He is back

That eminent economist, Professor Tim Congdon, has had a complicated relationship with UKIP. Most people do. Back in 2007 he left the Conservative Party with flags flying and drums drumming and joined UKIP, explaining in an article in the Daily Telegraph about all the many things he disliked about the new Cameroonie Conservatives.

Subsequently, there were stories of him being embarrassed by UKIP and rumours (well, one rumour in the Independent) of him rejoining the Conservative Party. Personally, I never believed that last story as Professor Congdon does not make a secret of his political views and he did not mention even once that he had seen the light and it shone out of the Boy-King. [Re-reading that post I notice that I quoted Iain Dale as suggesting that Malcolm Pearson will follow Tim Congdon back to the Conservative Party. I disagreed with Mr Dale on the subject of Lord Pearson, and, hey presto, I turned out to be right. Thank you, thank you.]

Whatever may have happened last year, the news is that Professor Congdon is securely in the UKIP fold: he is the PPC for The Royal Forest of Dean and, presumably, the preferred economic spokesman for the party. (I certainly hope so, given some of the nutty economic ideas I heard at the conference.) He explains his views and reasons on the UKIP website. I'd like to think that this time round the Tories are not going to screech about him being a back number or completely barmy but I suspect that they have learnt nothing.