Say NO to UKIP, not the European Community

11.20.09pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 9th Jun 2004

UKIP wants Britain out of Europe. This is very unlikely to happen as a result of this election, or in the foreseeable future. Should this theoretical situation ever arise, UKIP seems to have no policies as to how Britain would survive independently.

On 27 May, Alan Sked, founder and former leader of UKIP, commented, "UKIP today, I fear, is entirely unworthy of support, even as a protest party. It has had four MEPs who have achieved little or nothing in the past five years. One of them even proposed greater powers for the European parliament!"

The recent D-Day commemorations have reminded us of the benefits that European Union has brought to the member states in terms of peace and stability. Improvements are certainly needed, but these will not be achieved by the isolationist stance of UKIP, but by working within the Community to make things better.

When the Green Party won an astonishing 15% of the UK vote in the 1989 European elections, they believed it was the start of a major advance, but by forcing the major parties to take environmental issues seriously, the single issue party returned to minority status. UKIP, by playing on people's fears, may attract a protest vote now, but in another five years time, when they have failed once again to make any impact, UKIP will be seen to be fighting a lost cause, and their support will dwindle away.