Civitas
+44 (0)20 7799 6677

A eurosceptic alternative for the centre-left from Ukip founder

Jonathan Lindsell, 9 September 2013

Professor Alan Sked, who founded the United Kingdom Independence Party in 1993, has symbolically rejected his creation. Like the proverbial Dr Frankenstein, he’s afraid that Ukip has become monstrous, describing it as ‘anti-intellectual, anti-immigrant’, ‘too racist’ and ‘too extreme’.

Sked, an international history professor at the LSE, actually left Ukip in 1997 but this new turn is not just words. He has founded another Eurosceptic party, the centre-left ‘New Deal’, fully registered with the Electoral Commission. Policies include opposition to the Coalition’s ‘bedroom tax’, ending benefits for those earning over £100,000 p.a., and railway nationalisation.

He hopes this new party will attract voters who are wary of Europe but mainstream on other issues. “They would like a party devoted to [leaving Europe], but couldn’t vote for one that was extremely right wing.” Certainly the recent exploits of UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom, who described African countries in receipt of foreign aid as ‘Bongo Bongo Land’, have not softened the party’s image.

New Deal’s proposed election tactics may raise eyebrows. Sked intends to challenge either Ed Miliband or Nick Clegg in the next General Election. Moreover, New Deal will forgo the European Parliamentary elections entirely – it would be ‘hypocritical’ according to Sked, implying yet more criticism of UKIP. He only sees value in Westminster seats, as it is only that parliament which can repeal the 1972 European Communities Act.

New Deal draws a lot from America – not only its name, which is reminiscent of Franklin D Roosevelt’s depression-era Keynsian push, but also its funding model. Sked hopes to recreate Barack Obama’s success in crowd-funding by appealing for many small internet donations. Who knows? With unions deserting Labour by the day, perhaps he might gain big gun support without trying.

The issue of immigration certainly seems to be divisive at the moment: Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather’s knives were out yesterday as she announced she would not contest the next election. Her reasoning? Nick Clegg’s support for £1,000 migrant visa deposits left her ‘utterly desolate’ and ‘catastrophically depressed’. This ‘black moment’ came after her sustained opposition to the £26,000 benefits cap.

Will Teather be attracted to Sked’s new party, which seems to address her main concerns? Could this New Deal siphon votes from the mainstream centre-left, just as Cameron fears Ukip will do for the Tories?

Newsletter

Keep up-to-date with all of our latest publications

Sign Up Here