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Nigel Farage calls for Douglas Carswell to be expelled from Ukip Ukip's Douglas Carswell summoned by party chair amid Farage row
(about 3 hours later)
Ukip’s only MP, Douglas Carswell, should be thrown out of the party immediately because he is actively trying to damage it, Nigel Farage has said. Ukip’s sole MP, Douglas Carswell, has been summoned to see the party chairman after the former leader, Nigel Farage, said he should be expelled.
Farage has accused the MP for Clacton, with whom he has a long-running feud, of trying to block attempts to organise a peerage for him after leaked emails revealed Carswell had joked Farage should instead be given an OBE for “services to headline writers”. Farage, arriving at a press event in London on Tuesday, said Carswell had “tried to undermine” him when he was leader, and was doing the same to the new leader, Paul Nuttall.
Former Ukip leader Malcolm Pearson initially attempted to organise a peerage for Farage but then switched to lobby instead for a knighthood when it became apparent he would have had to quit as an MEP in order to take up any seat in the Lords. After the bid was rejected he asked Carswell to approach the chief whip, Gavin Williamson, to appeal against the decision. A Ukip spokesman said Carswell, the MP for Clacton who defected to Ukip from the Conservatives, was due to meet the party chair, Paul Oakden, on Tuesday afternoon. The spokesman declined to say what would be said.
In an email from 31 December leaked to the Telegraph, Carswell wrote to the peer: “As promised, I did speak to the government chief whip. Perhaps we might try angling to get Nigel an OBE next time round? For services to headline writers? An MBE, maybe? Let’s discuss.” However, it is expected Oakden will challenge Carswell over reports that he mocked Farage about his possibility of getting a knighthood.
Farage insisted the exchanges reveal his Ukip colleague was “consumed with jealousy and a desire to hurt me” and called on the current leader, Paul Nuttall, to expel him. Farage was speaking at an event on UK fisheries policy after Brexit.
Farage has accused Carswell, with whom he has a long-running feud, of trying to block attempts to organise a peerage for him after leaked emails revealed Carswell had joked Farage should instead be given an OBE for “services to headline writers”.
The former Ukip leader Malcolm Pearson initially attempted to organise a peerage for Farage but then switched to lobby instead for a knighthood when it became apparent he would have had to quit as an MEP in order to take up any seat in the Lords. After the bid was rejected he asked Carswell to approach the chief whip, Gavin Williamson, to appeal against the decision.
In an email from 31 December leaked to the Daily Telegraph, Carswell wrote to the peer: “As promised, I did speak to the government chief whip. Perhaps we might try angling to get Nigel an OBE next time round? For services to headline writers? An MBE, maybe? Let’s discuss.”
Farage insisted the exchanges reveal his Ukip colleague was “consumed with jealousy and a desire to hurt me” and called on Nuttall to expel him.
Carswell, who defected from the Conservatives in 2014, said the emails showed “quite clearly I tried my best to make sure he got an honour that reflects his contribution”. He told the Press Association: “If he wants to come and talk to the Ukip parliamentary party about it, we are happy to put it on the agenda for Monday’s meeting.Carswell, who defected from the Conservatives in 2014, said the emails showed “quite clearly I tried my best to make sure he got an honour that reflects his contribution”. He told the Press Association: “If he wants to come and talk to the Ukip parliamentary party about it, we are happy to put it on the agenda for Monday’s meeting.
“I’m delighted where I am. I’m trying to double the size of the Ukip parliamentary party at the moment. Unfortunately we didn’t manage to do that in Stoke. But if he wants to come and talk to the Ukip parliamentary party about any concerns he has, very happy to respond. It won’t take long, it’s just me.”“I’m delighted where I am. I’m trying to double the size of the Ukip parliamentary party at the moment. Unfortunately we didn’t manage to do that in Stoke. But if he wants to come and talk to the Ukip parliamentary party about any concerns he has, very happy to respond. It won’t take long, it’s just me.”
Carswell also tweeted a smiling emoji after the leaked emails were published on Monday night.Carswell also tweeted a smiling emoji after the leaked emails were published on Monday night.
Knight night. 😎Knight night. 😎
Writing in the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday , Farage said Carswell had actively distanced himself from both the leadership and the party’s policy on immigration as early as February 2015. Writing in the Telegraph on Tuesday, Farage said Carswell had actively distanced himself from both the leadership and the party’s policy on immigration as early as February 2015.
Farage said after the general election, when he had failed to win the seat of Thanet South and briefly resigned as Ukip leader, Carswell had demanded repeated assurances that Farage would play no key role in the upcoming EU referendum.Farage said after the general election, when he had failed to win the seat of Thanet South and briefly resigned as Ukip leader, Carswell had demanded repeated assurances that Farage would play no key role in the upcoming EU referendum.
“From that moment on, Carswell has sought to split and divide Ukip in every way imaginable,” he said. “Since the general election he has brought nothing to the party at all other than constant division, at times I believe deliberately stirred up to cause maximum damage to the party.”“From that moment on, Carswell has sought to split and divide Ukip in every way imaginable,” he said. “Since the general election he has brought nothing to the party at all other than constant division, at times I believe deliberately stirred up to cause maximum damage to the party.”
Farage said the feud was becoming a distraction, saying Ukip “can no longer hold a party conference without a ‘Carswell/Ukip split’ story”.Farage said the feud was becoming a distraction, saying Ukip “can no longer hold a party conference without a ‘Carswell/Ukip split’ story”.
He continued: “As a party, how can we let a man represent us in the House of Commons who actively and transparently seeks to damage us? I think there is little future for Ukip with him staying inside this party. The time for him to go is now.”He continued: “As a party, how can we let a man represent us in the House of Commons who actively and transparently seeks to damage us? I think there is little future for Ukip with him staying inside this party. The time for him to go is now.”
Ukip donor Arron Banks, who recently threatened to withdraw support for the party unless he was made chairman, tweeted his own criticism of Carswell on Monday night: The Ukip donor Arron Banks, who recently threatened to withdraw support for the party unless he was made chairman, tweeted his own criticism of Carswell on Monday night:
He represents himself and no one else. A terrible individual that's done his best to destroy UKIP. https://t.co/xRs52BVtHeHe represents himself and no one else. A terrible individual that's done his best to destroy UKIP. https://t.co/xRs52BVtHe
Banks wrote to the current Ukip leader, Paul Nuttall, in the wake of his defeat in the Stoke Central byelection last week, saying he wanted to transform Ukip into a “efficient, professional and ultimately electable party”. Banks wrote to Nuttall after his defeat in the Stoke Central byelection last week, saying he wanted to transform Ukip into an “efficient, professional and ultimately electable party”.
In an earlier article for the Sunday Express, Banks said the party was being “run like a jumble sale ... If Nuttall doesn’t professionalise it and toss out the likes of Douglas Carswell and the rest of the Tory cabal then the party is finished anyway.” In an earlier article for the Sunday Express, Banks said the party was being “run like a jumble sale … If Nuttall doesn’t professionalise it and toss out the likes of Douglas Carswell and the rest of the Tory cabal then the party is finished anyway”.
In his letter to Nuttall, Banks said he would appoint a new chief executive to oversee “a total rebrand of the party” with the aim of recruiting 100,000 members within 18 months.In his letter to Nuttall, Banks said he would appoint a new chief executive to oversee “a total rebrand of the party” with the aim of recruiting 100,000 members within 18 months.
As well as appointing new staff and professional election agents, Banks said one key part of his strategy would be to re-engage Farage in the party. “He is our biggest asset and needs to become engaged with the party once again and work with you to deliver Ukip MPs,” he said. As well as appointing new staff and professional election agents, Banks said a key part of his strategy would be to re-engage Farage in the party. “He is our biggest asset and needs to become engaged with the party once again and work with you to deliver Ukip MPs,” he said.