Nikki Sinclaire
Encyclopedia
Nicole Sinclaire is a European politician from the United Kingdom
and is a current MEP
.
Educated at the University of Canterbury
graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) qualification. Sinclaire has worked for Lloyds as a 'problem troubleshooter' was employed as a Gateway store manager and worked in Cyprus in the hospitality sector. Managed the UK Independence Party Head Office in London (1999-2001) and was political assistant and advisor to Mike Nattrass
MEP for the West Midlands (2004-2009) before becoming an MEP in June 2009, elected from second place on the UKIP Party list.
She has extensive campaign experience for the party, having stood for election at both a Westminster and local level. At the 2001 General Election she was the campaign manager for the three Kent constituencies of Medway, Gillingham and Chatham & Aylesford and was responsible for the West Midlands regional campaign during the 2009 European Elections. Having raised significant funds for the party through the UKIP lottery, she has also campaigned abroad, most notably in the United States, assisting on campaigns for US Representative Susan Davis and Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
. Politically, she is likely to favour 'Small Government' and 'Individual Responsibility', has also stated that Margaret Thatcher is the reason that she got involved in politics. In terms of Europe, she favours a relationship of trade and friendship only and is particularly keen to get the Eurosceptic message across to young people. Said to be a strong willed personality who is unafraid of expressing her views. She quit the UKIP European parliamentary group Europe of Freedom and Democracy
(EFD) in January 2010 concerned with some of their views. In response to this, she later had the UKIP whip withdrawn in March 2010. However she remains a party member.
(NEC) and Party Secretary under the leadership of Roger Knapman. In the 2009 European Parliament Elections
she was elected as a UKIP MEP
for the West Midlands
region.
In 2001 she was disqualified from the NEC, shortly after being elected due to the party changing the constitution, by Returning Officer and Party Treasurer John de Roeck. In 2003, representing herself, she took UKIP to the High Court, successfully overturning her disqualification to the NEC. In 2004 she became Party Secretary, a position which she later resigned to become Political Adviser to Mike Nattrass
MEP.
Sinclaire stood for Parliament twice as a UKIP candidate: in Medway
2001 and Halesowen and Rowley Regis in 2005.
During the 2005 UK general election campaign Sinclaire stood as the UKIP candidate for Halesowen & Rowley Regis, more than doubling the previous vote. Although Sinclaire was arrested after refusing to leave a public debate, "Queer Question Time" (to discuss issues related to the gay
community). Her arrest sparked street protests by UKIP members and the public and she was released without charge a few hours later.
In October 2008, it was reported that Sinclaire briefly met Baroness Thatcher
at a Bruges Group
dinner. Sinclaire told Thatcher that she would be standing as an MEP candidate for the UK Independence Party in the West Midlands. According to the BBC report, Lady Thatcher replied "Good for you. Never give up, never give up".
On 11 September 2009, Sinclaire announced she would stand in the 2009 UKIP leadership election
. The decision to stand followed UKIP leader Nigel Farage's announcement on Friday 4 September that he would stand down to stand in The General Election against John Bercow in Buckinghamshire where he came third. Malcolm Lord Pearson was Farage's endorsed replacement and in the leadership ballot he won with Sinclaire coming third with a respectable 1,214 votes.
Member of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (2009-). Member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (2009-). Substitute member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (2009-). Substitute member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (2009-). Independent member (March 2010-).
grouping in the European Parliament, to which UKIP belongs, citing her displeasure at what she claims to be some of the racist, extremist parties that belong to the EFD Group. She also cited a deterioration of her relationship with Nigel Farage, who is co-leader of the EFD group.
Sinclaire was subsequently expelled from UKIP for refusing to be part of the EFD group, On its website, UKIP stated:
. She used the label 'Solihull and Meriden Residents Association', and was endorsed by the Libertarian Party
. Amongst her opponents was a candidate officially endorsed by UKIP. She won 1.3% of the vote, against 2.6% for the UKIP candidate.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and is a current MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
.
Educated at the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) qualification. Sinclaire has worked for Lloyds as a 'problem troubleshooter' was employed as a Gateway store manager and worked in Cyprus in the hospitality sector. Managed the UK Independence Party Head Office in London (1999-2001) and was political assistant and advisor to Mike Nattrass
Mike Nattrass
Mike Nattrass is an English politician and Member of the European Parliament, representing the West Midlands constituency for the UK Independence Party , elected for the first time in June 2004 and re-elected in June 2009....
MEP for the West Midlands (2004-2009) before becoming an MEP in June 2009, elected from second place on the UKIP Party list.
She has extensive campaign experience for the party, having stood for election at both a Westminster and local level. At the 2001 General Election she was the campaign manager for the three Kent constituencies of Medway, Gillingham and Chatham & Aylesford and was responsible for the West Midlands regional campaign during the 2009 European Elections. Having raised significant funds for the party through the UKIP lottery, she has also campaigned abroad, most notably in the United States, assisting on campaigns for US Representative Susan Davis and Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
. Politically, she is likely to favour 'Small Government' and 'Individual Responsibility', has also stated that Margaret Thatcher is the reason that she got involved in politics. In terms of Europe, she favours a relationship of trade and friendship only and is particularly keen to get the Eurosceptic message across to young people. Said to be a strong willed personality who is unafraid of expressing her views. She quit the UKIP European parliamentary group Europe of Freedom and Democracy
Europe of Freedom and Democracy
Europe of Freedom and Democracy is a Eurosceptic political group in the European Parliament. Formed after the European parliamentary election in 2009, it is mostly made up of elements of the now defunct Independence/Democracy and Union for a Europe of Nations groups from the out-going...
(EFD) in January 2010 concerned with some of their views. In response to this, she later had the UKIP whip withdrawn in March 2010. However she remains a party member.
UKIP activist
Sinclaire held many positions within UKIP including Head Office Manager (1999–2001), member of the National Executive CommitteeNational Executive Committee
The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties,...
(NEC) and Party Secretary under the leadership of Roger Knapman. In the 2009 European Parliament Elections
European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
she was elected as a UKIP MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for the West Midlands
West Midlands (European Parliament constituency)
West Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elected 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation. The constituency will also elect a "virtual MEP" who will be able to sit in the Parliament if the Treaty of Lisbon comes into effect...
region.
In 2001 she was disqualified from the NEC, shortly after being elected due to the party changing the constitution, by Returning Officer and Party Treasurer John de Roeck. In 2003, representing herself, she took UKIP to the High Court, successfully overturning her disqualification to the NEC. In 2004 she became Party Secretary, a position which she later resigned to become Political Adviser to Mike Nattrass
Mike Nattrass
Mike Nattrass is an English politician and Member of the European Parliament, representing the West Midlands constituency for the UK Independence Party , elected for the first time in June 2004 and re-elected in June 2009....
MEP.
Sinclaire stood for Parliament twice as a UKIP candidate: in Medway
Medway (UK Parliament constituency)
Medway was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1983 and 2010. A previous constituency of the same name existed from 1885 to 1918.-1885–1918:...
2001 and Halesowen and Rowley Regis in 2005.
During the 2005 UK general election campaign Sinclaire stood as the UKIP candidate for Halesowen & Rowley Regis, more than doubling the previous vote. Although Sinclaire was arrested after refusing to leave a public debate, "Queer Question Time" (to discuss issues related to the gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
community). Her arrest sparked street protests by UKIP members and the public and she was released without charge a few hours later.
In October 2008, it was reported that Sinclaire briefly met Baroness Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
at a Bruges Group
Bruges Group
The Bruges Group is a think tank based in the United Kingdom.The group is often associated with the Conservative Party, though it is independent of it and remains an all-party organisation...
dinner. Sinclaire told Thatcher that she would be standing as an MEP candidate for the UK Independence Party in the West Midlands. According to the BBC report, Lady Thatcher replied "Good for you. Never give up, never give up".
Election as MEP
In June 2009, Sinclaire won (with 21.3% of votes) her seat in the European Parliament.On 11 September 2009, Sinclaire announced she would stand in the 2009 UKIP leadership election
United Kingdom Independence Party leadership election, 2009
The United Kingdom Independence Party held a leadership election in 2009, with ballots closing on 26 November. The election was won by Malcolm Pearson, Baron Pearson of Rannoch....
. The decision to stand followed UKIP leader Nigel Farage's announcement on Friday 4 September that he would stand down to stand in The General Election against John Bercow in Buckinghamshire where he came third. Malcolm Lord Pearson was Farage's endorsed replacement and in the leadership ballot he won with Sinclaire coming third with a respectable 1,214 votes.
Member of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (2009-). Member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (2009-). Substitute member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (2009-). Substitute member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (2009-). Independent member (March 2010-).
Expulsion from UKIP
In January 2010, Sinclaire resigned from the Europe of Freedom and DemocracyEurope of Freedom and Democracy
Europe of Freedom and Democracy is a Eurosceptic political group in the European Parliament. Formed after the European parliamentary election in 2009, it is mostly made up of elements of the now defunct Independence/Democracy and Union for a Europe of Nations groups from the out-going...
grouping in the European Parliament, to which UKIP belongs, citing her displeasure at what she claims to be some of the racist, extremist parties that belong to the EFD Group. She also cited a deterioration of her relationship with Nigel Farage, who is co-leader of the EFD group.
Sinclaire was subsequently expelled from UKIP for refusing to be part of the EFD group, On its website, UKIP stated:
"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."
After UKIP
Sinclaire stood in the 2010 general election in MeridenMeriden (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :...
. She used the label 'Solihull and Meriden Residents Association', and was endorsed by the Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (UK)
The Libertarian Party, also known as the Libertarian Party UK , is a libertarian political party in the United Kingdom. The party describe themselves as "largely minarchist in scope" and it was founded on 1 January 2008 under the leadership of Patrick Vessey who registered with the Electoral...
. Amongst her opponents was a candidate officially endorsed by UKIP. She won 1.3% of the vote, against 2.6% for the UKIP candidate.
Electoral history
| Year | Constituency | Party | Votes | % | ±% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 United Kingdom general election, 2001 The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats... |
Medway Medway (UK Parliament constituency) Medway was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1983 and 2010. A previous constituency of the same name existed from 1885 to 1918.-1885–1918:... |
UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP... |
958 | 2.5 | +1.6 |
| 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
Halesowen and Rowley Regis | UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP... |
1,974 | 4.8 | +2.4 |
| 2009 (European) European Parliament election, 2009 Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history... |
West Midlands West Midlands (European Parliament constituency) West Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elected 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation. The constituency will also elect a "virtual MEP" who will be able to sit in the Parliament if the Treaty of Lisbon comes into effect... |
UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP... |
300,471 | 21.3 | +3.8 |
| 2010 | Meriden Meriden (UK Parliament constituency) -Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :... |
Solihull and Meriden Residents' Association | 658 | 1.3 | N/A |