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		Letter to the Editor Leicester Mercury - Wednesday 19th January 2005 Dear Sir, Your Wednesday article on Robert Kilroy-Silk describes him as "the perma-tanned pimpernel", as your reporters had so much trouble tracking him down. Like you, I have trouble knowing where he is -- or what party he represents. A quarter of East Midlands electors in last June's euro-elections voted for UKIP, and clearly much of that was a personal vote for Kilroy. They believed that Kilroy was committed to British independence, and rightly or wrongly they thought that UKIP would work for that result, and that Kilroy was committed to UKIP. They have been dreadfully let down. It is now clear that Kilroy was, and remains, on a personal ego-trip. It is difficult to believe that he cares about the country, and very clear that he cares nothing for UKIP -- without which he would never have been elected. Now he is muddying the water again, with stories that he plans to launch a new party, "Veritas" (or as a newspaper editorial suggested, "Vanitas"). Where does that leave euro-sceptic voters in the forthcoming General Election? Instead of one single-issue anti-EU party, which would have been lucky get a single seat, they may be faced with two such parties, neither with any chance at all. It's time for a cool-headed assessment. After the General Election, only two men stand a chance of being in Number Ten. It won't be Kilroy Silk, or the leader of UKIP (whoever he is). It will either be Tony Blair, or Michael Howard. Blair, who wants to scrap the Pound and sign the EU Constitution, or Howard, who will keep the Pound, campaign to keep Britain out of the Constitution, and independent, and bring back key policy areas to Britain, like our North Sea fisheries. Every voter who believes in Britain and British independence must vote Conservative in May. A vote for UKIP or Veritas is not just a wasted vote -- in effect, it is a vote for Blair as Prime Minister. Yours faithfully, Roger Helmer MEP