UKIP, the Butcher of Ludlow and Pussy

Christopher Gill, ex Tory MP for Ludlow was put in charge in 2008 of overseeing the UKIP MEP candidate selection process. I had never previously heard of Mr Gill. I first heard of this and Mr Gill at a SWCC UKIP meeting in the Spring of 2008 when Malcolm Wood , SW RO and long time associate of Nigel Farage tried to slip it out quietly at the end of a discussion on MEP selection. Roger Knapman immediately spotted it and demanded to know what Mr Gill's function was. Wood replied Gill was there to see UKIP's selection processes and rules were properly observed. As things turned out this was more honoured in the breach than the observance!

Gill served as Conservative MP for Ludlow from 1987 to 2001, when he stepped down. He was known as the "Butcher from Ludlow", due to his family company being a meat processing firm and was a director of his family's sausage-making business, F.A. Gills Ltd. He was a Maastricht rebel, resigned from the Tories c 2004, joined UKIP in 2006 and was elected to the UKIP NEC in 2007. He served as Chairman of The Freedom Association from 2001, before becoming its President in 2007. He is an avid admirer of Nigel Farage.

So he was in parliament during 10 years of Tory rule, 1987 to 1997 but I could find no record of him ever holding a government post not even as an unpaid Parliamentary Under Secretary, the lowest rung on the government ministerial ladder, and known to all in the Civil Service and at Westminster as a PUSSY. Mr Farage and his Cabal did not appear to know about PUSSYs but then their interests lie with the EU gravy train in Brussels not in the UK parliament in Westminster. Mr Gill stood for UKIP in his old constituency in May 2010. He got 4.4% of the vote a slight increase  on the 2005 result but still lost his deposit.

I conclude Mr Gill did not have a large personal vote in his old seat. He was a typical Tory MP of the old school probably selected because of his family connections with Ludlow and not because of any outstanding political talent. Had he had talent he would surely have been tried out as a PUSSY in his 10 years in the House under a Tory government. He was a staunch Eurosceptic, asked questions on farming, fisheries, the EU and local matters. In short he was a run of the mill Tory MP who did the job to the best of his ability.

Then Mr Gill fell in with Nigel Farage whom he described to me in April 08 as the best asset UKIP has. I disagreed with him then and still do. Farage had clearly done what the Yanks call a snow job on the gullible Mr Gill.


I was elected to UKIP NEC in March 2008, attended my first meeting in April 08, had my first disagreement with Farage at that meeting him and afterwards overheard Farage telling his Cabal , ' I want him (ie me) off'.  Farage only wants Yes men he can control on the NEC.

In May and June 2008 complaints were rolling in to me and I presume other members of the NEC about improprieties in the MEP list selection process. Many complaints seemed to be coming from the Eastern region,  but also from London and the South East. I tried several times to contact Mr Gill to discuss these matters with him as he was supposed to be in charge and could not do so. He was rumoured to be on a yacht in the Med. I found this strange as I had sailed a yacht round the Eastern Med in April 08 and had never had any difficulty reading my emails every night and making phone calls if needed.

I grew more frustrated with this unsatisfactory situation that the man who was  in overall charge of UKIP MEP list selection was uncontactable to deal with serious complaints about the process at a crucial time.

I raised this matter at the early June NEC and stated as far as I could see Mr Gill had never had a government post even a PUSSY in his 15 years as an MP. I was then, an I am now perfectly happy to be corrected if this statement is wrong.  If Mr Gill had ever held a government post he would have known one of the rules is you must be contactable by the private office at all times even when on holiday especially when matters for which he is responsible are ongoing. That was my point that the Cabal were oblivious to.

I was ferociously accused by Farage, Bannerman, Denny etc of attacking Mr Gill behind his back. To say I could not get a word in was an understatement. They were all making my point for me! Mr Gill should have been there! He was the man in charge. 

There were many complaints from the Eastern region. One was that a strong candidate, Robin Page, who had been seriously ill, had been kept off the list in murky circumstances. Robin Page has a very high media profile in East Anglia, has written a number of books and is well liked. There was no doubt in my mind that had he been on the MEP slate he would have topped the poll easily defeating Bannerman. Mr Gill did not conduct any investigation of this that I know of.

More complaints from London and the South East surrounded the inclusion of the Farage backed Marta Andreasen on both the South East and London slates despite her breaching six UKIP rules. Mr Gill knew about these breaches and waived the rules, 'to be helpful'. All other candidates had to comply with the rules. I found Gill's behaviour outrageous. If you don't have rules and stick to them what you get is dictatorship.

After the election Greg Beaman came top in the North West and within 24 hours withdrew leaving Mr Farage's party chairman nominee, Nuttall top of the list. I found this strange to say the least.

Bannerman's charges against me for which I was kicked off the NEC by a kangaroo court of prosecutors largely revolved around my complaints about  Mr Gill's absence during what I regarded as a crucial period in the  UKIP MEP selection process. My actions were justified and correct. I did what I had been elected to do, represent the members who voted for me. 

Duffy had nothing to do with it. Her pathetic attempts to smear me with her allegations that I had an alternative agenda could never be sustained as they are completely untrue.

UKIP's problem is its total disregard for due process and rules. NEC elections are deferred, NEC meetings cancelled at short notice, rules are waived for some candidates, Elcom letters ignored, kangaroo courts for those who displease the leader etc etc. Until these shortcomings are addressed UKIP is on a downward trajectory.