UKIP Uncovered

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

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

KNAPMAN and LOTT FAIL TO ANSWER LONDON'S QUESTIONS

This report just received:

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50 London members stood firm against the Party Leader, Roger Knapman, in London last night, when he attempted to downplay their concerns, by patronisingly saying that they should not be concerned about internal problems and instead should get on with campaigning.

He also made a clearly untrue claim about the kangaroo court which has been set up to throw Damian Hockney out of the party for restoring order and stopping the leadership breaking the law. He claimed that he knew nothing about the case, when in fact he had confirmed to the London Chairman and others days before the hearing, that he knew details about the panel -
details which are supposed to be secret.

The leadership had wanted the meeting to whitewash over a series of resolutions passed overwhelmingly at a specially convened London Chairmen's meeting in December. As is usual, the leadership had failed to respond to concerns in writing, either from the London Region or from individuals. So incensed were the London members that they prevented the leadership from
staging a whitewash meeting and insisted upon the discussion of their resolutions.

The leadership failed on all counts - from explaining the inconsistencies in the office move, to the illegal sacking of the Party Treasurer, to the venal and petty sacking of the London Region Organiser by Jeffrey Titford without even consulting the Chairman or Committee. On the matter of the lies and smears put about by Greg Lance-Watkins, they were evasive.

Extraordinary details of payments being made to Mike Nattrass emerged, which had not been agreed when the NEC first made its decision over Birmingham in November over a supposedly "free" office. The meeting heard that Nattrass's "free" office had now in two months cost more than a whole year's office cost in London. In the letter sent out in November announcing the move, David Lott made clear that the NEC had taken the deal on the basis that the deal was "free of rent and rates". It has now emerged that Nattrass is charging the rates to the party through a lease which most of the NEC do not have a copy of. And it also became clear that the November NEC minutes saying that Nattrass had agreed to pick up the removals bill
had simply been ignored, and that the party would now be paying an incredibly large £3,800 bill. Both bills have since been charged to the party by Nattrass, along with an unnecessary telephone system for £5,000 which Nattrass is being paid.

The leadership failed to explain why the NEC had not been told of all this properly, and why these inconsistencies had taken place.

The explanation for sacking London Regional Organiser Daniel Moss was regarded as simply fanciful, and nearing a joke if it were not so serious. Daniel Moss was sacked by Jeffrey Titford because his branch wrote a private letter to the leadership criticising the manner of the office move and asking questions. In spite of documentary evidence in the way of letters to and from, Jeffrey Titford's explanation given to David Lott to read veered away from the truth alarmingly and failed to address the facts.

The fact that he has failed to even contact the London Chairman and Committee with any of this was, it was felt, indicative of the arrogance which was developing and which needed puncturing.

London Region will run a great campaign for its three big elections and its message to the leadership was very clear - "you may want to indulge in petty infighting and attacks on members, but we are getting on with the job of trying to get Britain out of the EU. We in London are united."

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As an aside on the atmosphere of the gathering we hear: "It seems that Knapman & Lott didn't enjoy the experience last night, and slunk off at the end. Rather than stay to join a large group of activists for a drink! Indeed, even during the halfway break, they didn't mingle with members, but stayed glued to their chairs. Maybe they were afraid to get too close to real London members!!!!"

posted by Martin |11:44 AM