AS I SEE IT: Rabid intolerance of the Conservative Party

In last week’s “As I See It” there seems to have been a lot of misinformation provided by the writer, which needs redressing.

Over the past 45 years of being a correspondent and writing to many regional and national newspapers I have always used the signature “R.J.M. Loebell” in any matters expressing my own personal views and beliefs.

When I joined UKIP some six years ago and up to my retirement from active politics last November I always used the signature “Ron Loebell, UKIP” for any party correspondence in the newspapers. This has been common knowledge which the writer has ignored.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The writer, Ged Mirfin (does anyone know who he is by the way?) writes that people should not trust UKIP and its supporters and members and gives out some absurd, laughable and ridiculous remarks about what that party stands for and why people should not vote for them.

He goes on to drag into the equation my personal comments and observations on a subject millions of people – not just here in the UK but also in France, Germany and Italy – are deeply concerned about. He seems to be stating any party that has members and supporters who, like myself, have a subjective view on things is a party of homophobic, extreme nationalist views, rabid intolerance, dogmatic intolerance... the list goes on and on.

Coun. Mirfin and his bedfellows have totally misled the public into thinking I have some homophobic views and the UKIP party have the same, and we are both tarred with the same brush.

So how is it that I have just finished watching an ITV news programme (Saturday February 2nd, 6-30 p.m.) that had an interview with a now ex-Tory councillor who stated he and thousands more former Tory members are leaving that party on the same grounds as my comments?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The programme also revealed more than 100 Tory MPs are so angry that Cameron is going down the same path, which I and hundreds of millions in the countries mentioned above oppose, that they will cross the floor and revolt on the vote for gay marriages. Many, of course, might cross the floor never to return.

So Coun. Mirfin, can we now assume the Tory party can also be labelled with the words, homophobic, extreme nationalist views, rabid intolerance, dogmatic intolerance... and whose supporters are cranks, gadflies, fruitcakes, loonies, closet racists? (words used recently by Cameron, Howard and other senior Tories to describe UKIP supporters).

What comes out of all this is simple; there are people in this Valley who wish to silence the voices of reason and debate. This smacks of the kind of system used by the Nazis and Russians many years ago to stop opponents speaking out on the ruling party’s dictates.

That statement is, of course, my own and not UKIP’s. So Coun. Mirfin, please be very careful in future about using my own personal comments and mixing them in with the sensible UKIP policies for your own ends.

R.J.M. Loebell

Related topics: