Bruges Group

[-:Undertaker:-]

It's very rare that you get these sort of videos as most footage is usually a well prepared speech delievered to a sympathetic audience. This one is different - it's from the Bruges Group (highly influential Tory group wanting out of the EU of which Thatcher was President until her death) and the context is this: it's a meeting hall full of Tory members at the Conservative conference last week in Manchester.

I mention the context because if you watch the video then it speaks volumes at the level of applause and cheers that Farage gets when he attacks not only Cameron but also the Tory Party itself and even the likes of Bill Cash.

I just post for anybody who is really interested as it's a rare and very heated debate of which the context is not UKIP, Labour or the Liberal Democrats - but the activist base and backbenchers of the Conservative Party. I think if you do watch the video, you'll agree with me that it now shows how close the Conservative Party is coming to splitting, especially over the EU issue - much as the Liberal Party split in the late 1800s over the Corn Laws.

If anybody does decide to watch then i'd be interested to hear thoughts. But again, well worth a watch as it's not your standard political speech/meeting and it gives you a real insight into the struggle that's now taking place on the right of British politics.

Speakers are Bill Cash MP, Nigel Farage MEP and Peter Oborne. Cash vs Farage part is the first 40 minutes.

[Chippiewill]

Lots of purple and lots of yellow, just in the screen-cap. Let's not pretend this is anything other than UKIP publicity in disguise.

[Kardan]

I'm not going to watch the video, but just wanted to comment on something. Surely having Thatcher as president up until her death was just a ceremonial thing? Having such a frail and old woman in such a high position seems a bit silly... "Oh great Thatcher, you are the best person ever to walk this Earth" sort of thing...

Just skipped through the video... The picture of Thatcher staring at me for 75 minutes is slightly disturbing

[-:Undertaker:-]

Lots of purple and lots of yellow, just in the screen-cap. Let's not pretend this is anything other than UKIP publicity in disguise.

Uh that's been the colour of the Bruges Group for years and the group has been around longer than UKIP. Nice try though.

I'm not going to watch the video, but just wanted to comment on something. Surely having Thatcher as president up until her death was just a ceremonial thing? Having such a frail and old woman in such a high position seems a bit silly... "Oh great Thatcher, you are the best person ever to walk this Earth" sort of thing...

Just skipped through the video... The picture of Thatcher staring at me for 75 minutes is slightly disturbing

It was ceremonial although she did attend actively every year until a few years ago when she had a stroke.

There's a video somewhere on YouTube of her last appearance in 2009 or something where she's been greeted as she walks in.

[GommeInc]

I'm not going to watch the video, but just wanted to comment on something. Surely having Thatcher as president up until her death was just a ceremonial thing? Having such a frail and old woman in such a high position seems a bit silly... "Oh great Thatcher, you are the best person ever to walk this Earth" sort of thing...

Just skipped through the video... The picture of Thatcher staring at me for 75 minutes is slightly disturbing

Quite a lot of presidents in groups like this are just for ceremonial reasons than actually to lead. Many of the Political parties have a president as well as a leader e.g. Nick Clegg (leader) and Tim Farron (President) or the Liberal Democrats. Very few people know of or hear from the President of a Political Party, mainly because they are not the voice or even the executive. I can't provide an example that's relevant to groups like Bruges Group, but the sentiment is there