Del Young & Wayne Harling: Is Mr Harling a fit candidate for UKIP's NEC?

Del Young is an extremely popular member of UKIP. He is also member of UKIP’s NEC and was the first Director of Young Independence. In November 2007 he was the victim of a Farage orchestrated kangaroo court and was replaced by Lisa Duffy - a Farage sycophant with limited ability and therefore limited ambition.

Mr Young was never popular with the Farage cabal as he was quite prepared to criticise Nigel if the situation demanded it. He could also not be intimidated. Nigel also suspected that Del wanted to replace him as leader. Nigel’s insecurity proved Del’s undoing.

It should be noted that Wayne Harling - who is currently seeking election to the NEC - was part of the plot to remove Mr Young.

Wayne Harling had been sacked as chairman of Young Independence after Del realised that Mr Harling lacked ability, maturity and motivation. As you can imagine Wayne was looking to get even.

Here is Mr Young’s account of this shameful episode. It was originally published in 2007:

Dear UKIP Members,

I am writing to update you on UKIP Young Independence, the fledgling section of our party intended for younger members. Unfortunately some serious problems have emerged.

In January 2007 I pointed out to John Whittaker that UKIP Youth kept appearing on the NEC agenda and nothing was being done about it and we were missing an important opportunity to bring young people into the party. He told me if I was so concerned about it I should put proposals/ideas together about making it work.

In February 2007, I went to the NEC with a plan of action and explained it to the NEC I stressed to them that I needed the autonomy and the authority to set up and run UKIP Youth as I saw it but I also insisted on giving the NEC a running Commentary at the monthly meetings on what was happening in UKIP Youth, as they are the managers of the party and UKIP Youth must be under their overall management but in a loose way.

It’s important to note that there have been times when I went to give the NEC updates about UKIP Youth and the Party Chairman stop me from giving it and sometimes UKIP Youth was never on the agenda.

I appointed a Chairman, Secretary, Press officer, Fund Raising officer, Membership officer. I also appointed four Mentors from amongst members of the party, they were there to give support to the Youth Council when asked and I used them as a sounding board and advice when I wanted to. I was asked by the NEC to find a paid administrator and despite the difficulty of finding funding, and a lack of cooperation from some people, the organisation was successfully set up and an excellent administrator was appointed.

The mentors and I would have gradually fallen away as the organisation got strong and could stand on its own two feet.

After the completion of the Web site and a meeting in Birmingham with two mentors five members of the Youth council and I setting out how we were all going to make UKIP Young Independence a success. There was no action from some members of the Young Council. I phoned and contacted the mentors on a number of occasions to express my concerns and told them I was considering removing and replacing some members of the Young Council to improve things.

A few weeks after conference 2007, I did a SWOT analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Trends) on the organisation and the inactivity and silly mind games by some Young Council members stood out as one of the biggest weaknesses and obstacles to UKIP Young Independence becoming a success.

I therefore exercised my right to reorganise the Young Council to make it more effective and successful. I removed the Chairman, the Press Office and the Fund raising Officer on the 1st November 2007.

When I attended the last NEC meeting on the 5th November, as an elected member, I was surprised to discover that an item was suddenly raised that had not been on the agenda. I was equally surprised to discover that the chairman of Young Independence I had appointed and removed had been invited.

What followed I can only describe as an orchestrated denunciation which, among other things, included claims that I had criticised the Party leader, Deputy Leader and the Party Chairman at a meeting of UKIP Young Independence in Birmingham. In fact this is not true, though I had not realised that criticism was no longer allowed.

I was then asked to leave the meeting – despite being an elected member – and when allowed back was kindly informed that “my resignation as Director of Young Independence had been accepted,” even though I had not resigned.

At no point in that NEC meeting which was more akin to a Soviet-style Politburo purge did I tell the NEC I resigned or handed them a letter of resignation!

Half way though the former chairman Wayne Harling`s report to the NEC I interrupted to informed the NEC he was lying and I needed a copy of the report to produce evidence and witnesses proving to them that he was lying. A member of the NEC told me I was being confrontational and I didn’t need a copy of the report. I then said “If you all are going to sit here and believe these lies I might as well step down from this thing”

This was a comment which has obviously been cynically manipulated as a resignation in order to get rid of me. It is also important to note that:

I did not have a copy of the Harling report before or after the NEC meeting

I did not have an opportunity to provide witness and evidence to prove my case

I did not know Harling was going to be at the meeting or that any issue would be raised

The Chairman (John Whittaker) and some other members of the NEC said I do not need a copy of the report when I asked Wayne Harling for the copy he had in his hand. Wayne Harling said he will email me a copy and to date I have not receive a copy of the report from Wayne.

Why didn’t the NEC want me to have a copy of Wayne Harling report?

Why didn’t the NEC speak to the Mentors and the other members of the Young Council before the ambush?

Why get rid of me when the structures and systems I had and was putting in place, stood a good chance of making UKIP Young Independence a success?

Why did the NEC got rid of me and reappoint the members of the Young Council whom I removed for being inactive, incapable of making UKIP Young Independence a success?

In other words this was a blatant ambush and an abuse of procedure.

The result of all of this is that our Young section is now in turmoil, there is no direction, the administrator has no guidance and a great opportunity is being squandered.

In addition, given the way in which I was treated at the last NEC some have suggested to me that I might as well resign altogether. However I was elected by the members to serve them on the NEC. I think it is important to have strong, independent voices on our governing body, so I intend to continue. My aim is to make an entirely positive contribution to the Party, but I will speak my mind at meetings in the interest of the members, their party and its aims and goals at the NEC as I am sure those who elected me want.

Yours faithfully
Delroy Young
Elected Member of the NEC