Tim Worstall

"Tim, I'd like to know more about what you'd like to accomplish if you become an MEP. Please start a thread on the subject and set out what you would like to do."

Rather than retyping all of this perhaps a good place to start would be here.

About Tim Worstall

One point I'd like to emphasise. The point of my standing in London is that that is where the UK national media is based. I'm already a part of it, perform well in it, and can be of most value to the party by being vocal on the party's behalf in that media.

As for the rest of it, well, take that blog post as a starting point and see if there's anything else you'd like to ask me.

Barboo

You say in reply to Gallimaufry's question on MEPs' expenses:
"Some of the extant scams are already covered under UKIP internal rules. For example, the practice of charging on expenses a full business fare for travel from the constituency to Brussels (or Strasbourg) and then actually taking an Easyjet flight and pocketing the difference: this is already under our own internal rules not allowed".

Could you post up these UKIP internal rules, please, or a link to where they can be read.

Tim Worstall

"Could you post up these UKIP internal rules, please, or a link to where they can be read."

I don't have a link to such written rules, apologies. It's something that's been pointed out to me (several times, independently) in conversation with several of the party's current MEPs. I'll see if I can find more detail for you.

Tim Worstall

No, nothing written upon this. It's rather that the MEPs agree not to abuse these rules, a rather stronger step than simply agreeing to do it by the EU rulebook.

Barboo

Ah, like they agreed not to employ wives, etc., I expect? 'Nuff said.

Thank you.

jim h

Tim, Very interesting blog hope you do well in London , it'll be a hard nut to crack but I agree with you that much of the media is focussed on London and forgets the rest of the country.

Independent UKIP

Apologies if this has been reported elsewhere here but Tim Worstall had a letter printed in today's London Evening Standard concerning and rightly opposing the suggested 'windfall' tax on energy companies. It had second billing after FOE in the lead topic on the letters page (& made far more sense than them of course). I left my copy at work so cannot report the contents accurately. UKIP was not mentioned though.

Aardvark

Sometimes making the point, but not mentioning UKIP, will achieve more in converting the disillusioned public.

__________________
When in Woking do as the Wokes do.

"I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008

Tim Worstall

"Sirs,
Claims that there should be a windfall tax on energy company profits seem to be more than a tad misguided. A number of points come to mind: with respect to petrol prices for example, the government is already taking the majority of the price paid at the pump and this amount has risen along with prices. If prices need to be lowered to help the poor perhaps this would be a good starting point?
British Gas, to look at another company, actually saw its distribution profits fall which doesn't sound like a reason for an increase in taxation. Its production arm already pays higher taxes than anyone else in the FTSE 100 (and 75% on profits from gas production in the North Sea) which again doesn't sound like an argument in favour of a rise.
But by far the most important point is that prices are high because there is something of a shortfall in discovery and production so we'd rather like companies to go and discover and produce more of the various fossil fuels. Rising profits are what make taking the risks of doing so more attractive. To complain of high prices while simoultaneously wanting to confiscate the very monies that will lead to greater discovery and production and thus lower future prices seems, well, a tad misguided. Incentives, after all, do matter.

yours etc.

Tim Worstall"

I don't know what they actually printed, but that's what I sent them.

A little inside knowledge. Newspapers sometimes actually ask people to submit letters: people they know will have a strong view on something or other. As here.

At the risk of making a point too often, that I've already got that sort of relationship with parts of the media is why I'm standing to be a candidate to be a candidate in London, where the media is based.

I also make a similar (but ruder) point here.

progcon.org

"A little inside knowledge. Newspapers sometimes actually ask people to submit letters"

Aah yes, the lovely Josh at the ES!