Maybe not your priority today, but certainly worth a peruse
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This 'interim manifesto' comes off the back of last week's party conference, which got smothered by Salzburg/May and all the rest
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In essence it's a return to UKIP of the pre-Farage era
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That means a wish-list and 'did you know' approach to manifesto-writing, rather than the noticeably more rigorous docs for #GE15
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That suggests further weakening of central capacity and uncertainty about how to frame narratives. Also underlines lose of narrative of being an effective party (in the technical sense)
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Topics are interesting too.
Brexit heads the list, but is bereft of detail, beyond making a 'complete and total withdrawal'. Party isn't putting all its eggs in that basket
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Brexit heads the list, but is bereft of detail, beyond making a 'complete and total withdrawal'. Party isn't putting all its eggs in that basket
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Immigration is only point 5 (after NHS) and again v.vague
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Final note: Batten's reclaiming 'populism' in its 'real sense' of... "a party whose policies are popular with the voters"
(@CasMudde @duncanmcdonnell can move on to other, unsolved Qs now)
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(@CasMudde @duncanmcdonnell can move on to other, unsolved Qs now)
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Overall, UKIP still looking for a new narrative and a new niche to fill
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