LETTER: UKIP attracting more members

Roger Arthur is certainly not the ‘turncoat’ Mr Price seeks to label him. In fact he follows Winston Churchill’s path in crossing the floor when circumstances, policies evolve, recognising that they can become inappropriate, impractical even unrepresentative and reprehensible.

Like recent councillors in nearby Mole Valley, New Forest Hants, Worthing and elsewhere around the country, some 24 per cent of the national recorded vote May 2013 has now crossed the ballot form for UKIP.

It has been the Horsham UKIP branch local policy to offer our UKIP manifestos (local govt.) to the public free of charge in West Street in the vicinity of Swan Walk during the 2010 general election.

I have personally distributed hundreds of them, some also to the January 2012 Warnham ward by-election. We also had some 400 local govt. (short form, elector friendly) copies available for our recent county council elections. Furthermore, a full national UKIP manifesto is available to Mr Price on our UKIP website @Ukip.org. Please bear in mind that costs are born largely by members, a few donors, (I am one) from our own pockets and are updated generally in time for general elections. This is under way as I write.

Roger Arthur has now been officially certified as a UKIP candidate though not yet elected by any branch as their candidate but I am sure that our own branch members would happily approve such a highly knowledgeable and respected town councillor of so many years invaluable service, as our future Horsham Parliamentary candidate when the time comes that such an application is made. Even Francis Maude MP lavished his party praise upon Roger Arthur’s fine public service when lamenting his departure to UKIP. He deserves WSCT copy.

One suspects that L.N. Price’s letter reflects his own sour grapes, more than likely as, sadly also some of Roger’s former friends in the Conservative town group demonstrated by shunning him when he joined UKIP.

It is a healthy sign that people think about changing policies, assessing evident values. Roger Arthur is a thoughtful, responsible and accomplished gentleman who possesses good sense, character and courage worthy of our consideration. He has served the public well and we value him.

Finally, our website: ukip.org (search for policy) which will indicate 15 different specialist areas covering all the policy areas L.N Price specifies and alleges are non-existent!

To give a couple of concerns of mine - the Defence issue: our specialists are Godfrey Bloom MEP and Lord Hesketh. I cringe that we are currently without our Royal Navy carrier and aircraft force. National defence and security is the first duty of Government.

The economy, the 2012 total cost of the EU to every UK householder, £5,000 yes, really! This was ten per cent of our GDP and is rising. Our specialists here are Tim Congdon, economist, formerly adviser to the Bank of England monetary commission, and Nigel Farage MEP.

Unlike the Lib Lab Con, who have been heavily losing members, the UKIP telephone line has witnessed new members flooding in. We have very nearly doubled our membership during the last eight months.

UKIP is a prominent political party and is here to stay. Get used to it Mr Price. Perhaps you might find yourself better off venturing your criticism towards Messrs Cameron/Clegg who seem to have become a major UKIP recruitment tool for us.

GRAHAM HARPER

Stane Street, Adversane