Following the ruling from Ukip’s national executive committee that Steven Woolfe is not eligible to run for leader, a fresh bout of civil war has broken out in the party. The party’s top financier Arron Banks has — as James predicted — suggested that the party could now split. Meanwhile three Ukip councillors have immediately resigned from the NEC, declaring the committee ‘not fit for purpose’. This is the same sentiment expressed by Nigel Farage in a Breitbart article this week when he described its officials as ‘total amateurs’.
Woolfe has released a statement in which he expresses his deep disappointment at the decision. In this, he too says that the NEC is not fit for purpose:
‘I am extremely disappointed by the UKIP NEC decision to exclude me from the party’s leadership election.
Having been a committed member of UKIP, standing for the party in multiple elections, acting as a spokesman at the highest level, I wanted to take this opportunity to stand for Leader to inject my ideas, plans and passion into the party.
Over the course of this leadership election, the NEC has proven it is not fit for purpose and it confirmed many member’s fears that it is neither effective nor professional in the way it governs the party.’
While Woolfe appears to admit defeat in the race — wishing the other candidates well — there’s a chance the leadership contest will not go ahead in its current format. The Farage camp are now expected to call an EGM whereby they could try and disband the NEC. Sources close to Woolfe are confident that they have the backing of enough Ukip branches to come out on top. If things do continue in this vein, soon Labour’s leadership turmoil will look like a walk in the park compared with Ukip’s.
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