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Suzanne Evans fails in legal challenge to UKIP suspension

Former UKIP deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans has failed in her High Court challenge to a decision to suspend her from the party for six months.

Ms Evans, who is on UKIP's list for the London Assembly elections in May, was seeking to overturn a ban which would prevent her representing the party.

Leader Nigel Farage, who once named her as his preferred successor, denied the ban was due to her criticism of him.

"Sometimes people say and do things that perhaps they shouldn't," he said.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Farage would not comment on the reasons for her suspension.

"It's unfortunate," he said. "She is someone who appeared front-facing for the party and gave UKIP a good look in many ways. Sometimes people fall out with their own party and sometimes say and do things that perhaps they shouldn't."

Referring to Ms Evans' past comments about his leadership style, he added: "I haven't got time for revenge. I have got not just a referendum to fight but a massive set of elections in a few weeks' time on May 5 across the United Kingdom."

In a statement later a UKIP spokesman said the complaint was about her publicly criticising a fellow candidate, and the suspension would be for six months.

"As a consequence of this, she will not now be nominated as a UKIP candidate in the London Assembly elections to be held on 5 May," the spokesman added.

'Very likeable'

Last year Ms Evans was demoted after saying in June "Nigel is a very divisive character in terms of the way he is perceived... he is not divisive as a person, but the way he is perceived in having strong views that divide people".

As deputy chairman she was in charge of writing UKIP's manifesto in the general election and was a prominent figure during the campaign.

When Mr Farage said he was resigning as leader after he failed to become an MP he anointed her as his successor, saying she had "emerged as an absolute tower of strength".

However, she was axed from her policy role in the party in-fighting which followed when Mr Farage changed his mind and stayed in the post of leader. Last month she lost her role as co-deputy chairman and welfare spokesperson.

But she remains one of the party's most prominent figures, and appeared earlier on Wednesday on Radio 4's Woman's Hour to make the case for improved women's rights outside the European Union.

Ms Evans recently joined the board of Vote Leave, a group campaigning for the UK to leave the European Union. Mr Farage has backed rival anti-EU group Grassroots Out.

One party member criticised the suspension and questioned whether UKIP's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) had sanctioned it.

"How has she breached party rules? Nobody in the NEC is aware and nobody has taken a vote," said Amanda Sanders, chair of the Kenilworth and Southam branch of the party in the West Midlands.

"Suzanne Evans is very likeable and she would bring in the female voters and she needs support. I will resign over this and I think quite a few of my fellow chairmen are prepared to, as well."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35881688


UKIP Suspends Suzanne Evans For 'Disloyalty'

Leader Nigel Farage says she is guilty of constantly criticising "not just the leader, but the party and its direction".

UKIP’s leader Nigel Farage has confirmed that the party's former welfare spokeswoman Suzanne Evans has been suspended from the party for six months for "disloyalty".

"I've watched as she's gone from being a popular figure in UKIP to become a very unpopular figure by constantly criticising, not just the leader, but the party (and) its direction," Mr Farage told Sky News.

"It's sad but these things happen: in families we all see it. In life, these things happen," he said, while denying he was behind the executive council's decision.

The high-profile board member of Vote Leave had once been touted as a future leader of the party.

Until last month she was UKIP's welfare spokeswoman. Ms Evans also wrote last year’s party manifesto and was a UKIP candidate for May's London Assembly elections.

After Mr Farage resigned and then reinstated himself following last year's general election results, she advised him to take a break.

Then earlier this year she quoted think-tank research at a fringe meeting of the party’s spring conference that Nigel Farage's name should be removed from promotional material during the EU Referendum campaign because he was divisive.

Ms Evans has lodged a petition at the High Court to postpone any disciplinary action until after the Greater London Assembly nominations are closed on 31 March.

In the court filing she accuses Mr Farage of a "vendetta" and says his former press advisor Raheem Kassam is guilty of "spearheading a series of vitriolic attacks" against her on the Breitbart website.

http://news.sky.com/story/1665502/ukip- ... disloyalty

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