The Island’s MP, Andrew Turner, has congratulated supporters of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) for a ‘remarkable’ result in the European Parliament elections held last week, with the results announced over the weekend.
UKIP topped the polls nationally and in the South East region they returned four MEPs; Conservatives won three, with Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party winning one seat each.
Mr Turner said:
“It would be disingenuous to try to pretend that this is anything other than a remarkable result for UKIP, both nationally and in the South East. I am of course very glad that three of my Conservative colleagues Dan Hannan, Nirj Deva and Richard Ashworth were re-elected; they have an excellent track record of hard work for the region. However, for UKIP to increase their number of seats to four is testament to the disillusion and disconnection that many people feel from mainstream political parties. I know from speaking to Islanders that two UKIP policies in particular find resonance with Island voters – they want a say on our relationship with the EU and they don’t like the way in which we have no say on who comes into our country. Let me be clear – I share those concerns, but believe that the way to achieve change is to support the Conservative Party, campaigning for change.
“In relation to the EU – I voted NO to membership of the Common Market in 1975, and have seen nothing since to change my mind. I want an in/out referendum, and I will campaign for a NO vote. My record on that is unequivocal. It is also clear that the only way to get that referendum is with a Conservative Government. We tried last year to get it passed into law, but Labour and Liberal Democrats united to block the legislation in the House of Lords.
“Back in 2003, under the Labour Government, amid growing concern about support for the British National Party (BNP) I won a ballot to hold a debate on immigration. I said then that immigration was an issue in which ‘both major parties have performed spectacularly badly over the last 40 or 50 years’ and pointed out that ‘British people have never voted for mass migration and the longer we in respectable political parties ignore these issues, the more people will feel excluded from the political process.’. Thankfully the threat from the BNP has subsided – but because the issues have not been dealt people still feel that exclusion, indeed it has increased as the EU has expanded. Although the Conservatives have successfully brought in policies to cut immigration from outside the EU, not enough has been done to curb the free movement of people within its borders. We can hardly be surprised when people turn to parties who say they will deal with those issues.
“One good thing about the vote last week (whether or not it was the intention of those who voted UKIP), is that the major political parties are at last taking those concerns seriously. There will doubtless be new announcements from both parties over the coming weeks and months due to this result. Indeed shockwaves from anti-EU results are being felt across Europe.
“Finally, I would like to say that I very much dislike the view that somehow UKIP has ‘borrowed’ votes from other parties. Votes belong to voters, not parties – and if they want to vote for UKIP, other minority parties or even the Monster Raving Loony Party that is a failure of those of us in mainstream politics to convince people that we can represent their interests. I am certainly conscious that I need to continue to work to get that message across until the General Election in May next year.”
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