Wednesday 22 December 2010

PRESS RELEASE
NIKKI SINCLAIRE MEP SUCCEEDS IN HOMOPHOBIA CASE AGAINST UKIP

Nikki Sinclaire MEP has won her claim against the UK Independence Party on the grounds of Sexual Orientation Discrimination with her claim being described by Employment Judge Harper as 'well founded'. A Remedy Hearing to determine which sanction will be taken will take place on the 29th December 2010.  
Ms. Sinclaire claimed her treatment by UKIP was partly due to her refusal to sit in the European Parliament with the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) Group which shares an allegiance with UKIP due to her misgivings about the 'offensive' ideology of Liga Nord and other extreme right-wing parties in the coalition.   She states after her refusal, a campaign of intimidation followed from UKIP members, including Nigel Farage and Godfrey Bloom which resulted in the whip being removed and her being prevented from standing for the UK Independence Party as a parliamentary candidate in the General Election without any disciplinary procedure.   Furthermore, other UKIP MEPs who refused to sit with EFD including Mike Nattrass were still allowed to represent UKIP which she believes is an example of the deep rooted homophobia within the party. 
 Additionally, Ms. Sinclaire who is openly gay was subjected to discrimination by senior party members such as Godfrey Bloom who labelled her a 'queer'.

The Remedy Hearing will be held at Exeter Employment Tribunal at 10.30am.  Nikki states, 'I am extremely pleased with the tribunal’s decision.  The treatment I received from UKIP is a sad indictment of how politics in the UK has not kept up in the 21st century.  I have as much right as everyone else to express my beliefs and ask others to support my views.  I should not have to suffer from such behaviour'.