EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2009
Rebuke for Tebbit over poll remarks
By George Parker
Published: May 12 2009 11:31 | Last updated: May 12 2009 19:33
Lord Tebbit , former Conservative chairman, on Tuesday earned a stinging rebuke from David Cameron after he urged voters to record their disgust over MPs’ expenses by shunning all the main parties in next month’s European elections.
Lord Tebbit’s comments were seen by Mr Cameron as an incitement to voters to back the UK Independence party, and the Tory leader warned the eurosceptic peer to watch his step.
“As a former party chairman, he should know a thing or two about party discipline and he should probably know a thing or two about the rules about supporting other parties,’’ Mr Cameron said. “He was treading a very careful path and I would warn him, if he slips off that path, he’s sitting as an independent.”
Lord Tebbit, a fierce eurosceptic, made it clear he was not advocating a vote for the far-right British National party, but Tory officials believe he would be very relaxed about rising support for Ukip. Ukip would be an unlikely recipient of protest votes over financial probity, given the record of some of its own members in the European parliament.
Ashley Mote was suspended from Ukip and eventually imprisoned for nine months for benefit fraud while Tom Wise, another MEP, was suspended after a probe by the European Union watchdogs.
“What I am advising people is to show our major parties that it is the electors who are masters and the electors are extremely upset with their employees in the House of Commons,” Lord Tebbit told the BBC.
Nigel Farage, Ukip leader, said: “The European election is a very good opportunity ... to say you are not happy with the whole rotten political system.”
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