Nikki Sinclaire

Last updated

"She has also proved unable to collaborate adequately with the voluntary party in the UK, particularly with the regional committee in the West Midlands. The national executive committee has therefore removed the whip; Nikki Sinclaire may no longer describe herself as a UKIP MEP, and she may not stand as a UKIP candidate in the forthcoming general election." [15]

Sinclaire won an Employment Tribunal claim for sex discrimination against her former colleagues. UKIP did not lodge a defence, so the tribunal's decision went against the party by default. [16]

Independent

After UKIP

Sinclaire stood in the 2010 general election in Meriden. She used the label 'Solihull and Meriden Residents Association', and was endorsed by the Libertarian Party. Amongst her opponents was a candidate endorsed by UKIP. [17] She won 1.3% of the vote, compared with 2.6% for the UKIP candidate. [18]

Delegation to Tunisia

Sinclaire was the only UK politician to be chosen to fly to Tunisia in early February 2011, as part of an international delegation following the ousting of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. [19]

Campaign for a referendum

Sinclaire launched a campaign for a referendum [20] in July 2010, with the aim of collecting 100,000 signatures calling for a referendum on the UK's continued membership of the European Union.

The campaign's first roadshow was held in Stoke-on-Trent on 29 July 2010 [21] and visited over 50 towns and cities in the West Midlands alone.

Alongside her weekly road shows, Campaign for a Referendum created a 'People's Petition' [22] magazine which is in its fourth issue. The magazine gathered cross party support.

Taking the petition to Parliament

Sinclaire announced that the petition had collected the necessary 100,000 signatures on 9 August 2011. The signatures were officially delivered to Downing Street on 8 September 2011. [23] Sinclaire was joined by MEPs Mike Nattrass and Trevor Colman, along with MPs Kate Hoey, Nigel Dodds and Kelvin Hopkins.

Campaign for a Referendum went to Manchester for the 2011 Conservative Party conference. Whilst at the conference, she spoke to Prime Minister David Cameron. [24] When asked about the subject, Mr Cameron acknowledged that the petition had been delivered.

A date for the debate in commons on this issue was set for 27 October, [25] which was then changed to 24 October, [26] allowing for the Prime Minister and William Hague to attend.

The motion on a referendum was defeated, but the result caused the largest rebellion against a Conservative Prime Minister over Europe. 79 Conservative MPs voted for the motion, with a further two Conservative abstentions and two acting as tellers for the motion. 19 Labour MPs defied the party whip, alongside one Liberal Democrat. [27]

Despite the defeat in Parliament, the Birmingham Post reported that she planned to continue the fight of a referendum [28] and on 31 October 2011, Sinclaire launched the second phase of the petition, which called for a referendum on whether to negotiate the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. A second petition with 100,000 names was delivered to 10 Downing Street in September 2012. [29]

Campaigning against Irish fiscal treaty

Sinclaire and a “posse of 20 followers” travelled to Ireland distributing anti-treaty leaflets. The presence of Sinclaire and Nigel Farage was reported by journalist Karen Coleman as about their own "anti-EU agendas" which had "little to do with what's best for Ireland". [30]

Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme

Sinclaire enrolled onto the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme in October 2009. [31]

As a part of this scheme she visited Afghanistan in November 2011, where she was alarmed to speak to troops who worried about how their families were being looked after at home in the UK. [32]

Football in the community

Sinclaire sponsored 13 players during the 2011–12 season from teams across her constituency, [33] ranging from the Conference North to the Premier League. Sinclaire is also a fanatical Liverpool fan and season ticket holder.

Sinclaire sponsored and distributed a leaflet in August 2012, for Worcester City Football Club [34] to help promote their final season at their St George's Lane ground.

Meriden travellers

Sinclaire has worked alongside local residents group RAID [35] in protesting against an unauthorised gypsy camp on the Eaves Green Lane site in Meriden, West Midlands.

The Travellers on the Eaves Green Lane site were told they would have to leave [36] and were given a year to move on by Solihull Council in a court hearing in May 2012. [37]

HS2

Sinclaire is an active campaigner against the HS2 project [38] which aims to link Birmingham and London by High Speed Rail.

The Birmingham Post featured her argument with the council about the removal of her anti-HS2 signs. [39]

Aston Arena

She has protested to save the Aston Arena, a sport centre based in Aston Birmingham. She delivered a petition to 10 Downing Street with a local charity calling for the Government to save the sports centre. [40]

Sinclaire also led a protest at Birmingham Council house against the demolition of the sports facility. [41]

We Demand a Referendum Party

Sinclaire founded the We Demand a Referendum Party in September 2012, with which she planned to contest all British constituencies in the 2014 EU elections. However, the party's only candidates were in her West Midlands European constituency. Sinclaire spoke at the We Demand a Referendum inaugural conference on 5 October 2012. [42]

United States elections of 2012

Sinclaire campaigned before the United States elections of 2012 in Richmond, Virginia. Sinclaire supported Tim Kaine in his successful bid to become a US Senator representing Virginia.[ citation needed ] Sinclaire also canvassed in support of Barack Obama's re-election to the US Presidency. [43]

Kashmir

Sinclaire sponsored the 8th annual Kashmir week in the European Parliament in June 2013. Sinclaire spoke in a press conference [44] supporting the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people has said that she will continue to bring the Kashmiri issue to the political agenda of the European Union (EU).

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013

Sinclaire announced her one-off Edinburgh Fringe Show on 13 August 2013. [45] The show, called "The EU  It's not funny" is a political satire. [46]

Allegations of fraud, misconduct

On 22 February 2012, Sinclaire was arrested along with three other people; two women aged 55 and 39, as well as a 19-year-old man on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud the European Parliament following an inquiry into an allegation made in 2010, concerning allowances and expenses. [47] [48] Sinclaire denied all the charges, cooperated with the police, and while the investigation was in process would only state that it was tied to a disgruntled employee who was themselves the subject of a similar investigation. [47] On 23 July 2014, she was charged with money laundering, contrary to Sections 327 or 329 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and misconduct in public office, contrary to Common Law, relating to European Parliament travel expenses, in a period between October 2009 and July 2010. [49]

In the Court case subsequent to Sinclaire's office manager John Ison having been cautioned by the judge that he was incriminating himself and when it was shown in open court that John Ison was colluding with Nigel Farage, the leader of UKIP, on 11 July 2016, the jury in Sinclaire's trial found her not guilty on all counts.

Sinclaire criticised the West Midlands Police investigation as a 'Vanity Case' as it cost £1.5 million to pursue the case regarding a sum of £3,200 that Sinclaire was alleged to have fraudulently claimed. [50]

Electoral history

Nikki Sinclaire
Nicole Sinclaire (cropped).JPG
Sinclaire in 2014
Leader of We Demand a Referendum Now
In office
September 2012 30 June 2014
YearConstituencyPartyVotes %±%
2001 Medway UKIP 9582.5+1.6
2005 Halesowen and Rowley Regis UKIP 1,9744.8+2.4
2009 (European) West Midlands UKIP 300,47121.3+3.8
2010 Meriden Solihull and Meriden Residents' Association6581.3New party
2014 (European) West Midlands We Demand a Referendum Now 23,4260.14New party

Personal life

Sinclaire was assigned male at birth, but felt she was "trapped in the wrong body" from the age of three. At 16, Sinclaire was told by a doctor that these feelings were a "fantasy"; [51] she was also told that she could not undergo gender reassignment surgery until the age of 21. [52] Sinclaire took hormone replacement therapy, [52] [53] prior to beginning surgery at the age of 23. [51] Sinclaire publicly spoke about her gender identity in November 2013, [52] making her the first openly transgender Parliamentarian in the UK. [54]

In 2004, Sinclaire came out as lesbian in a letter to the LGBTQ newspaper The Pink Paper . [55] However, she stated that she had no desire to be the leader of an LGBT group within UKIP. [55]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Independence Party</span> British political party

The UK Independence Party is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of parliament and was the largest party representing the UK in the European Parliament. The party is currently led by Nick Tenconi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigel Farage</span> British politician and broadcaster (born 1964)

Nigel Paul Farage is a British politician and broadcaster who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton and Leader of Reform UK since 2024, having previously been its leader from 2019 to 2021. He was the leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016. Farage served as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England from 1999 until the UK's withdrawal from the European Union (EU) in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Helmer</span> British politician and businessman

Roger Helmer is a British politician and businessman. He was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East Midlands region from 1999 to 2017. Before becoming an MEP, he was a business executive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands (European Parliament constituency)</span> Former European Parliament constituency

West Midlands was a constituency of the European Parliament. It was represented by seven MEPs using the D'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation. In 2009, the constituency was reduced to six seats, but also elected a "virtual MEP" who took her seat in the Parliament when the Treaty of Lisbon came into effect. The constituency was represented by seven MEPs prior to the 2009 election, until the UK exit from the European Union on 31 January 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seventh European Parliament</span> Session of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014

The seventh European Parliament was elected in the 2009 elections and lasted until the 2014 elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Europe of Freedom and Democracy</span> European Parliament political group

Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) was a far-right, Eurosceptic political group that operated in the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014. It was composed of 34 MEPs and it existed during the European Parliament's 7th and 8th terms. After 2011, EFD had a loose relationship with the Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy political party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 UK Independence Party leadership election</span> United Kingdom independence party (UKIP) leadership election

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) held a leadership election in 2009, with ballots closing on 26 November. The election was won by Malcolm Pearson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 UK Independence Party leadership election</span> United Kingdom independence party (UKIP) leadership election

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) leadership election of 2010 was triggered on 17 August 2010 with the resignation of the incumbent leader, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, following difficulties during the 2010 general election campaign, with the result announced on 5 November 2010. Lord Pearson of Rannoch had been leader of the party since the previous leadership election, less than a year earlier. Jeffrey Titford was appointed interim leader during the summer by the UKIP National Executive Committee. Nigel Farage won the election with over 60% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom</span> Election

The 2014 European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2014 European Parliament election, held on Thursday 22 May 2014, coinciding with the 2014 local elections in England and Northern Ireland. In total, 73 Members of the European Parliament were elected from the United Kingdom using proportional representation. England, Scotland and Wales use a closed-list party list system of PR, while Northern Ireland used the single transferable vote (STV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Demand a Referendum Now</span> Political party in the United Kingdom

We Demand a Referendum Now (WDARN) was a minor British political party, launched by independent Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Nikki Sinclaire in June 2012, following her departure from the UK Independence Party (UKIP). It was a single-issue party that sought to force a referendum on British membership of the European Union (EU).

Margaret Lucille Jeanne Parker is a British former politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East Midlands region between 2014 and 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janice Atkinson</span> British politician

Janice Ann Atkinson is a former British politician who was a Member of the European Parliament for the South East England region. She formerly represented the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and later sat as an independent: she was elected in 2014, second on the list for the region behind Nigel Farage. In March 2015, she was expelled from UKIP for "bringing the party into disrepute" after her chief of staff was recorded trying to fraudulently inflate her expenses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independence from Europe</span> Political party in the United Kingdom

Independence from Europe was a minor, Eurosceptic political party in the United Kingdom. The party was first registered in June 2012 but remained inactive until it was launched in October 2013 by sole party leader Mike Nattrass, a disaffected member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP). It had no official political representation at the time of its dissolution in November 2017, but previously had one Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and three Councillors, all of whom were once members of UKIP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Bours</span> British Independent politician

Louise Bours, also known as Louise van de Bours, is a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the North West England region. She was elected in 2014 as a UK Independence Party candidate but resigned from the party 2018, and sat as an independent until she stood down at the 2019 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Etheridge</span> UKIP politician (born 1970)

William Milroy Etheridge is an English politician who was previously a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands region. He was elected in 2014 as a UK Independence Party (UKIP) candidate, but left the party in October 2018 and joined the Libertarian Party. He joined the Brexit Party in 2019 but rejoined UKIP in September 2020. He unsuccessfully stood for UKIP leader in 2016, and 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Coburn (politician)</span> Scottish politician and businessman (born 1959)

David Adam Coburn is a Scottish politician and businessman who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Scotland from 2014 to 2019. A former member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), Coburn was the leader of UKIP Scotland from July 2014 until December 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy</span> Former political group in the European Parliament

Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy was a Eurosceptic and populist political group in the European Parliament. The EFDD group was a continuation for the Eighth European Parliament of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group that existed during the Seventh European Parliament, with significant changes to group membership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom</span> 2019 election of members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom

The 2019 European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2019 European Parliament election. It was held on Thursday 23 May 2019 and the results announced on Sunday 26 and Monday 27 May 2019, after all the other EU countries had voted. This was the United Kingdom's final participation in a European Parliament election before leaving the European Union on 31 January 2020, and was also the last election to be held under the provisions of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 before its repeal under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and was the first European election in the United Kingdom to be held on a day that did not coincide with any local elections since 1999. This was the first of two national elections that would be held in the United Kingdom in 2019 with the 2019 general election being held six months later in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">July–September 2016 UK Independence Party leadership election</span> United Kingdom independence party (UKIP) leadership election

The September 2016 UK Independence Party leadership election was triggered after Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, announced on 4 July 2016, following the Leave result in the UK referendum on EU membership, that he would step down when a new leader had been elected.

The 2018 UK Independence Party leadership election was triggered after members voted to remove Henry Bolton as leader of the UK Independence Party at an extraordinary general meeting held in Birmingham on 17 February 2018. It was the fourth UKIP leadership election in eighteen months. Interim leader Gerard Batten was ultimately elected unopposed as the party's new leader.

References

  1. 1 2 "Nicole Sinclaire". European Parliament . Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  2. "Nikki Sinclaire is a We Demand a Referendum MEP". European Parliament Website. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  3. "West Midlands (European Parliament constituency)". BBC News. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  4. "Nicole Sinclaire MEP page". Europarl. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  5. Sinclaire, Nikki (25 May 2014). "The thoughts of an independently minded MEP: A statement from Nikki Sinclaire MEP". Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  6. "Nikki Sinclaire MEP on fraud claims and Nigel Farage". BBC News. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  7. "Result: Halesowen & Rowley Regis". BBC News. 6 May 2005. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  8. "Protest after candidate arrested". BBC News. 26 April 2005. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  9. Wheeler, Brian (28 October 2008). "Thatcher relives Bruges heyday". BBC News. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  10. "European elections 2009 results map". The Daily Telegraph. London. 8 June 2009. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009.
  11. "UKIP leadership: Runners and riders". BBC News . 19 November 2009.
  12. "Survivors, World Leaders Mark 65th Anniversary of Liberation of Auschwitz". Voice of America. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  13. "Rebel Euro MP Nikki Sinclaire expelled by UKIP". BBC News. BBC. 4 March 2010.
  14. "Rebel Euro MP Nikki Sinclaire expelled by UKIP". BBC News. BBC. 4 March 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  15. "UKIP: A statement". UKIP website. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010.
  16. "Nikki Sinclaire wins UKIP sex discrimination case". BBC News. Bbc.co.uk. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  17. SOPN [ dead link ]
  18. "Meriden". BBC News .
  19. "North Africa's first revolution very fragile". New Europe Online. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013.
  20. "Campaign for a Referendum". Nikki Sinclaire MEP. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  21. "MEP Nikki Sinclaire holds roadshow in Stoke-on-Trent". BBC News. BBC. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  22. "Nikki Sinclaire MEP Launches ambitious 100,000 'People's Petition'" . Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  23. Hall, Macer (8 September 2011). "Crusade to Escape the EU marches on No 10". Daily Express. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  24. Walker, Johnathan. "MEP Nikki Sinclaire confronts Cameron over Europe". Birmingham Post. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  25. "MPs to vote on call for referendum on UK leaving the EU". BBC News. BBC. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  26. "Cameron rejects EU referendum call ahead of MPs debate". BBC News. BBC. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  27. "EU referendum: how the MPs voted". London: The Telegraph. 25 October 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  28. Walker, Johnathan. "MEP Nikki Sinclaire to continue fight for a referendum on the EU". Birmingham Post. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  29. Elkes, Neil (18 September 2012). "West Midlands MEP Nikki Sinclaire launches new anti-EU party". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 22 December 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  30. Coleman, Karen. "Beware of No campaigners with agendas of their own". Irish Independent. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  31. "Latest News – Nikki to join the RAF". YourMep.org. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  32. "Troops fear that Afghan role is not appreciated". Worcester News. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  33. "Local MEP backing Brewers Blanchett". Burton Albion FC. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  34. Carley, Steve. "Watch club play before big move". www.worcesternews.co.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  35. "MEP Nikki Sinclaire speaks out to defend rights of residents and greenbelt in Meriden". Meriden RAID. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  36. "Travellers lose high court battle to remain in Meriden". Coventry Telegraph.
  37. Willmott, Chris. "Meriden travellers have one year to leave". Solihull Observer. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013.
  38. "Her views on HS2". YourMep.org.
  39. "MEP Nikki Sinclaire has anti-HS2 banners removed by Birmingham City Council". Birmingham Post. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  40. "Nikki Sinclaire discusses Aston Arena on BBC Radio WM". BBC Radio WM. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  41. Henwood, Chris (21 August 2012). "Olympic Flame torchbearer joins fight to save Aston Arena". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  42. "Nikki Sinclaire's We Demand a Referendum party holds first conference". Thisisstaffordshire.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  43. Goldberg, Adrian. "Nikki Sinclaire MEP talk to Adrian Goldberg about campaigning in America". BBC WM Radio Show. BBC WM. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  44. "ICHR hosts Kashmir week in Parliament". Kashmir Media Office. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  45. "Nikki Sinclaire MEP talk to BBC WM about her Edinburgh Fringe Show". YouTube . Archived from the original on 12 December 2021.
  46. "Nikki Sinclaire MEP Edinburgh Fringe Show Official Website". Archived from the original on 12 October 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  47. 1 2 "MEP Nikki Sinclaire held in European Parliament fraud probe". BBC News. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  48. Holehouse, Matthew (23 February 2012). "MEP Nikki Sinclaire arrested in expenses probe". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  49. "Ex-MEP Nicole Sinclaire charged with money laundering and misconduct in public office". CPS News Brief. Crown Prosecution Service. 23 July 2014. Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  50. "Nikki Sinclaire cleared: Expenses probe was 'vanity' case". BBC News. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  51. 1 2 "Nikki Sinclaire: 'I have this thing about injustice'". BBC News. BBC. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  52. 1 2 3 "MEP Nikki Sinclaire reveals she had a sex change at the age of 23". Metro. 17 November 2013.
  53. Stevenson, Chris (17 November 2013). "MEP Nikki Sinclaire 'overwhelmed' by support as UK's first 'sex-change parliamentarian'". The Independent.
  54. Day, Aaron. "Former UKIP MEP reveals she is the UK's first transgender Parliamentarian". Pink News.17 November 2013
  55. 1 2 Foggo, Daniel (29 August 2004). "I won't be your leader, 6ft 4in lesbian tells UKIP's gay members". The Daily Telegraph. London. ISSN   9976-1874 . Retrieved 1 July 2012.