP so is going for being an "independent Conservative". Not that that will do him much good. About 30 years ago, a certain Tom Iremonger did exactly the same thing. He fought a by-election in Ilford and got thrashed.

Mr.Spink would make far better news for himself if he announced that he was joining UKIP. Nigel Farage MEP, leader of UKIP, knows him, and it would be extremely odd if senior UKIP members were not on some charm offensive right now.

Running as an Independent Conservative at the next election will be totally unnewsworthy. Jumping ship into UKIP now will give Farage and his team momentum up to the local elections and maybe beyond. Spink says he resigned, the ex-mining Chief Whip says he was pushed out! Whatever the Conservatives are saying, it would make far more of a political statement by being UKIP's first MP, rather than fading into the green leather as an independent.

Will he do it?

Posted in: Bob Spink,Conservative Party,EU,Nigel Farage,UKIP