UKIP - Campaigning in Thame and Goring

This weekend I visited two housing estates in Thame where we had a very friendly reception. It is great to see that UKIP is recognised on the doorstep.

Many people confirmed to me that the issues which most concern them are fuel prices, cost of living particularly food prices, the planned closure of local post offices and the increasing intrusion of governments into our private lives.

Obviously, in many cases, talk turned to Europe, and the demand for referendum here is overwhelming. Cameron of course had admitted that one the Lisbon Treaty has been ratified there is little he can do but accept it. He ruled out being able to offer a retrospective referendum, which means that once the treaty is passed, only UKIP will offer a way out for people who don’t want to hand over our sovereignty to Brussels.

As with all by elections people are already more than a little fed up with being pounced on in the street, having leaflets thrust on them and petitions to sign when parties previously showed little interest in the residents for many years. Today I saw the first letter box that had been sealed up in an effort to ward off the flood of leaflets and election material so common in a by-election.

The Lib Dems are the worst offenders in this respect, having already delivered around three leaflets and a newspaper. The newspaper has a picture of the candidate outside the closing post office which, of course, he did not bother to go into. Maybe he’d have to explain why his party voted for the damaging EU laws which has resulted in these closures. Although this is standard by election tactics it’s obvious already that people are now more wary about being approached. We intend to visit not just the door step but also shopping centres, pubs and anywhere where people gather to find out the issues that concern them and tell them the truth on the issues affecting them in their local areas. I’m finding it easier to convince people of our cause once you meet people face to face.

On the pubs issue, I was surprised to find that even in an area like Henley many pubs are struggling as a result of the smoking ban and of course the last round of ludicrous beer price rises, coupled with increasingly cheap drink available to people from supermarkets. As always, however, UKIP is willing to buck the trend and the Young Independence movement is planning a political pub crawl. I am sure they will be well behaved and help spread the word, as well as helping the license trade.

From: Henley UKIP