UKIP leader pulls out of conference in Wales after poor ticket sales
The leader of UKIP has pulled out of his own party’s conference, which is due to take place in Wales, after poor ticket sales.
Fewer than 450 tickets were sold for the conference at the International Convention Centre Wales, in Newport on 20 September.
The Guardian said that party leader Richard Braine had attempted to move the conference to an alternative venue in North England in an attempt to boost sales.
However, UKIP confirmed that the conference would go ahead without the party leader.
UKIP chair Kirstan Herriot wrote to party members to say that his decision was a “complete insult”.
“It is also a particular affront to hard-working regional, county and branch officers who have worked hard in encouraging members to attend conference to hear Richard lay out his vision for the future of Ukip.
“It is, therefore, a particular shame that he has decided not to do this.”
UKIP won seven seats in the Welsh Assembly on 12.5% of the vote at the 2016 election but only Gareth Bennett and Neil Hamilton remain.
Four have joined the Brexit Party and one, Michelle Brown, sits as an independent.
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It’s an extreme English nationalist party, what are they doing in Wales
They’re not English they’re UK wide (hence the name), and they did win quote a few votes here (as will the Brexit Party at the next election).
Whilst you clearly don’t like them (nor do I and I would never vote for them), your blinked few of life in Wales outside your own bubble speaks volumes.
My bubble? Since you profess to know all about me perhaps you would be so kind to explain what my “bubble” is? Is it the typical “you are Welsh you are insular”?, “you Welsh are inward looking”, “you Welsh should accept your place”? UKIP are just another English nationalist party, pursuing English nationalist goals. I want Wales to be better than it is. We cannot be better until we have independence. Not, as people like you like to think so we can put barriers up and isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. But because I want Wales to… Read more »
Your bubble, based on your original comment, would to me indicate that you are anti-brexit and only look at the country from the remain/people’s vote point of view. In your second paragraph you say you want Wales to be better than it is and that can’t be done without independence. Again another narrow blinkered view point. I was certainly not insulting you for being Welsh (I didn’t know you were), I am Welsh too fwiw. I would love for nationalism of all trates to be put to one side and am am complete agreement with you over those who look… Read more »
So, wanting Wales “to be better than it is”, is a narrow minded blinkered view point. Yeah, well if I want to make our country a better place for our children and grandchildren then yes that will make me narrow minded and blinkered to unionist nationalists.
Why doesn’t this residue of a failed fan club gracefully give up?
Join the discussion…because they have never been graceful lol
UKIP have been replaced by Farage’s Brexit party as the anti EU protest vote. Additionally UKIP suffers from a heavy-handed National Executive Committee that has its own way of arranging the party contrary to the wishes of it wider membership. Like the EU, it will either democratise, or die.
Let’s hope it will die
I’ve had a bad day, but this has cheered me up. How can a party whose mission is to abolish the Senedd and facilitate the integration of Wales into the English polity seriously expect much of a turnout at a conference held in this country? As for the EU, UKIP are becoming so out of sync with current majority opinion in Wales that their dignity would indeed be best preserved by throwing in the towel and concentrating on those parts of England that have a genuine grievance regarding the European Commission. In the UK as a whole (and especially London)… Read more »
Half a dozen different “leaders”, each one of which has tried to change the party in one way or another. Dabbling is extremist islamaphobia and drafting in that tiny fascist Fromm the EDL, I’m sure they’re shocked to even have 450 tickets gone.
UKIP was only ever a Farage driven personality cult, as evidenced by the mass defection to the Brexit company.