The UK Independence Party has its first MP after former Conservative Bob Spink announced he is to join its ranks. Mr Spink resigned the Tory whip last month in a row over apparent efforts by his local party to deselect him. He claims the Conservatives have been "dishonest" over their Europe policies and says a by-election in his Castle Point constituency is unnecessary. UKIP say they are "delighted" about their new recruit. Senior Tories say they are "relaxed" about the move. UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "I am delighted to welcome the hard-working and deeply principled Bob Spink as UKIP's first Member of Parliament. Mr Spink has sometimes been a controversial figure who fell out with the Conservative leadership following bitter rows with his local constituency. In February he claimed members of his local Conservative Association had been working to deselect him. During the 2005 general election campaign he was accused of whipping up racial tension for running a newspaper advert on immigration, headlined: "What bit of 'send them back' don't you understand Mr Blair?" He was at the time accused of resorting to the politics of Enoch Powell after placing an advertisement in his The Yellow Advertiser. Mr Spink is the third Conservative MP to lose the Tory whip in the last year. The others were Derek Conway and Andrew Pelling. Quentin Davies defected to Labour in June 2007. Mr Spink was first elected to Parliament in 1992, but lost his seat in 1997, before regaining it in 2001.
Some have criticised the defection as it effectively gives UKIP an un-elected MP. Last month, Bob Spink said, “It is for Castle Point residents to decide who will be their MP, not a small number of self-selected individuals with their private agendas.” But the Castlepoint MP has dismissed calls for a by-election. In 1997 George Gardiner resigned from the Conservative Party after being deselected by his local Party association. He had survived one de-selection attempt in June 1996, but an article where he compared Prime Minister John Major to a ventriloquist's dummy to the pro-European Chancellor Ken Clarke proved the last straw for his constituency party. After unsuccessfully challenging the decision in the courts, Sir George joined the Referendum Party with whom he contested the 1997 general election. He was therefore, briefly, the only person ever to have sat as a Referendum Party MP. [BBC / Basildon Echo]
Some have criticised the defection as it effectively gives UKIP an un-elected MP. Last month, Bob Spink said, “It is for Castle Point residents to decide who will be their MP, not a small number of self-selected individuals with their private agendas.” But the Castlepoint MP has dismissed calls for a by-election. In 1997 George Gardiner resigned from the Conservative Party after being deselected by his local Party association. He had survived one de-selection attempt in June 1996, but an article where he compared Prime Minister John Major to a ventriloquist's dummy to the pro-European Chancellor Ken Clarke proved the last straw for his constituency party. After unsuccessfully challenging the decision in the courts, Sir George joined the Referendum Party with whom he contested the 1997 general election. He was therefore, briefly, the only person ever to have sat as a Referendum Party MP. [BBC / Basildon Echo]
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