UKIP: Derek Clark faces a rebellion in the East Midlands

It is not only Lord Pearson who is facing calls to resign. Our old friend Derek ‘Don’t forget your slippers’ Clark is also under fire.

Kenneth Browne, owner of the Talbot Hotel, Trent Bridge, Nottingham is leading the revolt against his former friend and colleague.

Ken Browne had allowed UKIP use of his hotel facilities for the 2004 Euro elections and beyond. However, freely giving your facilities and your time counts for nothing with certain UKIP MEPs and their staff.

Take, take and take again is sadly the motto for many senior UKIPPERS.

Mr Browne was a loyal volunteer and was well known for his sense of fun. Sadly, there is no-longer much fun being a UKIP activist in the East Midlands.

Ken has been emailing UKIPPERS across the region with calls for Clark’s resignation.

Mr Browne is looking for support in his campaign to force Clark to resign. Would you like to help?

Mr Browne can be contacted on 07776 306668 or 0115 9821814.

And we can’t blame him for wanting Derek Clark ousted. Clark spends very little time in the East Midlands. He clearly would rather spend his attending EU committees and functions. Supporting UKIP branches and concentrating on fighting local and national elections is not very high on his agenda. Indeed, several UKIP branches in the East Midlands have folded thanks to Clark and Ransome's apathy.

It has been noted that Clark is becoming increasingly paranoid and has seen fit to ban many loyal volunteers from his Nottingham premises - now closed.

Many UKIPPERS in the East Midlands are far from happy with the way Clark and Ransome handled the General Election campaign.




One member told us that the campaign was "a shambles" and that Don "was bl**dy useless". For instance, members wanting UKIP leaflets were told to drive all the way to Don’s home in Boston because "Don can’t deliver them because of his driving ban". Some RO! See: LINK

And don’t forget the elderly member who donated a £1000 to a branch in Clark’s kingdom. Clark found out and demanded the money for his own campaign. He got it. East Midland UKIPPERS were not very impressed with that, either!

Even Deva Kumarasiri has abandoned Clark. See: LINK

Many UKIPPERS have never forgiven Clark for travelling to Bucharest - at the behest of Farage - and signing a declaration espousing the principle of "subsidiarity". Prior to this UKIP has always been in favour of total withdrawal from the EU. By accepting the principle of subsidiarity UKIP was now accepting the authority of the union to take decisions which are not devolved to national or regional government.

At the same time Clark also signed up to the principle of "reforming" the Common Agricultural Policy, something which UKIP had previously refused to recognise at all.

Both Roger Knapman and Gerard Batten were far from happy with Clark’s betrayal. Here is what they had to say at the time:

Memo to UKIP MEPs

I am afraid I cannot in any way allow myself to be associated with the joint declaration with the Romanian Party PIN.

I hope you will agree with me.

The declaration contains statements with which we should not possibly agree and which are against the principles upon which we were elected.

May I draw your attention in particular to paragraphs 3 and 6. We are not in favour of the EU concept of subsidiarity which presupposes basic authority is centralised at EU level; we are certainly not in favour of the CAP and farming subsidies.

I am uneasy about paragraph 8 which implies that sovereignty is negotiable in areas other than fiscal policy. Paragraph 7 is vacuous and its meaning unclear.

We should not allow UKIP to be linked with this dubious initiative under any circumstances. Nor should we become involved in internal elections in other countries.

I also hope no UKIP MEP will become involved in the junket in Romania. We agreed in the group at the beginning of this Parliament that we would not allow ourselves to be seduced into the free international trips circuit. We should stick to our resolve. Nothing is to be gained by slap up dinners in Bucharest or bus tours round the countryside.

There is merit in us being part of a loose grouping, but with minimal policies in view of our unique position as withdrawalists. Group and bureau meetings should therefore be limited in nature and take place in Brussels or Strasbourg or we are bound to face justifiable criticism for “going native.”

Roger

From: gerard.batten@btinternet.com

To: alanbown@btinternet.com; bryanukip1@aol.com; davidfabbott@btinternet.com; partychairman@ukip.org; del1young@yahoo.co.uk; douglas.denny@btopenworld.com; emb@westanstey.fsnet.co.uk; gerard.batten@btinternet.com; percyguest@onetel.com; mazukerman@bensonmazure.co.uk; ukipse@ukip.org; rjoxley@lineone.net; dclark@ukip.org; ukipse1@keme.co.uk; gbloom@ukip.org; mrgrahambooth@aol.com; jtitford@ukip.org; jwhittaker@ukip.org; mikenattrass@hotmail.com; rknapman@ukip.org; tomwise@ukip.org

Subject: FW: Message from RogerDate: Wed, 16 May 2007 13:17:01 +0100

Dear All,

IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE TO UKIP NEC MEMBERS AND MEPS ONLY. I have just received a copy of this letter from Roger to the NEC. I agree with its contents.

Regards,
Gerard

See LINK

Tensions have also long been evident between Derek Clark and Peter Baker. Clark attempted to rid himself and the party of Baker with a Kangaroo Court. He failed miserably, disciplinary rules were ignored and certain witnesses – GLW included - prevented from giving their evidence. The residue from that escapade still lingers for many. See: LINK

UKIPPERS are also asking why Derek Clark needs to control everything. Clark’s age is now proving a problem. He has been known to fall asleep during meetings and has trouble hearing what is being said by his colleagues.

Why doesn’t he delegate some responsibility to some of the many staff that he appears to employ? Or, should we say, the staff listed on internal party documents

But do they really work for him? After all, Farage’s wife is listed as working for the ex-leader. She earns £30,000 but even his fellow MEPs don’t know what she does to earn that money. One wag has suggested that £30,000 a year is the price he has to pay for her silence!

Clark has been under investigation by the EU’s anti-fraud body OLAF. It is claimed that Derek Clark used EP money to employ a person (Andrew Fear) who in fact worked as a membership officer for UKIP in the party headquarters in Devon and who did no work for Clark as an MEP. This would appear to be against EU expenses rules.

Derek Clark OLAF Case Number: D/007/033/04.09.08

Derek Clark OLAF Investigation Number: DD/FD-
D2008.A1/7133/OF/2008/0240