Saturday, October 19, 2019
UKIP plunges new depths of dysfunction
Just in case we thought that anything in the UK at the moment could be more dysfunctional than the House of Commons and Brexit, what remains of the UKIP party seems keen to prove us wrong.
As the Guardian reports they have moved to suspend its leader Richard Braine amid a fresh power struggle within the party:
On Saturday Braine confirmed that Ukip’s national executive committee (NEC) and the party chair, Kirstan Herriot, had attempted to oust him but questioned whether she had the authority to do so.
Braine said: “As I understand it the chairman has asked that I am suspended but I am not really sure whether that’s possible or whether she has the authority to do that. But at any rate – so what. I don’t really accept that the chairman has that power. “If the NEC of the party wishes to get rid of a leader then it has a vote of no confidence. I’m not aware that there has been any vote.”
He added the last time this had happened was when former leader Henry Bolton was ousted in 2018.
When asked about the motivation for his attempted suspension, he alleged that “Ukip’s NEC is carrying out a purge of members that it does not approve of. But I do not approve of that.”
He also alleged that members of the party’s NEC have been staying on past their agreed terms – an apparent contravention of the party’s constitution. Asked what he would do next, he replied: “Get on with the job.”
Former Ukip leader Gerard Batten tweeted in relation to the matter: “The chairman & NEC are out to destroy Ukip. In addition to running a gerrymandered NEC election they have now ‘suspended’ the membership of the party leader.”
Isn't time somebody put this party out of its misery?
As the Guardian reports they have moved to suspend its leader Richard Braine amid a fresh power struggle within the party:
On Saturday Braine confirmed that Ukip’s national executive committee (NEC) and the party chair, Kirstan Herriot, had attempted to oust him but questioned whether she had the authority to do so.
Braine said: “As I understand it the chairman has asked that I am suspended but I am not really sure whether that’s possible or whether she has the authority to do that. But at any rate – so what. I don’t really accept that the chairman has that power. “If the NEC of the party wishes to get rid of a leader then it has a vote of no confidence. I’m not aware that there has been any vote.”
He added the last time this had happened was when former leader Henry Bolton was ousted in 2018.
When asked about the motivation for his attempted suspension, he alleged that “Ukip’s NEC is carrying out a purge of members that it does not approve of. But I do not approve of that.”
He also alleged that members of the party’s NEC have been staying on past their agreed terms – an apparent contravention of the party’s constitution. Asked what he would do next, he replied: “Get on with the job.”
Former Ukip leader Gerard Batten tweeted in relation to the matter: “The chairman & NEC are out to destroy Ukip. In addition to running a gerrymandered NEC election they have now ‘suspended’ the membership of the party leader.”
Isn't time somebody put this party out of its misery?
