More turmoil for UKIP as PPC jailed and MEP expelled

UKIP was plunged into turmoil this week following the expulsion of West Midlands MEP Nikki Sinclaire, thrown out after refusing to sit alongside “extremist” Lega Nord and other far-Right MEPs in the European parliament, and the conviction of Chorley PPC Nick Hogan – jailed for six months for repeatedly flouting the smoking ban.

Ms Sinclaire was forced out because of her opposition to UKIP’s allies in the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group. She said the “intolerance of racial, religious and sexual minorities” of some of the delegations was “incompatible with my personal and political principles”, adding:

“I care deeply about the rise of intolerance across Europe, and the rise in the number of hate crimes.”

As Left Foot Forward reported in January, Ms Sinclaire had previously cited “anti-Semitism, violence and the espousal of a single European policy on immigration” amongst UKIP’s EFD partners as reasons for her resignation from the group.

The decision to expel her comes in the wake of former UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s astonishing outburst against the new president of the European council Herman Van Rompuy, for which he was fined yesterday.

Hogan, meanwhile, was convicted last week after repeatedly failing to pay fines imposed for continuous breaches of the smoking ban at pubs he owned in Bolton. He will now no longer be able to stand in the election.

The returning officer for Chorley borough council told Left Foot Forward:

“He won’t be able to stand with the current conviction he has at the moment.”