Farage to stand against Bercow

Dave B

I think this is great :-)

I had been sort of hoping that there might be an independent-conservative candidate, or that Mr Bercow's local association might hold an open primary/caucus to test his candidacy.

I remain baffled that in response to a scandal about MPs abusing their expense accounts they elect Mr Bercow as Speaker.

Go Farange!

adrian drummond

Best news I've heard in months!!!

General Zod

I cannot stand Bercow,but neither can I bear this buffoon. He is a hypocrite in any case:

from the Observer, "During a debate about Europe at the Foreign Press Association, Farage was asked by former Europe minister Denis MacShane what he had received in non-salary expenses and allowances since becoming an MEP in 1999.

"It is a vast sum," Farage said. "I don't know what the total amount is but - oh lor - it must be pushing £2 million." Taken aback, MacShane then joked: "Is it too late to become an MEP?"

Farage insisted that he had not "pocketed" the money but had used the "very large sum of European taxpayers' money" to help promote Ukip's message that the UK should get out of the EU.

When asked later by the Observer to justify how he could claim so much while running a campaign attacking Westminster MPs for their extravagance, Farage was unapologetic, saying that, while MEPs were "very expensive", he was entirely happy that the money had been used for the best of causes.""

David

UKIP of course aren't exactly clean on the expenses side in EP.

Farage doesn't have as good a chance as you make out; despite the noise against Bercow elsewhere on the Tory side, he's relatively a popular constituency, with a good personal vote.

Alan Scott

Policy of masterly inaction required, from Conservative HQ, and local association; although it will be hard for the latter to accept. Farage will have to make suitable policy noises!

Mike Spilligan

I, too, have been hoping that a "rightish"/independent candidate would emerge. If I lived in Buckingham I'd like nothing more than to be involved in unseating NEW LABOUR's Bercow.

drakes drum

Farage should win. Though he will have to ensure he gets as many feet on the ground to meet the voters.

Sadly Farage has the mistaken view of putting as many candidates as possible up for election, thus stretching their resources.

IF he decided on a more sensible course of selecting, say, half a dozen seats where they have a great chance, and bring in their army of supporters to concentrate on those six seats.

Far better, I would suggest, to have six MP's, rather than none.

It is essential that we have some MP's who are opposed to the EU in Parliament to speak for the majority of people who want OUT of this totalitarian regime.

But Good Luck to Farage. and I do hope he ensures his American colleague is in the team advising him in Buckingham.

paracelsus

This is the pot calling the kettle black!

However, I was disgusted at the manner of Bercow's coronation as Speaker. He deserves everything he gets; he ceased to be a Tory many years ago. My only fear is that this may split the vote and allow Labour or Lib Dems to gain the seat.

JONNY

Don't let's get carried away.
Farage is going to lose.
And lose rather badly.

richardj

And why don't all the parties let the SNP stand alone against the unelected one in Fife?

13th Spitfire

JONNY - it does not really matter if he loses it is the message that is important. Do you realise that kind of publicity this will bring to UKIP? And ever further scrutiny of how crap Bercow really is.

Robert Eve

Go Nigel!! Wonderful news.

David - I particularly like you line that the Conservatives have to decide whether to field a candidate - says it all!

Percy

With any luck they'll both lose.

Andy Carpark

The EU system of *allowances*, to which MEPs are entitled on an equal basis, is non-comparable with the general free-for-all of MP *expenses*, ie helping oneself to any little necessities [sic, Green Book] imaginable and then blaming the Fees Office or pleading the comatose defence.

Not that I give a damn whether Farage is a hypocrite, a necrophiliac or an edator of babies. Any well aimed kick to the soft parts of Westminster or to the clown who succeeded to the Speakership is OK by me.

For his part, Mr Jonny is evidently privy to magic knowledge which perhaps he would like to share.

Swiss Bob

Farage is at 4/1 according to Political Betting, I might have a punt.

Verity

Good for Farage and may the wind be at his back!

How very entertaining it will be to see this sleazy little "Speaker" unseated and have to spend the rest of his life living within his means. Nigel Farage is a very personable man, and a very clever and determined man, and should walk it.

JONNY

' Mr Jonny is evidently privy to magic knowledge which perhaps he would like to share.

Actually Master Carpark, it's pretty obvious. But in your case clearly I'll have to spell it out.
Bercow is a popular local candidate going back many years.
So he is going to get strong backing.
Also the more UKIP bark and grunt, the more likely it is that Lib-Dem and Labour voters will join the Tories in backing him.
So I'd hate for you to get too excited about Farage's slim hopes.

Richard

From the opinions of my friends I would say that Bercow (and D Milliband) is a perfect shabby symbol of all that is despicable about the deluded Brown administration.

I think the assumption that hes below the radar as Speaker is radically misplaced. I bet he will loose, and it will be the Portilo moment of the 2010 election.

Publius

Excellent. I hope he wins.

Vulture

Bercow is a corrupt little weasel, and if I lived in Buckingham I would even support a Liebour candidate rather than this turncoat. As it is, vote, vote, vote for Nige!

Mark

Why punish the Conservatives for this rogue loon speaker, backed, as you say, by Brown's MPs. Just don't buy the whole UKIP nonsense. Angry and bitter old men.

Mrs B

This Bercow/Farage fight should be fun - and I can't wait to see ED BALLS lose his seat. What joy!

David Lindsay

Farage now has an opportunity to ask the questions that no Political Class figure will ever ask.

No wonder that so many New Labourites voted for John Bercow. No one ever asks him about his Hang Mandela days. Just as they never ask John Reid or Peter Mandelson about the Communist Party, in those days the paid agents of an enemy power. Just as they never ask Alistair Darling or Bob Ainsworth about the International Marxist Group, which also included Geoff Gallop, Tony Blair’s mentor at Oxford.

Just as they never ask Stephen Byers or Alan “Haze of Dope” Milburn about Trotskyism. Just as they never ask Charles Clarke about Labour’s Soviet fellow-travelling faction and its control of the NUS not only during his presidency, but also during (among other people’s) Jack Straw’s. And so on, and on, and on.

The “moderate”, “mainstream”, “Centre Left” New Labour was, and is, riddled with this sort of thing, entirely unrecanted, and with only the tactics (if anything) changed.

Likewise, the “moderate”, “mainstream”, “Centre Right” Cameroons are riddled with old cheerleaders for, and fund-takers from, the Boer Republic set up as an explicit act of anti-British revenge in a former Dominion of the Crown.

Circles in which it was also de rigueur to demand the dismantlement of the public services, the forced abortion and sterilisation of ethnic minorities and the working class, the legalisation of all drugs, and the abolition of marriage, public holidays, any minimum age of consent, and much else besides.

(Quite what would have happened to them if they had ever moved to South Africa or, say, Chile with views like that? This rather amusing question can also be asked of the enemies of uniformed, row-seated, teacher-led, rigorously examined schooling: what would have happened to you if you had ever moved to the Soviet Union?)

Once again, entirely unrecanted.

And once again, with only the tactics (if anything) changed.

Andy Carpark

Mr Jonny - Thank you. Very illuminating. I am sure Mr Bercow is a very nice chap once you get to know him and look forward to watching his moist-eyed Tory cohorts running after his triumphal chariot come the day.

Thank you also for your concerns about my blood-pressure and that of my fellow anti-politics dogs, a-barking and a-grunting. Just mind you don't "get too excited" about having your nose tweaked.

Lor' bless ye, Mr Jonny.

David Parker

This is an interesting move by Nigel Farage. There are probably some marginal seats with an incumbent europhile Tory MP, where Farage would have a much stronger chance of winning a Westminster seat. His decision to contest Bercow's seat is some indication that Farage is putting principle above personal considerations.
The gaining of a seat in some relatively unimportant constituency would be useful to UKIP, but far less important than the direct challenge to the current party system manifested by standing against a corrupt and unpopular speaker, even if he fails to win tnhe seat.

Mirtha Tidville

I do sincerely hope Farrage wins.I think it likely. There are many Tories in Buckingham who vote for Bercow because the alternatives are even worse, until now.Many thousands will feel far more comfortable with Farrage and vote accordingly.

Tankus

excellent ....

Oscar

If Farage beats Bercow it will be a perfect present for Cameron's arrival at No.10.

Brian E.

I don't understand why he has announced it now. Surely it would have been better to wait to near nomination date and then take everyone by surprise. Now he's given the other parties time to react. UKIP surely has enough supporters in Buckinghamshire to be able then to flood the town with canvassers at the last minute.

Darryl

If Farage gets in Palriament maybe he can defect to the Tories and challenge Cameron for the leadership then the Conservative party will be led by a real Conservative!

Stan, UK

The Tory party should let Farage get on with it. Payback time for Bercow for effectively defecting to Labour and dissing Cameron for being public school. Oh I do hope Nigel wins.

David Ossitt

David Blackburn.

Shame on you David for not including my post that I sent before 5pm.

Was it because it included a comment that was less than flattering about Denis MacShane?

TGF UKIP

My bet would be that the Cameron Tories will now engineer a local party rebellion against Bercow and a subsequent primary.

Either that or they will threaten expulsions if any local Tory members openly support Farage.

In short Dave and the Mekon will do almost anything to stop UKIP parliamentary representation. They know full well, it could start significant Tory seepage.

I particularly hope, though, that UKIP select a powerful candidate backed by as plentiful resources as they can manage to fight the constituency of Witney.

David Blackburn

Dear David Ossitt,

I'm afraid you're right.

impoverishedabroad

Forget UKIP, why doesn't Cameron put up an official opponent? We're supposed to be entering a 'new' age of politics. All those with their noses in the trough should be kicked out; the party leaders might then start to gain the public's respect. You can see now that not uch will change. They will have their review, probably end up with more money than they receive now and carry on making a mess of the country!

THX1138

TGF no swivel eyed UKIP'er is going to beat Dave in his own back yard, those Euro election results must going to your head my friend.

"Go back to your constituencies, and prepare for defeat!" ...

Simon Icke

It comes as no surprise that a well known politician or personality is going to challenge John Bercow at the next election, given the expenses scandal and the information revealed by the Daily Telegraph regarding their allegations of 'house flipping', unpaid capital gains tax and significant private income from a company registered in the Cayman Islands tax haven.

I consider my politics to be traditional conservative and I can say John Bercow's change in his core beliefs from right wing conservative to trendy liberal, friend of new labour, did not impress me or many other Conservatives both locally and nationally.

Only a handful of Conservatives MPs supported him in his election to be Speaker but his new labour friends and the lib-dems voted for 'their man' on masse; to spite David Cameron and Conservative MPs perhaps? They knew John Bercow had very little support in his own party. Only a handful of Conservative MPs clapped when the final result was announced, most kept their hands folded. The many solemn faces on the Conservative benches said it all, as John was dragged to the seat by his liberal supporters.

John Bercow should of done the decent thing years ago, and crossed the floor, to join his new labour chums, instead he had another long standing plan; that we didn't know of; to be elected Speaker of the House of Commons. He certainly will not welcome the news that a well known right of centre politician, like Nigel Farage is going to stand against him. The big question will be: Will traditional Conservative voters of the Buckingham constituency support the official Conservative candidate John Bercow; who actually was much closer to New labour and the Liberal Democrats in recent years or will they break the habit of a life time and vote for a well known UKIP candidate; who actually holds far more conservative views and beliefs than the official Conservative candidate.It will certainly be very interesting contest!

It's a pity Aston Clinton will not be in the Buckingham constituency at the next election, as a traditional conservative, I certainly would not vote for John Bercow having watched him closely over the years and followed his liberal/ new labour voting record in the House of Commons. However, I will be happy to support David Lidington in the Aylesbury constituency. I am just so pleased that liberal opportunist John Bercow will no longer be the Conservative candidate for Aston Clinton.

Simon Denis

Three cheers for Farage - I hope every genuine Tory and anyone who cares for parliamentary dignity votes for him. It is essential that the loathsome, third rate, turncoat and lickspittle Bercow be thrown out. I rub my hands in anticipation of the day.

crockhamtown

There's a certain cachet or prestige in having The Speaker representing your constituency.

Therefore I'm sure Buckingham, of all places, will return him as their MP.

Max Kaye

Anyone but Bercow.

JohnAnt

I don't think Buckingham, or indeed any other constituency, is much impressed by the mere fact that their MP is Speaker. If anything it diminishes the amount he can do for them as constituents.
I hope Farage wins. It's time someone put the cat among these plump, complacent pigeons.

M.R

I don 't understand how it is possible for DC to field a Conservative candidate. Would be grateful if someone would explain how it works, ie, I expected that John Bercow would still be the Conservative candidate in spite of being the Speaker.

razz089

I urge the good people of Buckingham to vote for Mr Farage. From what I gather, he is an honest, straight-talking individual whom would be a fantastic addition to the House of Commons. Is it not about time we saw some real scrutiny of the contemporary political order? Of course, I would like to see Mr Bercow ousted ... but the more important message here is that Mr Farage would be a great representative of Buckingham.