Robin Hunter-Clarke

Last updated

Robin Hunter-Clarke
Personal details
Born Boston, Lincolnshire, England, UK
Political party Conservative (2009-2012; 2022-Present)
Abolish (2021)
UKIP (2012–2018)
Alma mater Skegness Grammar School, University of Chester
ProfessionSolicitor

Robin James Hunter-Clarke is a British politician and solicitor. He is a district councillor, a former county councillor, and has stood as a candidate for election to Parliament, the Senedd and local councils. He was formerly Chief of Staff to Neil Hamilton [1] and UKIP in the Senedd. He was an unsuccessful candidate in both the 2015 and 2017 general election and the 2021 Senedd election.

He served as the national UKIP co-ordinator for Vote Leave, [2] the official leave campaign during the European Union referendum. [3]

He qualified as a solicitor of England and Wales on 16 February 2021. [4]

Political career

Hunter-Clarke began his political career at the age of eighteen, when he was elected as a town councillor in the May 2011 local elections. He was elected to Skegness Town Council, standing for the Conservative Party. [5] He defected to the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in September 2012 [6] at the party's national conference in Birmingham, making him the only UKIP member of Skegness town council.

In the May 2013 local elections, he was the UKIP candidate for the Skegness South Seat division of Lincolnshire County Council. He took the seat, beating the incumbent Conservative councillor, [7] while his father Dean Hunter-Clarke won the Skegness North Seat for UKIP. [8] Hunter-Clarke won the seat while a law student at the University of Chester. [9]

Hunter-Clarke was elected onto UKIP's National Executive Committee in 2014. [10] On 20 November 2014, Hunter-Clarke, then 22, was announced as UKIP's parliamentary candidate in the seat of Boston and Skegness. [11] Being considered winnable, this was a key seat for the party, [12] but Hunter-Clarke was ultimately defeated by the Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Warman. Hunter-Clarke achieved the second highest vote share for UKIP nationally; beaten only by UKIP's MP Douglas Carswell.

After the general election, Hunter-Clarke became the national UKIP co-ordinator for the fledgling referendum campaign Vote Leave. [13] This prompted UKIP to release a statement, as the party was currently backing neither Vote Leave nor Grassroots Out for the Electoral Commission's designation. [14]

In 2016, he was an unsuccessful candidate in the council by-election for the Gibbonsdown ward in Wales, achieving 54 votes. [15]

Together with fellow UKIP candidate Melanie Hunter-Clarke, he was also an unsuccessful candidate for councillor in the Welsh council ward of Llantwit Major in 2017, receiving 112 votes. [16]

Hunter-Clarke was Neil Hamilton's agent for the 2016 National Assembly for Wales election. [17] On Hamilton's election, he made Hunter-Clarke his personal chief of staff. [18] After Hamilton was elected as the group leader, [19] Hunter-Clarke became chief of staff for the group. [20]

Hunter-Clarke announced his intention to stand in the 2016 Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election, [21] a neighbouring seat to Boston & Skegness, but withdrew from the contest. [22]

Hunter-Clarke stood as a candidate for UKIP in the 2017 General Election in the constituency of Pontypridd.

In June 2018 Hunter-Clarke was dismissed as the group's Chief of Staff in the National Assembly for Wales after Caroline Jones AM ousted Hamilton as the Leader of the UKIP Group. [23] Hunter-Clarke consequently took Jones and the UKIP Assembly Members to an employment tribunal. [24] At a preliminary hearing on 28 February 2019 the Assembly Commission, Michelle Brown AM and Caroline Jones AM failed in their applications to be removed as respondents in the case. The case continued, and a three-day preliminary hearing was listed to be heard in June 2019. [24]

On 3, 4, and 5 June 2019 a three-day hearing took place in Pontypridd to determine who in fact employed Hunter-Clarke, as still no-one admitted to being his boss. [25] On 4 June it was suggested that Hunter-Clarke had indeed not been dismissed and therefore was entitled to a year's back pay. [26] Following the evidence heard Hunter-Clarke withdrew his claims against the National Assembly for Wales, Caroline Jones and the UKIP Group. This left Neil Hamilton as the sole respondent in the case. Hunter-Clarke's representative subsequently outlined that it was now clear 'Mr Hamilton was trying to make a political point at Mr Hunter-Clarke's expense'. [27]

On 19 June 2019, Judge Moore ruled that Neil Hamilton was Hunter-Clarke's employer for the purposes of s230 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. [28]

Hunter-Clarke stood as a candidate for the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party in the 2021 Senedd election in the constituency of Ogmore, receiving 660 votes. [29]

Hunter-Clarke unsuccessfully contested the Dereham Withburga ward in the 2023 Breckland District Council election, receiving 305 votes; his affiliation was described as "Local Conservatives". [30]

On 3 May 2024 Hunter-Clarke was elected as a councillor for the Hermitage Ward in a by-election for Breckland District Council, receiving 313 votes. [31]

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">Skegness Grammar School</span> Grammar school in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England

Skegness Grammar School is a coeducational grammar school and sixth form with academy status, located in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston and Skegness (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

Boston and Skegness is a constituency in Lincolnshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Richard Tice of Reform UK since the 2024 general election. Like all British constituencies, it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election. Prior to Tice's election, it was considered a safe seat for the Conservatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleaford and North Hykeham (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

Sleaford and North Hykeham is a parliamentary constituency in Lincolnshire, England which elects a single Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It has been represented since 2016 by Dr Caroline Johnson, who is a member of the Conservative Party. The seat was created in 1997 and has always been represented by Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Conservative Party; like all British constituencies, it elects one candidate by the first-past-the-post voting system. Johnson became the MP for the constituency after a by-election in December 2016, following the resignation of the previous MP for the seat, Stephen Phillips. The constituency is considered a safe seat for the Conservatives.

This article lists the election results and representation of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) with respect to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, Scottish Parliament, Senedd, Northern Ireland Assembly, London Assembly, European Parliament and local authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincolnshire Independents</span> Political party in the United Kingdom

Lincolnshire Independents is a British political party based in the county of Lincolnshire. They were founded in July 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Reckless</span> British politician

Mark John Reckless is a British lawyer and former politician who served as a Member of the Senedd (MS) for South Wales East from 2016 until 2021, having previously served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Rochester and Strood from 2010 to 2015. Initially a member of the Conservative Party, he crossed the floor to join the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in September 2014. He has since changed parties a further three times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Brown</span> British politician

Michelle Margaret Freda Brown is a British lawyer and former politician who was a Member of the Senedd (MS) for North Wales from 2016 to 2021. In March 2019 she resigned from the UK Independence Party (UKIP) to become an independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 National Assembly for Wales election</span>

The 2016 National Assembly for Wales election was held on Thursday 5 May 2016, to elect members (AMs) of the National Assembly for Wales, now known as the Senedd. It was the fifth election for the National Assembly, the third election taken under the rules of the Government of Wales Act 2006 and the first since the Wales Act 2014.

<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">Nathan Gill</span> Reform UK politician (born 1973)

Nathan Lee Gill is a British former politician who was the Leader of Reform UK Wales from March to May 2021, when he resigned from the party. He previously served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Wales from 2014 to January 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 England and Wales police and crime commissioner elections</span>

Elections of police and crime commissioners in England and Wales were held on 5 May 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1937 Kesteven County Council election</span>

Elections to Kesteven County Council were held on Saturday, 6 March 1937. Kesteven was one of three divisions of the historic county of Lincolnshire in England; it consisted of the ancient wapentakes of Aswardhurn, Aveland, Beltisloe, Boothby Graffoe, Flaxwell, Langoe, Loveden, Ness, and Winnibriggs and Threo. The Local Government Act 1888 established Kesteven as an administrative county, governed by a Council; elections were held every three years from 1889, until it was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972, which established Lincolnshire County Council in its place.

The Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party, or in Wales, simply Abolish, is a registered single issue political party in Wales. It campaigns for the abolition of the Senedd, formerly known as the "National Assembly for Wales", the devolved legislature of Wales. Abolish advocates that devolved powers be returned to the Secretary of State for Wales within the UK Central Government and the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caroline Jones (politician)</span> British politician (born 1955)

Caroline Yvonne Jones is a Welsh politician who was a Member of the Senedd (MS) for South Wales West from 2016 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gareth Bennett (politician)</span> British politician

Gareth John BennettMS is a Welsh politician who served as the Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in the Senedd from 2018 to 2019, and was a Member of the Senedd (MS) for South Wales Central from 2016 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil McEvoy</span> Welsh politician (born 1970)

Neil John McEvoy is a Welsh nationalist politician, serving as leader of Propel since 2020, and as a Cardiff Councillor for the Fairwater ward since 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Senedd election</span> General election held in Wales on 6 May 2021

The 2021 Senedd election took place on Thursday 6 May 2021 to elect 60 members to the Senedd. It was the sixth devolved general election since the Senedd was established in 1999. The election was held alongside the Scottish Parliament election, English local elections, London Assembly and mayoral election and the Hartlepool by-election.

A by-election for the House of Commons constituency of Sleaford and North Hykeham in Lincolnshire, England, was held on 8 December 2016. It was triggered by the resignation of the Conservative member of parliament (MP) Stephen Phillips, who left Parliament on 4 November 2016 due to policy differences with the Conservative government led by the prime minister, Theresa May, over Brexit – the British withdrawal from the European Union (EU). The Conservatives nominated Caroline Johnson, a paediatrician, to replace Phillips; she won the by-election with more than 50 per cent of the vote, a sizable majority. The Conservatives' vote share fell slightly compared to the result at the previous general election in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandy Jones (politician)</span> Welsh politician

Mandy Jones is a British former politician and farmer who was a Member of the Senedd (MS) for North Wales from 2017 to 2021. Jones was elected for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) but sat as an independent politician within the Senedd from early January 2018 until May 2019, when she joined the Brexit Party. In October 2020 she joined the Independent Alliance for Reform group.

References

  1. ↑ "Former Boston and Skegness UKIP candidate takes up new post". www.lincolnshireworld.com. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "'I'll be back': County councillor for Skegness Robin Hunter-Clarke to step down". www.skegnessstandard.co.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  3. ↑ "Electoral Commission designates 'Vote Leave Ltd' and 'The In Campaign Ltd' as lead campaigners at EU Referendum". www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 1 May 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "Robin James Hunter-Clarke". SRA. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  5. ↑ "Hunter-Clarke elected aged 18".
  6. ↑ "At just 22, Ukip candidate hopes to become Westminster's youngest MP". The Independent. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  7. ↑ Council, Lincolnshire County (14 January 2017). "Forward Plan" . Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "UKIP erodes Conservative dominance at Lincolnshire County Council – particularly in East Lindsey and Boston". www.skegnessstandard.co.uk. 3 May 1013. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  9. ↑ "New UKIP student Lincolnshire county councillor Robin Hunter-Clarke, UKIP Lincolnshire election success and Skegness Star Wars event, Scott Dalton". BBC Radio Lincolnshire. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  10. ↑ "Lincolnshire councillor Robin Hunter-Clarke lands national UKIP role". Lincolnshire Live. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  11. ↑ "Boston and Skegness UKIP vote: Robin Hunter-Clarke named as candidate". BBC News. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  12. ↑ "Lincolnshire County Council: UKIP's greatest success". ITV News. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  13. ↑ "Former Boston and Skegness UKIP candidate takes up new post". www.skegnessstandard.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  14. ↑ "UKIP clarification on Robin Hunter-Clarke's Vote Leave appointment". UKIP. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  15. ↑ "Welsh Labour retains Gibbonsdown councillor seats in by-election".
  16. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project - Local Election Results 2017".
  17. ↑ "The Return Of Neil And Christine Hamilton". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  18. ↑ "Former Boston and Skegness UKIP candidate takes up new post". www.bostonstandard.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  19. ↑ "He's back: Neil Hamilton elected leader of Ukip group in Welsh Assembly". The Independent. 10 May 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  20. ↑ "About Us". UKIP Wales Cymru. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  21. ↑ "STATEMENT: UKIP's Robin Hunter-Clarke confirms his intent to run in Sleaford and North Hykeham". www.sleafordstandard.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  22. ↑ "UKIP and Liberal Democrats select Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election candidates". lincolnshirereporter.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  23. ↑ "Hamilton 'told by text' he lost UKIP job". BBC News. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  24. 1 2 Dafydd, Aled ap (21 June 2018). "Identity of UKIP aide's boss disputed". BBC News. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  25. ↑ Shipton, Martin (4 June 2019). "Ukip chief of staff in sacking row as nobody admits being his boss". walesonline. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  26. ↑ Shipton, Martin (5 June 2019). "Fired Ukip staffer could get year's back pay despite being sacked". walesonline. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  27. ↑ Shipton, Martin (6 June 2019). "Neil Hamilton accused of 'making political point' over man's sacking". WalesOnline. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  28. ↑ "Neil Hamilton legally employer of sacked UKIP aide, judge rules". Western Mail . 22 June 2019. p. 4.
  29. ↑ "Election results for Ogmore Senedd Election (Constituency) 2021 - Thursday, 6 May 2021".
  30. ↑ "Election of District Councillors for Dereham Withburga" (PDF).
  31. ↑ "Tory bucks trend in Norfolk by-election taking seat from rivals... by 21 votes". Eastern Daily Press. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.