UKIP Uncovered

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

Saturday, July 05, 2003

Disciplinary Panel Member Denis Brookes

While still a member of UKIP Martin Cole assisted in the preparation of (and considered becoming a party to) a detailed, well researched and amply supported Disciplinary Complaint against almost the entire senior leadership of UKIP.

Contrary to paragraph 2.2 of the Party rules, Derek Clark, who was named in the complaint, refused to provide the name of an alternative, non-involved Chairperson to conduct the inquiry and after extensive delays the documentation had to be forwarded directly to him. This complaint was posted to Derek Clark on 8th May, 2003 and forwarded to Clark’s appointed acting Chairman Denis Brookes for action on 12th May, 2003.

Among the many matters detailed the one involving myself was Paragraph 21 of that complaint which included the following:-

Martin Cole, who complained about the recruitment of a BNP member, was disqualified from being a candidate, when the person responsible for this, namely Peter Troy, was allowed to continue his candidacy and even investigate a situation for which he was responsible.

We understand that the complainant received a response from Denis Brookes last week to the effect that all members (believed to be six) had found none of the many and detailed complaints were substantive and that no hearing would be held.

Apparently on the very same day as this astonishing response was received an article in The Northern Echo quoted a section of a report on an inquiry held by the Party Treasurer at the time of the MEP candidate ballot count which stated the following:-

Several new members have received membership without making payment themselves to the party. Of these new members, some had no knowledge they were to receive membership, and of these new members, some were paid for by Mr Troy directly while others have not been for at all

Mr de Roeck concluded that Mr Troy had paid Mr Agnew's membership fees.

Mr Agnew was, of course, the BNP candidate recruited by Troy.

Is it remotely conceivable that all six members of the disciplinary panel were unaware of the facts of Mr de Roeck’s findings against Peter Troy?

Considering the disciplinary panel started at twelve members after the Scarborough Conference and we are reliably informed three have since resigned; it is hard to believe there now remain six members capable of impartiality considering the broad sweep of the original complaint.

Denis Brookes also sat on the disciplinary panel that found against the suspended NE Regional Committee officers, although this time under the Chairmanship of Derek Clark. How does that panel reconcile its findings with the published facts of John de Roeck's inquiry, which surely had to be known by the Party Secretary prior to his panel reaching their bizarre verdict in that blatant miscarriage of justice.

Denis Brookes, or for that matter any of the other panel members, is invited to e-mail us with any defence he might be prepared to offer. We will print it without amendment upon receipt.

What are the National Executive Committee of UKIP doing to protect the reputation of the main euro-sceptic party as it hurtles towards almost certain electoral disaster? If the programme for Guildford tomorrow is any guide, nothing at all, as Dick Morris is set to appear and further soil the party’s already tattered image.

Meantime we hear today that Peter Troy is now an approved MEP candidate for UKIP in Scotland. The blatant double standards of the people at the head of UKIP never ceases to astound.

posted by Martin |6:03 PM