Mike Nattrass
Mike Nattrass | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Deputy Leader of UKIP | |
| In office 2002–2006 | |
| Leader | Roger Knapman |
| Preceded by | Graham Booth |
| Succeeded by | David Campbell-Bannerman |
| Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands | |
| Assumed office 10 June 2004 | |
| Preceded by | John Corrie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 December 1945 Leeds, Yorkshire |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Independent |
Mike Nattrass MEP FRICS (born 14 December 1945) is an English politician and Member of the European Parliament, representing the West Midlands constituency. He was elected as a candidate for the UK Independence Party (UKIP), for the first time in June 2004 and re-elected in June 2009, but resigned from the party in September 2013.
Biography
Nattrass joined the New Britain Party in 1994 whose candidates were absorbed into the Referendum Party in 1997. He gained the highest vote in the West Midlands for the Referendum Party at the 1997 general election.[1] In 1998, he accepted an invitation to join UKIP from its leader Michael Holmes and sat on the UKIP National Executive Committee. In 2000 he became Party Chairman under Leader Jeffrey Titford and from 2002 to 2006 he was Deputy Leader under Roger Knapman.
Nattrass stood in many by-elections and general elections representing UKIP, including the May 2008 Crewe and Nantwich by-election and in South Staffordshire at the general election in 2010.
He was elected to the European Parliament in 2004, one of 12 seats won by UKIP, with 16.1% of the vote. Nattrass was re-elected in West Midlands June 2009.
Nattrass failed a candidate assessment test in August 2013 and was deselected by the party for the 2014 European election.[2] He took the party to court over the decision, but lost. He said he was considering standing as an independent at the next election.[3] He left UKIP in September 2013.[4][5]
Nattrass was in talks with the English Democrats about the possibility of joining them, and agreed to speak at their September 2013 conference, but he chose not to after the party prematurely claimed he was joining them,[6] citing concerns about elements in the party.[7] In November 2013, Nattrass announced the creation of his new party, called An Independence Party.[8]
References
- ^ United Kingdom Election Results
- ^ Mike Nattrass: West Midlands MEP 'failed' selection for UKIP. BBC News (2013-08-27). Retrieved on 2013-09-07.
- ^ Jonathan Walker (2013-08-29). "UKIP MEP Mike Nattrass loses selection battle". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ^ "West Midlands UKIP MEP Mike Nattrass quits party". BBC News. 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ^ "Ukip a 'totalitarian party,' says resigning MEP". Channel 4 News. 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ^ "Mike Nattrass denies joining English Democrats after UKIP exit". BBC News. 2013-09-19. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
External links
Template:Members of the European Parliament 2004–2009 Template:Members of the European Parliament 2009–2014