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From The Times

November 28, 2009

Cameron rejected UKIP pact on EU referendum

Alice Thomson, Rachel Sylvester Suzy Jagger and David Charter

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Lord Pearson of Rannoch: did not hear back from David Cameron

The UK Independence Party offered to disband if David Cameron agreed to hold a referendum on the ratified Lisbon treaty.

Lord Pearson of Rannoch, UKIP’s newly elected leader, says in an interview with The Times today that he proposed the deal after the party’s strong showing in the European elections.

He reveals that he approached Lord Strathclyde, the Tory leader in the Lords, six months ago and asked him to tell Mr Cameron that if he guaranteed a referendum and gave the Conservative Party a free vote then UKIP would disband and its members stand down. He received no answer. Several months later Mr Cameron announced that the Tories would not hold a referendum.

Lord Pearson adds: “A referendum on a ratified Lisbon Treaty would have become about in or out, which is why the political class wouldn’t do it.”

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Lord Pearson says that he was acting on behalf of his predecessor, Nigel Farage, when the overture was made.

Last night Mr Farage confirmed that the meeting took place with his blessing, although he argued that the offer was to withdraw the party from the general election rather than to disband. Lord Strathclyde also confirmed that the meeting took place.

“We made that offer but we didn’t get an answer,” Lord Pearson said. “I’m so angry with them now.”

UKIP — which has no MPs in Westminster but has 13 MEPs — wants to pull Britain out of the European Union, boost the UK’s defence budget by 40 per cent and bring back grammar schools.

Speaking after yesterday’s result, the peer, who hopes to cost the Tories at least 50 seats, said: “My ambition is for UKIP to do well enough at the next general election so that we can force a hung parliament and a realignment in British politics.”

Mark Francois, the Shadow Minister of State for Europe, said: “We don’t make policy on the basis of secret deals with other parties. We decide our policies on the basis on what is right for the country. As we have said, a made-up referendum after ratification would be pointless.”

UKIP is understood to be preparing to try to re-focus its appeal by attacking Islamic fundamentalism in an attempt to shore up its right flank against the BNP. It is planning to put a heavyweight candidate up in Barking to take on Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, in the next general election campaign and prevent him from claiming a Westminster seat.

The favourite for the UKIP nomination is Paul Wiffen, the party chairman in London.

Lord Pearson takes over immediately as party leader from Mr Farage, who had said that he wanted to stand down to fight the seat of the Commons Speaker, John Bercow.

The party intends to field 550 candidates in next year’s general election, many of whom will pay their own campaign costs. Mr Farage — who had spearheaded the party’s fundraising efforts, estimates that UKIP needs £1.5 million to fund an adequate election campaign, but about £4 million to compete properly against the bigger parties.