We have been following the saga of Hamish Howitt with some interest.
Mr Howitt is the UKIP PPC for Blackpool South. He also has 32 convictions to his name.
Mr Howitt has a rather strange take on British law:
You can break the law if you don’t happen to agree with it.
Paul Nuttall thinks very highly of this man. So will he also be encouraging people to break the law?And will it now become official UKIP policy?
Mr Howitt has numerous convictions for ignoring the smoking ban in pubs.
Some may commend his stance, but others would suggest that you have a right to drink or eat without having to breath in clouds of smoke.
But we are more interested in the fact that he was forced on the Blackpool branch by Paul Nuttall.
The members did not want Howitt. They regard him as both an embarrassment and a liability.
They had already found a local GP who was more than happy to stand for UKIP.
But they had not counted on the odious Paul Nuttall!
He quickly went into Mussolini mode and forced Howitt onto them via Fred McGlade. McGlade is Nuttall’s regional organiser/favourite useful idiot.
Here is a copy of a letter that was sent out to various UKIPPERS in the North West and beyond. It is a damning indictment of both the odious Nuttall and his vile RO. That they will resort to any dirty trick in order to get their own way is clear for all to see.
UKIP Blackpool & Cleveleys & Fylde
This letter is written to you jointly from Two UKIP Branch Chairman (with the full consent of their members) and Two other PPCs.
Over 200 copies of this email have been distributed to the branches, the party leader etc. and MEPs “our heads will probably roll but it has to be said” “we believe the membership is the party: not the high ranking officials”
Please read and discuss the contents freely with your branch members, if the similar sorts of problems are happening in your area please let us know. Email:- chairman@fyldeukip.org Please do not introduce this matter into the media. Without bold action the matter would be swept under some carpet only to fester.
Recently we have become aware of a number of disturbing facts, which may set back the UKIP cause and detrimentally change the public perception of our party for years. We cannot and will not support candidates (PPCs) who knowingly break, flout and disregard the law.
Initially we list a number of details which we believe to be true facts, proofs to substantiate those details are at the end of this document, our views and comments follow the details.
(1) We sincerely believe the following to be true.
(a) Mr Hamish Howitt the leader of the “Freedom-4-Choice political party”, originally called “UK-FAGs party” which was an officially registered UK political party, has been selected by Mr. Fred McGlade (Regional Organiser RO North West) as the official UKIP PPC for Blackpool South. Selection was made Aug/Sept, well prior the de-registering of his party on the 02-11-09 (proof in (2)(a) Mr Hamish Howitt is a very new member of UKIP Click link to see Hamish Hewitt’s election address/leaflet http://www.fyldeukip.org/ukip/leafletside1.jpg http://www.fyldeukip.org/ukip/leafletside2.jpg
(b) Fred McGlade (RO Northwest) was fully aware of Mr. Hamish Howitt’s position as leader of another UK political party at the time he appointed him as PPC and has forced him on the local UKIP membership who believe him to be an unsuitable PPC
(c) Hamish Howitt may be considered as notorious for his pro smoking campaigns, brushes with the law and subsequent court appearances’. (proof in (2)(b)
(d) Mr. Nick Hogan a good friend and supporter of Mr. Hamish Howitt is another pro smoking campaigner who has had his own problems with the law, subsequent court appearances, cumulating is an arrest warrant being issued for non appearance (proof (2)(c), we believe has been selected as PPC for Chorley and is very likely to have been a member of UK-Fags/Fredom4Choice.
(e) It appears as if it is a deliberate policy to introduce as many pro smoking and drinking PPCs as possible in the Northwest.
(f) The local branch membership in Blackpool voiced concerns at the selection of Mr. Hamish Howitt stating that they did not think him to be a suitable PPC candidate to represent them as he appears to be a single issue candidate and has joined UKIP solely to further his pro smoking campaign.(proof (2)(d)
(g) In order to avoid the branch PPC selection process Mr. Fred McGlade RO has underhandedly, without consultation, or notification, split the Blackpool Branch into two in Aug 2009 and has appointed Mr. Howitt chairman of a previously non-existent branch. (Check UKIP records!!)
(h) Mr. Fred McGlade is trying to gag opposition to Mr. Hamish Howitt, he has de-selected Peter Ball PPC for Preston North probably because he questioned Hamish Howitts suitability, and has replaced him with Richard Muirhead yet another publican selected as a PPC, he was introduced into UKIP by Nick Hogan another pro smoking campaigner and publican who has had many differences with the law courts.
(i) Mr. Fred McGlade has removed Mr. Roy Hopwood chairman of the UKIP Blackpool branch, a long standing member of many years and tireless party worker from his position as Deputy Nominating Officer (5 years) as punishment for his opposition to these what we believe are unsuitable candidates. Now Mr.McGlade is taking Mr Hopwood to the UKIP disciplinary committee to have him removed as chairman of his own branch because he questioned Hamish Howitts suitability (proof (2)(g) Coincidentally Mr.Nick Hogan is on this UKIP disciplinary committee.
(j) At a recent North West Committee meeting Mr. Fred McGlade resigned as RO and walked out of the meeting (in our presence) this was a blackmail attempt to force the committee to allow him his own way which he got.
(k) UKIP is the only main stream party with a Pubs & Smoking Policy (proof (2)(f) this policy reads like a lobbying support document for the breweries talking about tax cuts etc. And does nothing for the image of UKIP.
(l) There are at the moment four PPCs who have resigned as PPCs over the unsuitability of (Mr Hamish Howitt) as PPC for Blackpool South.
(m) A vote of no confidence in and calling for the resignation of Mr. Fred McGlade (RO North West) has been taken and passed in two constituency branches.
(n) If made public this issue may give the impression that UKIP is the political arm of the pro-smoking lobby and may be seen as having commercial interests behind the party.
(o) The above has only scratched the surface of this problem in one small part of UKIP many minor details have been left out. We suspect the high jacking will become widespread and unless checked it may be the downfall of the party, this matter if made public may give the impression that UKIP is the political arm of the pro smoking and drinking lobby and may be seen as having purely commercial interest behind the party.
(p) Many grass root members of UKIP are and will be, deeply concerned at this attempted takeover, and are aware of the bombastic and bullying manner of Mr. Fred McGlade (RO) when he does not get his own way, perhaps he realises he has overstepped his authority and should resign.
(q) This website (Save the Pub campaign - UKIP UKIP pub policy) is promoted by the MEP Paul Nuttall. (proof (2)(e)
We believe it is fundamentally wrong and undemocratic for PPCs to be forced onto any constituency branch, especially when the whole branch membership believe the PPC to be unsuitable and without support. The actions of Mr. Fred McGlade (RO) show there is a deliberate attempt to remove branch chosen PPCs and replace them with the pro smoking campaigners from Hamish Howitts old political party.
Spirits should be running high within UKIP, following excellent results in the Euro Elections, and an excellent new Party Leader. However the membership of both the Blackpool and Fylde Branches have become demoralised by our treatment and by the contempt of our intelligence shown by the North West Regional Organiser (Fred McGlade) and North West MEP (Paul Nuttall).
It is our opinion that the NW region is being controlled by a puppeteer without any consideration for party members, we also wonder whether some commercial interest is being served with so much support being given to the pro smoking and drinking campaign.
If these matters are not checked the British public may soon perceive UKIP as a pro smoking and drinking lobbying party, who must have commercial interests behind them.
The practice of Mr. Paul Nuttall (MEP) to hold his surgeries in pubs is extremely discriminatory in that, it prevents many ordinary people from going to see him because they will not go into a pub on religious grounds, health grounds, social issues such as alcoholism and financial constraints etc. etc.
In support of this, we the undersigned, believe the content of this letter to be true and fair:-
Mr. Roy Hopwood (chairman Blackpool UKIP ex PPC Blackpool North)
Mr. Bill Whitehead (branch chairman Fylde UKIP ex PPC Lancaster)
Mr. Peter Ball (branch secretary Fylde UKIP ex PPC Preston North)
Mr. Richard Whitehead (ex PPC Fylde)
Proofs
(a) Copy email from the Electoral Commission:-
Dear sir. I trust this answers query The Freedom-4-Choice party was de-registered by the Commission on 2 November 2009 your query. Yours sincerely Martin Carr, Policy Adviser (Advice & Induction) The Electoral Commission, Trevelyan House , Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2HW Howitts political party website as of the 09-12-09 fags statement of accounts showing Mr Hamis Howitt as leader 2007 http://www.electoralcommission.org.u..._N__S__W__.PDF http://www.electoralcommission.org.u...9_11-31-19.pdf Statements of accounts - Electoral Commission
(b) The Smokers Club, Inc. - UK Hamish Howitt BBC NEWS UK England Lancashire Smoke row landlord loses licence Pub landlord fined for flouting smoking ban - Telegraph There are dozens more examples of Mr Hamish Howitts’ disregard of the law, in one court he was given a two-year conditional discharge for the first seven offences committed, £28,000 in fines from 32 convictions
(c) Nick Hogan PPC Chorley, Arrest warrant issued 06-05-2009 see public opinion in blog at the bottom of page. There are dozens of such webpage’s about this matter, Warrant for arrest of smoke-rebel landlord (From The Bolton News)
(d) One of the more gentle blogs Stonch's Beer Blog: Defying the smoking ban - lunacy in Blackpool Local paper site see blog at end Law-hound Hamish vows to stub out MP - Blackpool Today
e) UKIP lookalike website from promoted by Paul Nuttall (see the imprint at the very bottom of webpage)on the Save the Pub campaign - UKIP UKIP pub policy (very slow loading) this site is registered to UKIP at 9 Ravenscroft Close Sheffield S13 8DA UK Is this a recognised UKIP address?
(f) UKIP Official Pub & Smoking Policy (looks like it was written by a brewery accountant) http://www.ukip.org/media/pdf/pubs.pdf
End of letter/email.
It is interesting to note that Nick Hogan, UKIP PPC for Chorley, a friend of Hamish Howitt, Paul Nuttall and Fred McGlade, has been jailed for 6 months after refusing to pay fines. See: LINK
Mr Hogan is also UKIP's national spokesman for licensing and the night-time economy.
Was this man a suitable PPC?
And so once again UKIP leaders are exposed as dishonest control freaks. Their total disregard for the wishes of the membership is now legendary.
UKIP is a dictatorship under the TOTAL control of a corrupt and cowardly leadership.
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