Ukip-vs-EUkip

.

is what gives the remaining 10% a bad name! 

***************************************************************************************************

UKIP’s rotten ‘Camborne Redruth and Hayle’ branch in Cornwall was supposed to be shut down after the election due to abject failure to achieve by-election sucess (23% REVERSAL in Pendarves, Camborne) not to mention almost total collapse of the branch during general election campaign, ousting of the branch Chairman and other officals by a cabal led by Cornwall Councilor Harry Blakeley – who then took over the branch himself! 

 

Already covered here: https://ukip-vs-eukip.com/2015/12/24/the-anatomy-of-a-ukip-election-campaign-camborne-redruth-hayle/ 

 

Steve Crowther for reasons unknown made a “180 degree u-turn” and decided to bin the idea and keep the branch open! Nobody knows why, apart from Crowther!

 

Since then UKIP Cornwall has been a “distaster zone”, and is at the centre of a dispute with members over Anti-Semitic messages eminating from the St Ives branch. Crowther’s failures have caused MAJOR donors to pull out of UKIP funding, including personal friends of Nigel Farage in the Duchy who we, we are reliably informed, are “disgusted” with UKIP’s failure to do anything about these problems!

 

Local activists that attempted to deal with these issues were given no support from Crowther or UKIP Cornwall Council leader Steph McWilliams, in fact the party threatened those loyal members who attempted to deal with rampant corruption and anti-semitism with disiplinary action should they dare speak of it in public! 

***************************************************************************************************

From: Steve Crowther <sjcrowther@btinternet.com>
Sent: 29 June 2015 15:14
To: REDACTED
Subject: Re: URGENT – Closing Camborne Hayle Redruth

Dear REDACTED

If Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch has irreconcilable disputes or is failing to find adequate leadership, you have my permission to suspend the committee and take it into regional control, under rule B.7.2. However, I recommend identifying a caretaker chairman to keep the home fires burning.

Regards, Steve

—

Steve Crowther

Chairman, UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Disclaimer

This email and any attachments to it may be confidential and are intended solely for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed. Any views or opinions expressed should not be regarded as, and are not intended to be, legal or other advice and are solely those of the author, they are not intended for publication and do not necessarily represent those of the UK Independence Party or the EFDD Group. Any third party email addresses that may be displayed in this email may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system without the written permission of the UK Independence Party or the sender. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you must neither take any action based upon its contents, nor copy or show it to anyone. Please contact the sender if you believe you have received this email in error.

***************************************************************************************************

From: REDACTED
Date: Monday, 29 June 2015 11:57
To: Steve Crowther <sjcrowther@btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: URGENT – Closing Camborne Hayle Redruth

Steve,

Just to be clear, does your comment below “I am sure you are right” equate to your written permission to close this dysfunctional branch?  Unfortunately, the miscommunication, trouble-making & negativity coming out of CHR is invariably widely copied to other members & branches by the Chairman & undermines UKIP’s good name.  I have always done my best by the Party & will take this step in the interests of the EU Referendum as I close down tomorrow if I have your backing.  As you know, I drafted the letters to the committee & membership several days ago.   

By the way, I will be attending the Taunton County meeting this evening as it seems the professional & proper thing to do!

Regards,

REDACTED

***************************************************************************************************

A meeting was arranged so that members could voice their concerns, alas, the meeting was “spolied” by St Ives Chairman Guppy, Camborne Chairman Blakeley, plus an univited guest. The police were almost called to the meeting. Result? PROMOTION of Mr Guppy to “Vice Chairman of the County” a position that does not exist within UKIP!

***************************************************************************************************

3 attachments (total 37.4 KB)

Dear confused Stuart,

I’m not sure why you’ve written to me, or any of the other recipients of your ludicrous email.

Let me give you some advice and guidance:

1. For a start, get your facts right.  The person who wrote the minutes for the meeting on the 16th of September, was RO Guy Parfitt.  I have re read the meagre account that Guy submitted as being the Minutes for this meeting, and can find no mention of “that woman”. See attachment.

2. Your version of the events, and with regard to the disruption that you, Blakeley and the woman caused at the start of the meeting, is complete rubbish. There is a full transcript of every word spoken during this 20 minute period of the meeting. This transcript exposes the fact that you have been blatantly misleading others into believing yours and Blakeley’s version of events. 

I suggest we meet up at your next branch meeting and discuss this matter openly.  Michael Muldowney would be happy to attend as well, and we’d be more than willing to present the transcript, plus other evidence…. can we agree to do this ?, after all, It’s only right that having copied so many in on this matter, that they should know the truth, and you will have the opportunity to prove me wrong, I think not!!! 

I also attach another damning comment regarding the perceived disgusting behaviour on the part of all three of you. See attachment.  I think this comment sums up the general consensus of opinion from those who were at the meeting, and were unfortunately subjected to yours, Blakeley’s, and the woman’s obnoxious behaviour, in not only attempting to shut the meeting down, but by using the woman to do it.  (Gutless is word that springs to mind)  All three of you slunk away from the building after being told to leave.  This of course can be fully verified by the security staff. The business of the meeting then continued without further disruption.

3. My advice, You thought you could cause problems, and disrupt the meeting. You succeeded for Twenty minutes in delaying the agenda for the evening.  I’m not sure what cost benefits you derived from this futile exercise, but let me assure you that your irrational behaviour does more harm than good, so start acting in a more professional manner, or perhaps, just retire gracefully. The same advice is available to Chm Blakeley.

On another subject, and given the working relationship that you enjoy with Chm Blakeley,  I have attached a message that I received from Steve Crowther on the 30th of June, giving permission to put CR&H branch into special measures by removing Harry Blakeley as Chairman of the branch.  This came about as a result of a direct instruction from Nigel Farage at a meeting earlier this year.

There were issues during the GE campaign that precluded this edict from being implemented immediately, however, action with regard to this subject is ongoing, and hopefully will be concluded shortly.

Oops, you requested an apology, the answers no, but if you accept the proposed meeting, I’ll more than willingly apologise if I’m proved to be wrong, much as you will, ‘ve no doubt, when your proven wrong!

I look forward to your acceptance e-mail, please include the date, time, and venue for the meeting.

My kind regards,

REDACTED

***************************************************************************************************

David Lucas, who has described the Cornish as “unwashed” took the mantle from Crowther and decided to lay down the law on his behalf!

***************************************************************************************************

Subject: Re: A meeting to disclose the facts behind the current impasse.
From: dlucas290990@icloud.com
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2015 12:48:03 +0000
CC: REDACTED
To: REDACTED

Dear REDACTED

Thanks for the email.  Once again, I have taken the liberty of copying this to REDACTED – as I did previously without adverse comment from you – since you may well agree that he should not be kept in the dark.

You say: ‘The opportunity to deal with the ongoing problems on an amicable basis is long gone.’  and ‘…there is little hope of dealing with these issues “in house’ thereby protecting UKIP’s image’.  Since you have not specifically mentioned the possible meeting of the three of us I take this to mean that you do not now want to pursue that line.  The phrase “in house” is ambiguous: do you mean within the Cornwall Committee, or within UKIP writ large?  I suspect the former, in which case – after having spent hours reading much material including MM’s detailed dossier –  I agree with you.  I am sure you do not mean the latter – to bring up the issue outside Party channels – since that could only harm the Party and do more harm than good.

Yesterday (9 Dec) I discussed the issues with Steve Crowther and he has made the following rulings:

1. He has investigated the various complaints made primarily by you but also REDACTED against Harry Blakely and Stuart Guppy, and has decided that they do not provide grounds for Party disciplinary action.

2. If you or REDACTED wish to take these complaints further, you should do so using the Disciplinary Procedures laid down in the Party Constitution and Rule Book.  You should get the appropriate forms from Diane Belk, and send them in duplicate when completed  to David Chalice at Lexdrum.  He will then initiate the necessary procedures within the Disciplinary Committee.

3. This dispute is not to be further discussed in Cornwall County Committee meetings.

4. This dispute should not receive any public airing outside UKIP channels.  Any attempt to do so – e.g. promulgating anything relating to them in social media – could subject the perpetrator to Party disciplinary action,

The way ahead then is twofold.  The County Committee will not discuss these old disputes, but will get on with other important County business.   Meanwhile you or REDACTED or both are free to table a complaint under the Party Constitution and Rules as I have previously mentioned more than once.  As I understand it, neither Harry nor Stuart is planning to resign; therefore the only ways to remove them are for their branch to vote them out, or for them to be removed by the Party Discipline Committee following a substantiated complaint.  There is no formal action that the County Chairman or Committee can take, so there is no point in discussing the issue in County meetings.  I agree with you that rotten apples should be eliminated, but this must be through the laid-down procedures. 

Finally – a minor point that is not relevant to the main issue – I do not see that I have to ‘defend’ myself for accepting the County Chairman role without knowing all the facts.  I accepted nomination reluctantly because I wanted to find out the facts and do all I could to defuse the issue so that Cornwall could get on with its main aims.  Formerly, as a non-member of the Committee I was aware of the dispute, but had no locus standi  to question people on the issue.  As Chairman I had a mandate to do so.  Following Steve’s rulings, I no longer need to exercise it.

Best wishes

David

***************************************************************************************************

More to come on this story, perhaps when Crowther is ousted as chief UKIP seller of snake oil he can join the white wash business!

***************************************************************************************************