UKIP hold a Conference and Welsh Leader resigns

8.43.00am GMT Tue 10th Oct 2006

I almost missed the UKIP Conference, easily down I know, it took place this weekend in Telford. The only exciting news I can find from it was their Leader in Wales, and UK-wide Leadership candidate (yep bet you missed that one too!) Richard Suchorzewski resigned.

In his resignation letter Richard Suchorzewski alluded there that a lack of moral integrity at the top of UKIP and claims character assignation by saying "When I stood for the leadership election I did so, on a ticket of Transparency, Integrity and Equality. These standards reflect my inner beliefs, as well as the moral, ethical and Christian principles upon which I have based my whole life. I knew there were significant problems with the Party, and also believed that the moral integrity of a number of people at the top left much to be desired. It was my belief that should I be elected leader these problems could be resolved and the Party then could move forward together, on a firmer footing in probity and strength. Nothing however prepared me for the scurrilous behaviour, defamatory comments and downright dishonesty of some of Nigel Farage's & David Bannerman's staff, supporters and members of the Press Office staff, in which they clearly colluded. I was accused of having associations with the BNP - even when these scoundrels knew that my grandfather was murdered by the Nazis in a concentration camp and my Great Grandfather was discovered hanged by them from a lamp post near his home by my 14 year old Father. Further I am angry that UKIP's leadership were happy to collude in this base and obscene slur, particularly in the light of the fact that I have been 'courting' a young woman from St Lucia for the last 2 years, she herself has been victimised by racial abuse."

He also questions the role of UKIP and raises questions of their funding, much of which comes from the EU (yes that's right UKIP take money from Europe!) by saying "I have no doubt from Nigel's discussion with me, subsequent to the election, that others too will suffer similar fates. On policy issues, Nigel has made statements already, that make it clear to me, we are to become a shadow alternative Tory Party. A pressure group created to persuade the Tories to dump Cameron and change its policy on the EU. I am sorry; I did not leave the real Tory party to join a poor imitation. I believed UKIP was sincere in its endeavour to extricate Britain from the European Union, returning sovereignty to a British Parliament and playing a full independent part in that new Parliament. On financial and transparency issues, I believe a cloud still overhangs the Ashford call centre and various aspects of UKIP accounts. Also the financial dealings and involvement in fraud, (as exposed by the media), of Tom Wise, one of UKIP's MEP's, have not adequately been resolved. Likewise there has been a lack of transparency of others. I have contended that funding mechanisms are too heavily reliant on the EU, as this makes us subservient to the very body from which we wish to disassociate and which we openly accuse of corruption particularly in the area of accounting!"