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Membership is open to UK citizens and resident foreign nationals over the age of 16 years who share its aims and who are not members of any other political party or organisation membership of which the National Executive Committee (”NEC”) has declared is incompatible with membership of the Party.   Associate membership may be made available if thought appropriate to persons not qualified under the preceding sentences.

If a member of UKIP subsequently joins such a party or organisation which the NEC has declared to be incompatible with membership of the Party, or if the member is found to be a member of such a party or organisation then their membership of the Party will be automatically revoked.

If a member of UKIP is a member of an organisation or party which has been declared to be incompatible with the membership of UKIP by the NEC during the currency of their membership of the Party then that member will be given 28 days within which to leave the said incompatible organisation or party.  If he or she fails to provide evidence of such withdrawal to the Party Secretary within 28 days his membership of the Party will be automatically revoked.

Members must maintain their subscriptions.

Members shall accept the Party’s constitution and rules made in accordance with this constitution and do nothing to undermine the reputation of the Party or to bring the Party into public disrepute. Nor shall they act in a manner intended to cause, or actually causing, damage to the Party’s interests including by breaching confidentiality.

Where constituency associations are established, membership shall be of the local Parliamentary constituency association and, by affiliation of the constituency association, of the national Party.

The NEC may accept affiliation from other organisations.  Such affiliated bodies will not enjoy voting rights.

Special Interest Groups may be given formal recognition by the Party only if they are formally brought to the attention of the NEC and the NEC does not proscribe them.

Members shall receive a membership card and the Party’s newsletter.  They shall be entitled to vote in all relevant internal Party elections.

Members are in “good standing” if their subscriptions are up to date and they are not subject to any suspension or exclusion either from elected office or from standing as a candidate of any sort. 

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The Labour Government has announced £62 million of fast track funding to develop world class facilities for young people across England. This first wave of funding will be awarded to 21 successful bidders across the country and will help drive forward Labour’s commitment to making this the best country in the world for young people to grow up in. This money will help provide exciting safe places for all young people to go to and give them the opportunity to take part in a wide range of positive activities such as sport, dance and music The announcement is part of Labour’s ‘myplace’ programme, a scheme which is transforming the provision of youth facilities across the country. Labour is ensuring that young people are actively involved in developing youth facilities in their neighbourhoods to ensure that the projects reflect what young people want and need. Ed Balls and Jack Straw visited the Lazer Centre in Leeds, which represents the type of facilities myplace hopes to inspire across the country. Speaking from the Lazer Centre, Ed Balls, Children and Young People’s Secretary, said: “The vast majority of young people are good citizens, play by the rules and just want better things to do and places to go after school and at the weekend rather than hanging around in the street or in the local park. They enjoy getting involved in exciting projects such as myplace, so I hope that this scheme will help change the way communities view our young people….

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Leading North Antrim Ulster Unionist Robin Swann, the UUP's Spokesman on Social Economy, Energy and Consumer Affairs, has urged the community to exercise energy efficiency during the current credit crunch.

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So much for the choice of the non-smoker, less choice there.

I do now see what they mean by saying that smoking is bad for your health. My wife and I have almost caught our deaths of cold sitting outside to enjoy what is after all a perfectly legal pleasure.

How ridiculous that the fanatics now want cigarettes to be sold in plain packs and from under the counter, while smoking is something one can only do outside various establishments.

UKIP’s policy of choice is the sensible option.

David Haresign

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In an action that looks more appropriate to the bad old days of the Soviet Union than a modern liberal democracy, the Metropolitan Police used counter-terrorism officers to raid Mr Green’s homes and offices and to hold him for nine hours on suspicion of “conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office” and “aiding and abetting, counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office”.

Their excuse was a call from the Home Office to investigate the leaking of sensitive information revealing that the government knew about the employment of illegal immigrants and that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had warned the Prime Minister of a possible rise in crime during a recession.

A junior official at the Home Office was suspended from duty and arrested on 19 November but was subsequently released on bail without charge.

Nigel Farage said: “When the police start arresting politicians for doing their job then we’re well down the path to a police state.

“Finding out what the government doesn’t want you to know they’re doing is the very job of an opposition politician.”

The arrest of an MP and the raiding of his offices is unprecedented in the investigation of government leaks.

It is well known that opposition MPs often rely on the leaking of information embarrassing to the government of the day and though there have been many inquiries, the police have rarely been  involved and internal investigations have usually ended with the officials thought to have been responsible for the leaks. Even then, successful prosecutions in such cases have been very few.

The government has denied being involved in the arrest of Mr Green. However, it begins to look sinister alongside the steady increase in public surveillance over the past 10 years and Labour’s apparently insatiable appetite for collecting information on citizens, together with its planned introduction of ID cards.

The police action has been justified on the basis of a little-known common law statute. But what does it say about Britain today when newspaper headlines might read “Opposition spokesman arrested”?

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UUP Agricultural spokesman, Tom Elliott, has called on Minister Gildernew and her department to take more action to combat Bovine TB. He was speaking after details compiled using case figures for all UK regional Agricultural Departments showed a rise in the numbers of cases of Bovine TB of 28% between January - August 2008 compared with the same period in 2007.

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Alliance Youth secretary Michael Bower has praised police in rescuing two victims of human trafficking in the greater Belfast area, but has warned that this is a growing trend which requires more investment of police resources.

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Alliance Leader David Ford MLA has welcomed the announcements from the Executive meeting for the green light for the Titanic signature project and E-Way transport project.

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All the other MEPs for the East Midlands are backing an online petition calling for him to stand down.

UKIP’s Derek Clark MEP says: “It’s not just that he hasn’t been working while in the jungle, it’s that he hasn’t spoken in the parliament since 2005. No one has seen him in the region for years. We even had a competition for anyone who could spot him – a competition no one in the region could win.

“He’s shown nothing but contempt for the people of the East Midlands and should do the honourable thing and resign.”

Constituents and others can add their names to the petition calling on Mr Kilroy Silk to step down at www.kilroystepdown.co.uk

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Ulster Unionist MLA, Basil McCrea addressed a reception for Northern Ireland Manufacturing (NIM) at Stormont today. Welcoming them to the event, the Lagan Valley MLA, said;

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UKIP has identified a much better way to help us try to spend our way out of recession. By 2012/13, the UK’s net contribution to the EU will have been £40 billion, gross £99 billion. So if we left the EU, or suspended payments because its dodgy accounts (for the 14th year in a row), we could:

• Give every adult in the UK (about 45.5 million) a cheque for £880, stimulating demand now and costing nothing on balance over the period
• OR £40 billion is enough to prevent the 0.5% rise in employers’ and employees’ NIC in 2011/12 and 2012/13, AND cut both rates by 0.5% in every year in the same period, easing the tax on jobs and work and putting more money in people’s pockets.
• OR £40 billion is enough to cut employers’ NIC by 2.8% to 10% for two years, AND cut employees’ NIC by 5% for two years.
• OR £40 billion is enough to raise the personal allowance to £12,000 for two years, as per the Adam Smith Institute proposal, or almost certainly raise it to £10,000 immediately and permanently, with indexation/wages and dynamic effects eroding the cost over the period and beyond.

So when times get tough, the real cost of EU membership is shown to be far greater.

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Alliance Youth secretary Michael Bower has expressed outrage at the terrorist attacks that started last night in Mumbai.

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Labour’s top priority is to help families through the current global economic downturn as fairly as possible. The Government has today met with major credit card companies so that households who are experiencing trouble paying their credit card bills as a result of the economic downturn are treated fairly over the coming months. There has been evidence of card lenders significantly hiking up people’s rates, as well as broader concerns about the failure of many companies to pass on cuts in interest rates to borrowers struggling to repay their debts. The Labour Government is asking the companies to: * look at offering people alternative options if they face large rate increases * give them more notice of a change so they have time to shop around for another deal or bring down their outstanding balance. * consider introducing a breathing space to give people time to get back on their feet. * report back to the Government before Christmas with a statement of fair principles Labour’s Consumer Affairs Minister, Gareth Thomas, said: “The Government is deeply concerned that borrowers aren’t getting a fair deal. That’s why we’ve taken swift action to bring the industry in to look at how costs are being applied to people’s existing debts. “We want to work constructively with industry to draw up a set of principles that will enable them to keep lending and will also ensure borrowers are treated fairly and in a way that best helps them pay off their debts”…

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Ulster Unionist MLA, John McCallister has called for a major change in the habits of young people. He was speaking after it was revealed that the majority of children failed to recognize the real impact obesity has on a person's body.

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Lagan Valley Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn has called on the Stormont Executive to make progress on the 11-plus and fuel poverty in their meeting tomorrow and said the public cannot be left waiting any longer on these issues.

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Rev Dr Robert Coulter, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member for North Antrim and UUP Stormont Commissioner, has called on the Executive to strengthen its training systems to ensure that as many of our young people as possible have their potential realised.

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East Antrim Alliance MLA Seán Neeson has said he hopes that a pipe bomb find in Newtownabbey is not a sign that tension is going to increase in the area. Five large pipe bombs and ammunition were found at a house in the Carmeen Drive area just after 9.30pm last night.

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Responding to a statement from Lord Morrow on the issue of unionist co-operation, Sir Reg Empey said:

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The Labour Party, today, has demonstrated its commitment to protecting the vulnerable and supporting victims of forced marriages. The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act, to protect victims of forced marriage and prevent others from the same fate, comes into force on 25 November 2008. On top of current criminal protection, the Act will provide robust civil protection for vulnerable people threatened with forced marriage and enhance the rights of people from across different communities in the UK who are affected by this problem. The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act comes into force on White Ribbon Day which brings together men and women of many different communities and backgrounds to raise awareness of domestic violence. Jack Straw MP, Labour’s Secretary of State for Justice said: “Today we are standing on the side of vulnerable victims, providing hope to what is often a desperate situation. It is fitting the law comes into force on White Ribbon Day - the White Ribbon Campaign is the largest effort in the world of men working to end men’s violence against women. “As a Labour Government, we urge everyone to pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women. This is why the Forced Marriage Act enables anyone to apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order on behalf of a victim, as victims may be unable to protect themselves. “We are determined to do everything we can to support victims of forced marriage, provide education to prevent others from becoming victims, and pull…

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Ken Robinson Ulster Unionist MLA, has supported calls made in the Assembly today for the Executive to bring forward a package to help Northern Ireland's ailing construction industry. And whilst drawing attention to what the Executive needs to do, he also highlighted the crucial role the banks must to play in order alleviate the current crisis.

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