Last week, I was privileged to join Nigel Farage on stage to receive the prize for Best International Campaign at American politics’ equivalent to the Oscars, the Pollies. Nine months after the EU referendum result the prestigious award – David Cameron and Lynton Crosby won it for the General Election in 2015 – acted as a timely reminder of Leave.EU’s tremendous success during the run up to that historic event.

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I felt the Party was well-placed to deliver necessary change, to push for greater political representation, for more direct democracy, and to cut out swathes of unnecessary government administration currently inflating our already huge budget deficit.

I count my blessings that we are leaving the European Union every day, but the country still faces serious problems that successive governments have not only failed to address, but aggravated: mass immigration, housing, income inequality and security to name but a few.

These challenges will continue to be unsolved until a united force in British politics emerges equipped with a vision of how our country should be run. UKIP may yet become that force, and I wish them well. But I am in no mood to wait, which is why we have decided to launch a new movement, The Patriotic Alliance.

We are also drawing up a collection of policy ideas to address the problems our society faces, starting with an immigration policy that fulfils its function of reducing the number of people entering our country through an Australian-style points system ensuring only the right migrants are permitted to live here. We also propose a strict cap of 50,000 new entrants per year.

Other ideas, on prisons – serving at her majesty’s pleasure should be anything but – education, the NHS and infrastructure will, I believe, be very popular with an electorate tired of being dictated too. These concepts do not constitute a manifesto however, not yet.

The alliance’s website, set for launch in May, will offer voters a unique opportunity to shape policies. It will be the first experiment of its kind in direct democracy. We look forward to learning which proposals prove to be popular, which are not and of course the great alternatives or amendments the public has to share.

The Patriotic Alliance is a cross-party movement. Reducing national debt and reversing social decline are the two founding principles, that is it. My experience of campaigning with Nigel has taught me these are major concerns for the wider public. To say the least, I am excited about this mission, and I very much hope you will join us in obliging Westminster to finally listen.

We must now stand with greater resolve, defending the importance of our democracy and pushing for our elected politicians to do greater work to cure the social ills that cause heinous attacks like this. Events of this sort are becoming all too familiar, with Brussels, Berlin, Nice, and Orlando being attacked in the last year.

More work must be done to ensure that we stand up for our values and live a shared life together in a cohesive society. We must refuse to tolerate the segregation and division that allows Islamism to thrive, and this requires a show of greater strength from those who seek to represent us.

But triggering Article 50 won’t create an immediate break from the EU. We should receive a response from the European Union within 48 hours, but it will take the dysfunctional institutions longer to formulate negotiating guidelines to give to Michel Barnier – despite knowing for almost a year that we are on our way out.

The one thing he does seem to be clear about is his desire to suck more money out of the hard-pressed British taxpayer, demanding that the government agree to cough up funds for the EU before talks of a post-Brexit trade pact can begin. Hopefully, Mrs May has the courage to call his bluff.

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She stole the headlines with her strong performance, attacking hated German Chancellor Angela Merkel and vowing to stand up for the interests of her people.

Anti-Euro populist Beppe Grillo is also surging in Italy where his radical 5 Star Movement now enjoys a sizeable 5 point lead over the nearest rival, with one in three Italians now supporting the maverick comedian. The illegitimate government of Paolo Gentiloni appears to be spooked as it considers bringing forward major elections currently pencilled in for early 2018.

And in the Netherlands, the cynicism of the EU has been exposed as Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem slammed southern European countries for over-spending on “liquor and women”, drawing anger from across the spectrum. He faced calls for resignation from Italian Democratic Party leader and ex-PM Matteo Renzi, but may be losing his position anyway due to the failure of his left-wing Labor Party to win votes in the latest Dutch election. As north turns against south and European voters turn against establishment politicians, the mad EU project appears to be crumbling.

• Juncker: UK will have to pay around £50 billion
• EU want Brexit Britain to remain under European Court
• Arron Banks movement to drain the Establishment swamp
• Three million more migrants to hit Europe’s shores
• Suspected Antwerp terrorist ‘arrested three times one week before’