David Charter, Brussels
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The UK Independence Party has expelled one of its MEPs after she refused to sit with its right-wing Italian allies in the European Parliament and fell out with former leader Nigel Farage.
The withdrawal of the Whip from Nikki Sinclaire means that UKIP, which tied with Labour in second place in last June’s European elections with 13 MEPs each, has been reduced to a dozen members.
Ms Sinclaire, 41, an MEP for the West Midlands, insisted that she wanted to stay with the party but would not join UKIP’s alliance in Strasbourg with the “extremist” Northern League of Italy. She has also said that she lost faith in Mr Farage because of his “personal animosity” towards her.
A UKIP official claimed that relations had broken down between Ms Sinclaire and key figures in the West Midlands, including the regional chairman and committee.
UKIP has a track record for losing MEPs, having entered the last European Parliament in 2004 with 12 and finishing with nine after two expulsions and the walkout by Robert Kilroy-Silk, the former television presenter.
“With only eight weeks before a General Election I find it absolutely amazing that the Party decided to open a sore wound rather than fight the real enemy,” Ms Sinclaire posted on her blog yesterday.
“There has been no disciplinary procedure and no right of reply. I find this course of action incredulous after 16 years of service. This decision has been made despite expression of absolute support for the Party and intention to continue as a UKIP MEP/Candidate.”
In a letter, Michael Zuckerman, the Party chairman, said that the party executive committee had decided to ban Ms Sinclaire from standing again as a UKIP candidate, using the party’s logo or attending party meetings.
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