UKIP Uncovered

UKIP Uncovered
What motivates the leaders of the United Kingdom Independence Party?

Wednesday, June 18, 2003

Peter Troy's Resignation

On 5th June a UKIP e-mail discussion group received a protest from Peter Troy about too much gossip being exchanged by the participants. We copied that protest and mentioned that we would shortly publish the facts about recent events in the North East. A detailed account of the worrying situation was placed on that particular e-mail forum during the weekend of 7/8th June, entirely free from gossip, and signed by the six suspended members of the North East Regional Committee. The Chairman and Secretary of that committee had however been notified of a disciplinary complaint against them that was scheduled to be heard today 18th June, we thus held off placing a copy of their reply to this blog.

We now feel able to republish that e-mail for the benefit of our readers:-

Quote

Mr Peter Troy's "explanation" of why he resigned from the candidate list is disingenuous, to put it mildly. It is not "that simple".

Conspicuously, he has omitted to mention that serious membership irregularities, in which he is implicated, in the North East have come to light in the course of the candidate election campaign.

Incontrovertible evidence exists that Mr Troy signs up innocents, without their consent or knowledge, to membership of UKIP in his capacity as a recruiter for the Federation of Small Businesses. One Mr Walker, who granted us permission to use his letter confirming the situation, had his Membership Fee paid for him by Mr Troy without his knowledge. When he was called by the North East Region Party Secretary to welcome him as a new Member, Mr Walker stated "I have never heard of the UK Independence Party". He knew nothing of being made a member.

For those taking more than a passing interest in the "funny goings on up North", you will also be aware that a false application form was sent in by Mr Troy and the subscription paid by Mr Troy for Mr Trevor Agnew, a BNP Member (and a well known one at that). He was asked to leave the Party in the year 2000 by one of the current now "disbanded" NE Regional Officers because of his BNP Membership; this demonstrates how closely Mr Troy follows the affairs in the North East,he must be too busy fraternising elsewhere getting brownie points from his lords and
masters.. Mr Agnew stated that he got his membership card "out of the blue".

Our best prospective Candidate , Mr Martin Cole, who queried this situation of having a BNP Member recruited to the Party, to this day has not had a response other than that from Mr Michael Harvey claiming the matter has been "dealt with".Our questions too were ignored. Mr Cole 's Candidature was withdrawn because he criticised the Leadership for not taking any action; Mr Troy, the perpetrator of this unwholesome incident, remains. The situation regarding Mr Agnew has already attracted the attention of the Press - hardly good for UKIP.

Mr David Lott ,supported by some other Members of the NEC, seems to see more virtue in dismissing a whole Regional Committee who, because of ill-conceived Rules, were helpless to remove Mr Troy from their Candidate list where he was placed on the basis of a brief interview in London .The bulk of the Committee felt unable to support Mr Troy's Candidature: how could they ask the electorate to vote for him when
they were unwilling to vote for him themselves? It is the ridiculous. Rules dreamt up by the EEC which left some Committees in this impossible
situation,where they could not object to a Candidate but the Candidate could object to them.

All Mr Troy has received, despite his indefensible actions, is a"warning" not to be a naughty boy. An arrangement was then cobbled together where he would claim to "resign" his candidacy for the sake of "Party Unity". This, is if you will excuse the expression, is bullshit.

Whilst he gets a "warning", we, who have discovered the irregularities, get Solicitors' letters sent on the instructions of Mr Farage.

Written evidence also exists indicating that he does not enjoy too comfortable relationship with his current employers,who are naturally concerned at the membership situation. Again, this does not reflect well on UKIP.

Astonishingly,Mr Troy is still perceived by some as an asset to the Party, despite the withdrawal of one Candidate and the resignation in the course of the campaign of Mr Bill Chrystal, another potentially excellent candidate, who holds a similar view of Mr Troy to ours and who was unwilling to be associated with him . Incidentally a number of letters from concerned members have been sent to the Party Leader, if
you can remember who he is, about the disbandment of the Regional Committee, only to see him duck the issue. Has anyone had a proper reply?

Two or three years ago Mr Troy was dismissed as Regional Organiser after a report was commissioned by the then Leader Jeffrey Titford, when Mr Troy's £24000 per year job plus a couple of thousand expenses wasn't bearing much fruit. This report was conducted by George Webster-Gardiner; although its conclusions are known , it has not been allowed to see the light of day. It obviously came down on the side of the 3
Northern Regional Committees (North East, North West and Yorkshire) who all in turn (and totally independently) banned Mr Troy from their areas.

But has Mr Troy gone away? No. Why ?Because he is given oxygen by a weak Leadership.

If anyone thinks that a potential European Candidate should still be in the Party at all after "rigging" Memberships, just prior to the Postal
Ballot, will they please stand up and be counted. We know the Party Chairman does; his letter to our North East members attempts to pass off
the situation as simply "a campaign fraught with difficulty" stating that "despite coming first in the poll Peter Troy has decided, in the interests of Party unity, to withdraw . Peter will remain an active member". No mention from him of the serious irregularities (and there are others) about which we complained and to which we alerted Head Office officially. Apparently this character has his backing, whereas the Regional Committee's actions ,which have been completely and utterly vindicated, have not. Mr Lott has been prepared to circulate, "in the intersts of balance" as he put it, an email seeking our expulsion , but seems unwilling to publicise the current situation about irregularities.

Is it a case of Mr Lott not being able to see the wood for the Troys?

A formal complaint by us against Mr Troy is under preparation. The matters may yet also be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service.

We need hardly add that the complaints made against us are not accepted and will be stoutly defended.

Regrettably many good people have resigned the Party in the past because of the behaviour of a few at the centre. It is in danger of loosing
credibility as a Party because of the actions of those few. Their grip on power is only maintained by new Party Members who are not aware of the Party history of in-fighting, or by good people deciding to leave rather than be associated with unscrupulous behaviour.

Over 8000 Members have left the Party; this is not far behind its current Membership. Nearly a million anti-EU votes were cast at the time of Sir
James Goldsmith, who could get 10,000 people to a political rally. It is of great regret to many that he died. UKIP needs the inspirational Leadership that he was able to offer, and less of Committees for this and that, disciplinary hearings etc. Has the Party forgotten we are volunteers and work for the cause and not ourselves? The treatment of ordinary Members as epitomised in the North of England show the true character of the Leadership and instead of being the cream of the Party as good people leave or are pushed out, are quickly becoming the sediment.

It should not be necessary to have to defend our position in the North East. Were we not convinced that our actions were in the best interests
of the Party and its Members, we could easily resign. The fact is the Party is in the strangle hold of a few better equipped to run a corner
shop than a Political Party. If their behaviour is justified in the name of Politics, then it is of little surprise that politicians have a bad
name.Their is no way of excusing incompetence,and that is why the Party does not have the 30 to 40,000 Members it should have by now had it been properly run.

From the 6 Members of the North East Committee who refused to sign a trumped up document forcing us to support Candidate Troy as one of its tenets:-

(The decision not to place the names of the signatories to the above, was solely made by the editor of this Blog as a result of certain very unpleasant comments other earlier factual posts have attracted ).

posted by Martin |12:24 PM