More Than a Conspiracy Theory.

For almost 16 years, Ukip has been my political party because it has had a worthy philosophy which I could personally rubber-stamp.
We have had the odd 'nutters' who have, pretty much, all been expelled. We also had Godfrey Bloom MEP who gained us good publicity but matched that with statements which played into the hands of an antagonistic media.
We have had the brilliant Nigel Farage who has led the nation to Brexit but has also had an unfortunate tendency to 'foot-in-mouth' moments with the media.
With Nigel's last few weeks as leader close to the end, the party has been attempting to elect a new leader - a good call on that and the sky was the limit.
But there has been a shambles. This is not to blame Nigel, nor the NEC, nor Mr Woolfe MEP, nor any party member or employee or official or leadership candidate.
Something has gone crazy in the membership. (A party employee has pointed the finger at 'a certain element' in the Young Independence portion of the party to me.
There is certainly a substantial number of Ukip members who are working against us from within.)
The first tactic has been to point the finger at Neil Hamilton AD, Suzanne Evans and Douglas Carswell. Wild claims that these are 'Tory plants' and hate campaigns have been launched.  Bêtes noires all! (I am no Suzanne fan - but this is beyond the pale!) Decent people pilloried. - Maybe an action for defamation is called for?
These people claim to be 'wanting to keep the Nigel tradition' going - and of course, Nigel had not always got on well with that trio of hate figures.
I was bemused by the betting odds on Steven Woolfe, who was 'the chosen one' of this shadowy group. How could a little known MEP, elected as the third of three in his region, with no party history, few positions of authority and just some good rousing speeches, not encountered in any form by a vast majority of members, then become an instant, odds on favourite? Something bizarre was happening!
Public forums were being manipulated with an organised intensity; rational views were blasted; newspaper polls were turning out unbelievable results - remember that it only takes about twenty people to create a total distortion on such self-selecting vehicles.
My fear is that there are indeed 'plants' in the party - recent and/or young members whose goal appears not to be in the best interests of the party may have come from other directions. There are hints abroad that so many of this faction 'talk like tories'.
As ever, I would ask, Quis bono?
Labour and Lib Dems would certainly benefit from a self-destructive Ukip - but I am as certain as I can be that this faction is Tory-based.
Whoever the new leader is - they are going to have a tough job unless they can winkle this set out of the party altogether. A united Ukip by the time of the Conference in September and we can hold the government to account over Brexit. A disunited rabble - and we cannot!
Ukip is at a time in its noble history when it is poised, more than ever before, to make a mega breakthrough - and these people seem bent on splitting the party and ruining that possibility for all time.