Two UKIP parliamentary candidates have put their names to a motion of no confidence in Winston McKenzie standing for the party at the General Election in May.
Gaffe-prone McKenzie, the “Chump from the Dump”, was suspended as chairman of the Lambeth and Croydon North UKIP branch last week, and the entire branch’s activities suspended while an investigation is conducted into the local party’s affairs.
Paul Oakley, from UKIP’s London regional office, distributed an email to Lambeth and Croydon North members late last Wednesday ordering them not to speak to the media. This email followed a meeting of members, organised by Coulsdon parking campaigner Peter Morgan, who was suspended from his UKIP membership by McKenzie last month.
The email from Oakley, seen by Inside Croydon, said: “No member is to approach any press or media outlet about the branch suspension and if contacted is to refuse to comment.
“Posting on social media about this matter is similarly unacceptable. Failure to comply with this will be considered a disciplinary offence.”
The unauthorised meeting at Morgan’s house – apparently UKIP High Command is totalitarian enough to determine who may or may not meet at someone’s home – discussed a number of moves to unseat McKenzie, both as a local party official and as the parliamentary candidate for UKIP in Croydon North in the General Election.
The group has also been critical of Marianne Bowness, the ex-wife of Tory peer Lord Bowness and the treasurer of the suspended UKIP branch.
A number of motions critical of both McKenzie and Marianne Bowness have been discussed, as members have become angry about the treatment of committee member Peter Kirby, who was removed from office and then expelled from the branch by McKenzie. One of the motions calls on McKenzie to step aside as UKIP parliamentary candidate for Croydon North, and asked for the party’s national executive to remove him if he refuses to do so.
These motions were all signed by several members, and more than just a couple of “disruptive characters” and troublemakers, as McKenzie has claimed. Significantly, the signatories included Bruce Machan and Ace Nnorom. Machan is UKIP’s parliamentary candidate in Streatham, while Nnorom will be standing in Vauxhall.
Today, Nnorom, a former Labour Party activist, confirmed that he had signed the various motions, including that of no confidence in McKenzie as an election candidate.
Nnorom told Inside Croydon: “It was an email written by a member and my name was used because I said I will support the outcome of the meeting. There has not yet been any meeting for this vote to take place.
“Members just have disagreements on certain issues, that is all. And these issues can be resolved amicably.”
Nnorom denied that he had been instructed not to speak to the media “by anyone”. He also said that he has a “good working relationship with every member of the branch, including Winston”.
“The problem within UKIP’s Lambeth and North Croydon has been taken out of all proportion. This matter was a simple internal issue concerning the branch, which should have been resolved amicably by all and sundry.
“I supported the outcome of a meeting held to discuss matters related to financial dealings within the branch but the meeting came out with a proposal of vote of no confidence. Now, the party leaders are seeking to resolve all issues related to Lambeth and North Croydon.”
Greg Lance - Watkins (Greg_L-W)
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