Why I decided to leave UKIP

I’ve been a member of UKIP since 2013, just after the tremendous success we had in the local elections. They’re the only party I’ve ever voted for. They’re the only party I’ve ever considered voting for.

I set up the UKIP society at Aberystwyth University, represented the party in debates and done more leafletting than I can remember. I’ve defended the party through scandal after scandal, but this is so bad it’s forced me to leave.

Last week UKIP made historic gains in Wales by taking seven seats in the Assembly, but all the while my former party has been shaken up by infighting. All over the ex-Tory MP turned UKIP Welsh Assembly Member Neil Hamilton.

Remember him? He’s best known for his involvement in the “cash for questions” scandal in the 90s. His name is synonymous with everything wrong with politicians – careerists who are out of touch with normal people.

Me with the top dog himself last month

A while back, Neil Hamilton announced his intention to run for a position in the Welsh Assembly, and after a lengthy candidate selection process he became the number one regional list candidate for Mid/West Wales, our region. He won his seat, challenged UKIP Wales leader Nathan Gill over who would lead UKIP in the assembly, and won.

We were not happy with this selection at all.

He had nothing to do with the region or UKIP Wales and pushed brilliant local candidates aside. When we found out that Hamilton was chosen over Gethin James – my favoured candidate, there were a lot of talks over whether or not we should, as a society, campaign at all.

While the rest of UKIP Wales was celebrating the result, more and more of us became bitter over the fact that we as a region were now represented by Hamilton and Hamilton alone. Every time Hamilton is ever mentioned, it’s as the “Ex Tory MP from the cash-for-questions scandal”.

Can you think of any worse a candidate for an area like Mid/West Wales? He very likely cost us a second seat in this area, which would have gone to the excellent Cllr Gethin James. The fact that he even tried to stand here at all shows he doesn’t care about the people here nor the party as a whole. He was just obsessed with having his political comeback.

A throwback to better days

It feels like I don’t have a political home any more. I could never vote for either Labour or the Tories – they’ve betrayed the country. Labour always does their best to drive the country into the ground, and the Tories are the party for big business and big business alone.

I’d be tempted by the Lib Dems if it was not for their economic stances or their commitment to the failed EU, and the Greens are just insane in my opinion.

I joined UKIP because they are a classically liberal party that wants to leave the EU, and they’re still the only party like that.

UKIP’s weakness is not in their policies, but in their ability to make controversies out of nowhere. The only thing left for me is to focus on the EU referendum campaign, and help out with the local campaigns of a handful of people that I support regardless of party membership.

Will this be the death of the party? I sincerely hope not. The UK needs UKIP. But they need to sort their mess out – the endless gaffes, bigoted candidates, and petty factionalism was excusable when UKIP was a fringe party.

But it’s not a fringe party anymore, it’s the third most popular party in the UK. There can’t be any more excuses.