Nigel Farage, "Brexit" and the Real Reason Why Ian Duncan-Smith Resigned

Iain Duncan-Smith MP

The recent resignation of Iain Duncan-Smith from the Conservative Cabinet and his post of Department of Works and Pensions Secretary, in my opinion, has nothing to do with an affronted Tory minister raging at the injustice of cutting the benefits of the poor and needy. I don't buy the line that, within the upper echelon of the Conservative Party, one of the most senior of their ranks has had an epiphany and decided to rail against the immorality of taking £30 a week from the Disability Benefit payments of those in dire need of this financial help. The history of Tory rule is littered with social injustices against those in need and it has emerged that they may actively discriminate against the lower paid, and those on benefits, because they are not likely to vote Conservative.

David Cameron MP

No. Blow away the smoke and dispense with the mirrors, and there is a wholly different reason for this very public stepping down from office with the resulting supposed in-fighting within the Tory ranks. Fast forwards to the morning of Friday 24th June 2016 and the reason for the shock resignation of IDS becomes all too apparent. That morning the UK will either be waking up to the status quo of membership of the European Union or the electorate may have given a resounding "No" to the question "Do you wish to remain a member of the European Union?" If the result is a victory for the "Yes" vote, then the Conservative Party will be able to hail David Cameron as the saviour of all that is true and holy regarding Great Britain's continued membership of the European Union. But, what if the "No" vote wins? What happens to Mr. Cameron then? With the Prime Minister the de facto head of the "Yes" campaign, if the the EU referendum result goes against him, he may be left having to rethink his political future with the possibility of him having to step down as leader of the Conservative Party and, therefore, his position as Prime Minister. With an overall majority in the Commons, the Conservatives would easily face down a vote of no confidence, but, out of Europe, Cameron would not be the natural leader to take the country forwards into the future with the UK going it alone outside of the EU.

Nigel Farage MEP

So, who would the Conservatives turn to? Well, for one thing, the last thing Mr. Cameron and the rest of the Tories would want on the morning of the 24th June is for there to be a definitive split between them, the "Yes" campaign and the "No" camp led by their nemesis, Nigel Farage of the United Kingdom Independence Party or UKIP. A "No" vote in such circumstances would hand the political momentum to Mr. Farage who would then hold the moral high ground over the Conservatives, a position that David Cameron could never let happen. The next best thing for the Government, therefore, would be to have a prominent Tory in the "No" camp thus diluting the "Farage Effect". But, how to do this without the electorate becoming wise to their game? Step forwards Iain Duncan-Smith, ex-leader of the Conservative Party and eurosceptic.


The Conservatives needed a ruse to allow IDS to resign with grace and have his profile raised

amongst those members of the electorate who might not normally vote Conservative and, therefore, are more likely to vote for the UK to leave the EU on 23rd June. By feigning affrontery at the proposed cuts to the Disabled Benfits Payments, Iain Duncan-Smith left the Tory front bench, freeing himself up to conduct a campaign on behalf of the Conservative Party for the "No" vote. Now, whatever the result on the morning of the 24th June, the Conservatives can claim a prominent MP in both camps, to the detriment of Nigel Farage and UKIP. Now, whatever the result, the Tories can claim that it was they who brought the "right" result to the country, not that "awful" Mr. Farage as they would have him portrayed.

Already, the Tories are reining in their criticism of Iain Duncan-Smith and dropping the proposed budgetary cuts for which he resigned. George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is offering IDS the olive branch of peace and reconciliation and praising his former ministerial colleague for his past endeavours. The shenanigans that is being orchestrated behind the closed doors of 4, Matthew Parker Street, London SW1H 9HQ, Conservative Central Office, is putting into place contingencies for the prospect of David Cameron being defeated in his campaign for the UK to remain in the European Union. If the resounding will of the people is that the UK is to retreat from Europe, pull up the drawbridge and retire into the island fortress, then not to have a contingency plan would mean handing all the glory to Nigel Farage and UKIP - the Conservatives cannot let this happen so Iain Duncan-Smith is their man to face off with the UKIP leader in the event of a "No" vote winning.

Footnote

The above is my interpretation of recent events. I don't wish to influence anyone over their decision on which way to vote on 23rd June 2016 as everyone should cast their ballot according to their own conscience after considering all the pros and cons of the argument. However, this is probably the most important ballot that I have been part of since attaining voting rights and I would urge all those eligible to vote to do so and have a voice in the future of the UK.

World Cup Mexico 1970

I can truthfully say that I witnessed England winning the World Cup in 1966. However, I don't remember the occasion at all, because my twin brother and I had only just turned one year old and we spent most of the day in terylene nappies cheering each and every goal, even those scored by Herr Haller and Herr Weber. Given that our sister was in her fourth year, our older brother had only had his second birthday earlier in February (our youngest brother was not yet even a twinkle in our father's eye) and that friends and family had popped around with their own broods to witness the spectacle of England winning the Jules Rimet Trophy for the first time, it's not surprising that our house in Buckhurst Crescent was chaotic on Saturday 30th July 1966. Roll the time forwards four years and the festival of football that is the World Cup Finals saw it being hosted in Mexico. Swindon was still buzzing from the success of the Robins winning the League Cup and being promoted to Division 2 the previous year, and, with the very real expectation of England being capable of retaining the trophy, the summer of 1970 saw the children of Walcot playing out each and every game on Buckhurst Field.

Along with many of the heroes of 1966 in the England squad, Mexico 1970 was the stage for possibly the greatest ever Brazilian team to appear at the World Cup Finals; Jairzinho, Rivilino, Carlos Alberto to name but three of the Latin American stars to wear the famous yellow shirt of Brazil. But it was Edson Arantes do Nascimento whom the whole world wanted to see in his last appearance at the World Cup. This was of course Pelé and every boy who kicked a ball on the field outside our house that summer wanted to be him. We were too young to go and play football with the bigger boys of the area, but, in those days, we could play outside our house in the road using the garden fence as the goal, because hardly anyone owned a car and it was quite an event when one drove along the street.

Nowadays, any football match from anywhere in the world can be watched, analysed and dissected in real time not only on television, but also on PC's, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Computer graphics help pundits assess gameplay from each and every angle, and the match can be viewed from all sides of the pitch with goals scored being shown from over half a dozen viewpoints within the stadium. If you miss the programme, catch up using the myriad of online players available to watch modern television. Back in 1966, watching matches broadcast live was the innovation. In 1970, watching the live matches in colour was the major change to the way we could see the game, even if the picture was grainy and the only real time analysis was the Replay of the goals.


As the tournament went on, it was apparent that Brazil was going to go all the way and the group

stage win over England (0 - 1) is one of the celebrated games of all time, especially in English folklore with the Gordon Banks save from Pelé and the Bobby Moore tackle on Jairzinho. With England getting beaten by West Germany in the Quarter Finals, it is probably fair to say that most Englishmen's allegiances swapped to supporting Brazil. With this in mind, Mr.Brian Bennett hosted the 1970 World Cup Final in the sports hall of Walcot Boys' Club. I assume tickets were sold for the event which was to see the match between Italy and Brazil being shown on the biggest television that could be hired at the time. Now, today, people have huge flat screen TVs in their living rooms, some hanging on their walls making the front room seem like a cinema rather than the space where the family collects. In 1970, the television that was in the Boys' Club sports hall was large, but, as can be seen from the picture above, the gogglebox in those days was just that, a box. And, the bigger the screen, the larger the cathode ray tube and the larger the wooden cabinet required to house it, and the electrical components, which, then, were mainly valves.

As mere striplings, we often looked enviously over at the bigger boys toing and froing from the Boy's Club and wondered what it was like past those large white outer walls and inside the big white building at the end of the street. Prohibited from attending the venue at any other time by virtue of our young age, on Sunday 21st June 1970, the young boys of the Crescent had the opportunity they had been longing for when we passed through the large metal gates and took our first step inside Walcot Boys' Club. My memory tells me that we were taken pity on by Mr. Bennett and allowed to watch the match for free, but, however we were admitted entry to the event, for me, this was one of those eyes wide, jaw-dropping moments when, all agog, we were allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the pantheon that stood at the end of the road. For so long too young to gain entry to the hallowed

hall of the teenage boys, I, along with my brothers and other small boys of Buckhurst Crescent, found ourselves being escorted into what seemed to me at the time the most impressive edifice in the world - it was akin to entering Wembley Stadium for the first time having been used to the County Ground of the late 1970's/early 1980's.

The television was massive, at least compared to the Telebank TV we had back home. There was some fuss over getting the signal from the aerial, but, eventually, everyone settled down to watch the 1970 World Cup Final. Us little ones were given seats on top of tables so we could see and the excitement was palpable as the game kicked off. I remember the vivid colours of the two teams in their distinctive blue and yellow shirts and the bright Mexican sunshine was in contrast to what was an overcast English summer's day. The hall soon filled with the fug of the men smoking and I seem to remember the odd large can of Brew XI or Watneys Party Seven being handed around as the paying public settled in to watch one of the classic World Cup Finals. This was my first experience of watching football in the presence of a large crowd of men and it has remained indelible on my mind ever since. The noise of the cheers and shouts echoing around the sports hall gave a flavour of what it was like to attend a football match and, for a five year old in the company of so many elder males, it was an exciting education as to what the future had to offer.

Today, you can watch a football match every day, anywhere you want. Modern technology has both

broadened the scope for people to view football wherever they want, but it has also diminished the scope for local communities to come together to witness an event as one. The Mexico 1970 World Cup Final will always be special to me, because, for someone of so tender an age, it allowed me to experience the adult world and, for a brief spell, I and my brothers were considered "big" enough to join the rest of the male population in witnessing a true spectacle in colour for the first time. For so many small boys of the area, this was a rite of passage.

Thank you Mr. Bennett!

Swindon Town's All-Time England Team

I work with many people who, although they may have been born in Swindon and are resident in the

Wiltshire town, for some inexplicable reason choose to support football teams from elsewhere in the country. Chelsea fans with West Country accents, Manchester United fans hailing from London and "plastic" Scousers from the Midlands, all these fans, supporting teams with which they have no cultural heritage, are Glory Hunters seeking the annual thrill of a trophy win like a drug addict seeking a quick fix; some support Tottenham Hotspur so not all are in it for the honours!

It rankles when these fans talk about the "we" and "us" when referring to the particular mega-rich club to whose pole they have struck their flag when there is a perfectly good professional football club to support in their home town, and it is even more irritating when they deride the lowlier ranking of Swindon Town. Many have never been to the home of their so-called team and would probably get lost on their way to the ground if they were to venture outside the boundaries of their home borough.

This is the background to many a discussion of the beautiful game I have with others whose passion

Banner from www.Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk

is Association Football. One night, the talk got around to who could produce the best all-time England team from the ranks of their team's players, both past and present. Immediately, the Premier League snobs snorted that Swindon Town would be hard-pressed to find anyone to fill such a roster. Rising to the challenge, I asked what the criteria would be for me to come up with a Swindon Town All-Time England team. The answer came back that the players could have represented their country at any level and at any time in their career, but good luck on finding anybody eligible from the Robins squads of yesteryear! A number of players immediately came to mind, but I had to delve a bit deeper to get a full squad of eleven and substitutes. For this, I have to thank Richard Banyard and his outstanding website, www.Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk (possibly the best "fan's" website on the internet); his site is chock full of all the facts and figures that any Swindon Town fan might need to satisfy any thirst for knowledge on their football club.  

Swindon Town All-Time England Team

Goalkeeper - Fraser Digby

Fraser Digby with English Schools Cap

There were two contenders for this spot - Tim Flowers and Fraser Digby.

Whilst at Southampton, Tim Flowers spent two loan periods with Swindon Town, once in the 1986 - 1987 season (2 appearances) and once the following season, 1987 - 1988, making 5 appearances. Flowers represented England at U-21 level (3 caps) and at full international level (11 caps) and won a Premier League Champions medal with Blackburn Rovers in 1993 - 1994. He also won a League Cup Winners medal with Leicester City in 2000.


However, my choice for Swindon's England goalkeeping spot is

Fraser Digby. With 504 (+1) appearances for the club, Fraser Digby can truly be called a Swindon Town "Legend". On his day, he was equal to any other English goalkeeper playing at the time he was with Swindon and it is a credit to him that he remained a stalwart at SN1 for as long as he did when so-called "bigger" clubs were given mention in the press as in the running to sign him. His qualification for inclusion into the Swindon Town All-Time England Team stems from Fraser gaining England U-15 Schoolboy honours Youth honours and 5 appearances at England U-21 level, these last ones whilst at the County Ground.

Right Back - David Kerslake

For simplicity's sake, for my Swindon Town All-Time England Team, I have gone with a 4-4-2 formation . Therefore, some players may be in a position in the England setup which is slightly different to that in which they were employed when playing for Swindon. This is the case for my choice of Right Back. When David Kerslake was on the ball, the crowd at the County Ground always sensed that an attacking opportunity was on the cards. His favoured position was as a right wing back and it is the memories of his forays forward that stand out more than his solid defensive work. He represented England at Schoolboy and Youth levels and had one international appearance at U-21 level whilst playing for Queens Park Rangers.

Left Back - Phil King

Phil King played for the Town during the Lou Macari era featuring in the 1987 League Division 3

Play Off Final. He made 141 (+4)  appearances during his first stint with Swindon between 1987 and 1989 scoring 4 goals. He was signed by Sheffield Wednesday and won a League Cup Winners Medal with them in 1991. He is also renowned in Aston Villa folklore as the player who scored the winning goal against Inter Milan in the UEFA Cup. A second term at Swindon Town came in 1997, but he only made 5 appearances before leaving for Brighton in 1999 having spent some time on loan at Blackpool. His England qualification comes with only the one appearance at 'B' International level, but his commitment to the cause when at the County Ground earns him the Left Back role in the Swindon Town All-Time England Team.

Centre Back - Terry Fenwick

Admittedly, the role for Centre Back has only one candidate - "Oo" Shaun Taylor (no true Swindon Town fan will mention Mr. Taylor without the preceding "Oo" - I wonder if that's his title in his passport rather then Mr.?). Unfortunately, not having represented his country at any level, Shaun Taylor cannot feature in the Swindon Town All-Time England Team. So, this honour must go to other players who have worn the red shirt of the Robins. In the twilight of his footballing career, Terry Fenwick was signed from Tottenham Hotspur in 1993 to help bolster the defence for the club's only appearance in the top-flight of the Football League. Renowned for hard tackles, Terry Fenwick's 30 (+3) appearances for Swindon Town saw him notably break the leg of Blackburn Rovers' player, Paul Warhurst. Fenwick represented England at Youth International, U-21 International (11 appearances) and Full International (20 appearances) levels.

Centre Back - Neil "Razor" Ruddock

More for his previous experience of top-flight football with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, Neil

"Razor" Ruddock is my second choice for a Centre Back role. Other than his free kick which saw him score the only goal in his debut against Colchester, his 14 (+2) appearances for Swindon Town pale into insignificance when measured against his legal dispute with the club over unpaid wages. In his day, "Razor" was a formidable defender for Spurs and Liverpool and his banter with opposing forwards could have an unsettling effect on their play. He represented England at Youth International, U-21 (4 appearances), 'B' International (1 appearance) and Full International (1 appearance) levels.

Right Wing - Nicky "Buzzer" Summerbee

Nicky Summerbee was one of the few Swindon Town players to emerge from the Premier League season (1993 - 1994) with their reputation enhanced and in demand by other Premier League teams. With a running style all his own, once on the ball, it took a strong defender to remove it from what seemed like a magnetic force keeping it at Nicky's feet. A legendary crosser of the ball, the right wing was his domain and he made 108 (+27) appearances for Swindon Town. His England credentials stem from his 1 'B' International and 3 U-21 appearances.

Left Wing - "Sir" Don Rogers 

The Ides of March 1969 will live long in the memory of those fortunate to be both old enough to

remember that day and to have had the chance to be at Wembley for the League Cup Final. I was just under 4 years old, so do not remember any pre-match excitement in the town for the Division 3 v Division 1 clash, nor any of the post-match celebrations. What I do remember is being told about the event by the older boys in our street and, in particular, the part played by the legend that is "Sir" Don Rogers (487 + 3 appearances). I've watched the match several times and apart from the heroic display from goalkeeper Peter Downsborough, the contribution by Swindon Town's left winger was the most memorable aspect of the game. The third, and last, Swindon Town goal scored by Don Rogers is, in my opinion, the best goal ever scored at Wembley, new or old. When one considers that the game was in extra time, the heavy pitch, the tired legs and Bob Wilson was in goal for Arsenal for that game, the speed with which Rogers sprinted up the field from within his own half, the ball glued to his feet, and the finish whereby he took the ball around the floundering Scottish international goalkeeper, laying in the mud like a landed carp, and slotted the ball home to end the game, winning the League Cup for Swindon, then the attacking left winger is a must for any team. When leaving the County Ground for then Division 1 Crystal Palace, Don Rogers must have seemed a dead cert for achieving full international honours for his country. Unfortunately, he was never to feature in any of the England Managers' plans, but he does qualify for the Swindon Town All-Time England Team by virtue of representing England at Youth International, League Representative and U-23 International (2 appearances) levels.  

Right Midfield - Mike Summerbee

If persons of a certain age were to asked the question "For which team did Mike Summerbee play?" most would answer Manchester City. However, his first professional club was Swindon Town and in 244 appearances, he scored 40 goals. His natural position was as an outside right, but, for the Swindon Town All-Time England Team, I've moved him further into midfield. I remember seeing him on television playing for Manchester City and England and was impressed when my Dad told me that he used to play for Swindon Town. It would be interesting to see how he would have paired up with his son on the right wing. He played at League Representative level (1 appearance) and U-23 level (1 appearance), and won 8 Full International caps.

Left Midfield - Glenn Hoddle

Up to the 1991 -1992 season, I had seen some good players wearing the Swindon Town shirt, but,

when Glenn Hoddle wore the red of the Robins, his play was a class above. As Player-Manager, he controlled the field from the sweeper's position, but he was renowned as a midfield maestro before taking over the reins at the County Ground. Pinpoint accuracy was his forte, whether a cross-field pass or direct free kick, Hoddle could pass the ball to feet or hit the top corner of the goal all the time, every time. He played 73 (+2) games for Swindon Town scoring just 3 goals, but he was finally able to lay the ghost of 1990 when the club was denied its rightful place in the top tier of the English Football League, by leading them to a 4 - 3 win over Leicester City in the 1993 Division 1 Play Off final at Wembley. He didn't stay to manage the team in the Premier League, deciding that Chelsea was where his future lay, but he will always be remembered as the man who took Swindon Town to the Premier League. He represented his country at many levels - Youth International, U-21 International (12 appearances), 'B' International and Full International (53 appearances) - and is a must for the Swindon Town All-Time England Team.

Forward - Paul Rideout

Paul Rideout is a "local boy done good". Playing 109 (+5) times for Swindon Town, his home town club, Rideout scored 42 goals and was transferred to Aston Villa in 1983. A spell with Italian club Bari saw him return to English football at Southampton. He was loaned out to Swindon Town before moving to Notts County (then in the top flight Division 1) and then plied his trade north of the border for Rangers. In England, he will always be remembered for playing for Everton, the club he moved to after Rangers. The 1995 FA Cup Final saw Everton take on Manchester United and Rideout played in the striker's role for the Toffees. A counter attack by Everton saw the ball come back off the bar and Rideout was able to head home from just six yards out. At Schoolboy level Paul Rideout notably scored a hat trick against Scotland, a game that England lost 4 - 5 and which was actually televised live. He also represented his country at Youth International and U-21 International level (5 appearances), but never found favour with the England setup to achieve a Full International cap.  

Forward - Harold Fleming

Harold Fleming is the only Swindon Town player to represent England at Full International level

whilst playing for the club; he played eleven times for his country, scoring 9 times, a strike rate of 0.82 goals per game. Part of the successful Southern League Championship winning sides in 1911 and 1914 - the Southern League was the rival league to the northern Football League, so Swindon Town were the best of all the top southern clubs - he made 336 appearances for Swindon scoring 204 goals, a strike rate of 0.61 goals per game.

Substitutes

Tim Flowers

James Milner

Michael Carrick

Mark Walters

Paul Ince

Steve McMahon

Ryan Mason     

So, there you have it, my Swindon Town All-Time England Team. What's yours?