UKIP linked to European far right organsation, says ex-party MEP

The ex-UKIP MEP Nikki Sinclaire said UKIP attended a press conference last week for the right-wing European Alliance for Freedom at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Ms Sinclaire said: “This is a pan-European political party, financially backed by the European Parliament.

“This particular party is of interest as it contains, amongst others, Front Nationale, Vlaams Belang, and the Austrian Freedom Party.

“Yorkshire MEP Godfrey Bloom of UKIP is also a member. A founder member, and an executive of the party, in fact.”

Nikki Sinclaire is the We Demand a Referendum Party Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands.

She was elected MEP in June 2009 as a UK Independence Party candidate but later resigned from the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group in which UKIP is part of in the European Parliament, citing the extreme right-wing views of some of the group’s members.

The Front Nationale is a French far right party founded by Jean Marie Le Pen, Vlaams Belang, is a Belgium-based extreme Flemish nationalist party, while the leader of Austrian Freedom Party recently caused anger after posting a cartoon on Facebook, likened to anti-Semitic Nazi propaganda.

Mr Bloom is a regular contributor to the Rotherham Advertiser’s letters pages.