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Boost for Farage as Patrick O'Flynn quits role and apologises for 'snarling' remark Boost for Farage as Patrick O'Flynn and Suzanne Evans quit roles
(about 5 hours later)
Nigel Farage’s position at the top of Ukip has been strengthened after Patrick O’Flynn resigned as the party’s economics spokesman and apologised for calling his party leader “snarling, thin-skinned and aggressive”. Nigel Farage has cemented his control over Ukip after an attempted coup against his leadership, with the party confirming Suzanne Evans will no longer serve as policy chief and Patrick O’Flynn resigning as economics spokesman.
O’Flynn, a former journalist and current MEP, sparked a power struggle within the party last week when he gave an interview criticising Farage, claiming he had surrounded himself with an inner circle of “poisonous” advisers that had changed his personality. O’Flynn stepped down and apologised after claiming his party leader had become “snarling, thin-skinned and aggressive” because he was surrounded with a “poisonous” inner circle.
Tensions within Ukip started brewing when Farage withdrew his resignation as leader, four days after stepping down after his election defeat in South Thanet. Later, Evans released a statement saying her contract as policy chief was coming to an end next week but that she would continue in her voluntary role as deputy chairman.
O’Flynn’s comments to the Times kicked off several days of infighting, which ultimately led to two of Farage’s aides leaving their jobs and several senior figures – including a major donor and the party’s treasurer – calling on the Ukip leader to step down. Ukip refused to confirm whether the policy job would now be given to Mark Reckless, the former Ukip MP who defected from the Tories and subsequently lost his seat.
“Nothing has been agreed in regard to any future role he may play,” the party said.
Sources in the party have in recent days accused O’Flynn, Evans and Douglas Carswell, Ukip’s only MP, of trying to oust Farage over concerns he would not be the best person to lead a campaign to remove Britain from the European Union.
The party has been in turmoil since Farage was defeated in South Thanet and stepped down as leader, before withdrawing his resignation four days later.
O’Flynn, Carswell and Evans have denied wanting Farage to go but have made it clear they would like him to adopt a more consensual, less divisive style of leadership.
Earlier this week, Farage’s position looked vulnerable when O’Flynn made his criticism in the Times and an anonymous senior figure called for a leadership contest.
A major donor, Stuart Wheeler, and the party’s co-treasurer, Hugh Williams, suggested Farage should make way for another leader.
Two of Farage’s close advisers, Raheem Kassam and Matthew Richardson, who were criticised by O’Flynn, then confirmed that their contracts were coming to an end.
However, Farage appears to have turned the situation around and consolidated his authority over the party. In a warning to his critics last week, Farage said he’d had “enough of all this internal bickering”.
“There will be no more of it and if that means I have to move into a slightly autocratic mode, and say if anyone is caught briefing behind anyone’s backs after what we have gone through over the past three days [they] will be removed,” he said.
Related: Ukip’s feuding is not merely a sideshow. There is much at stake | Michael WhiteRelated: Ukip’s feuding is not merely a sideshow. There is much at stake | Michael White
Sources in the party accused O’Flynn, Douglas Carswell, the Ukip’s only MP, and Suzanne Evans, its deputy chairman, of trying to oust Farage over fears that he would not be the best person to lead a campaign to get Britain out of the European Union. They have all denied wanting Farage to leave the party, but Carswell and O’Flynn have made it clear they would like him to adopt a more consensual style of leadership. While O’Flynn and Evans appear to have lost influence, Farage seems to have had a rapprochement with Carswell, appearing with him at an event in favour of electoral reform at Downing Street. The Ukip MP has also clarified his suggestion that Farage “take a break”, saying he only meant that his leader should go on holiday.
There has now been a rapprochement, with Farage appearing alongside Carswell and Evans at an event in favour of electoral reform at Downing Street. The Ukip MP has also clarified his suggestion that Farage “take a break”, saying he only meant that the Ukip leader should go on holiday. O’Flynn has decided to leave his role after a meeting of Ukip MEPs. After the meeting, he released a statement, saying: “I would like to express to colleagues my sincere regret at going public with my frustrations about the turn of events following polling day.
But O’Flynn has decided to leave his role after a meeting of Ukip MEPs. Following the meeting, he released a statement, saying: “I would like to express to colleagues my sincere regret at going public with my frustrations about the turn of events following polling day.
“And more than that, I would like to apologise directly to Nigel for the phrase ‘snarling, thin-skinned and aggressive’. This was a fragment of a wider passage about perceptions and is not what I think of him. Nonetheless, I should have known better than anyone what use would be made of phrases that were both unfair and unkind.”“And more than that, I would like to apologise directly to Nigel for the phrase ‘snarling, thin-skinned and aggressive’. This was a fragment of a wider passage about perceptions and is not what I think of him. Nonetheless, I should have known better than anyone what use would be made of phrases that were both unfair and unkind.”
He said it was “appropriate to stand down as economic spokesman, which I have done”. He added: “I hope in the months ahead to be of use to the great campaign to persuade the British people to leave the EU, which is after all what brought me into politics in the first place.” He said it was appropriate for him to stand down as economics spokesman. “I hope in the months ahead to be of use to the great campaign to persuade the British people to leave the EU, which is after all what brought me into politics in the first place.”
The move suggests Farage has consolidated his position in command of Ukip. In a warning to his critics last week, Farage said: “Now I have had enough of all this internal bickering – there will be no more of it and if that means I have to move into a slightly autocratic mode, and say if anyone is caught briefing behind anyone’s backs after what we have gone through over the past three days [they] will be removed.” The statement from Evans read: “It has been a great privilege to work with Ukip for the past four months to produce the 2015 general election manifesto. I was delighted with the way it was received, especially by party members and supporters. While my contract for that work comes to an end next week, I remain in my voluntary post as deputy chairman.”