Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Ukip MEP Diane James shocks party by standing down as candidate at general election

Ms James' surprise announcement came shortly after she gave a speech on the subject of crime and policing at Ukip's conference in Margate

Chris Green
Sunday 01 March 2015 01:00 GMT
Comments
Diane James had hoped to defeat Conservative candidate Kit Malthouse in the constituency of North West Hampshire
Diane James had hoped to defeat Conservative candidate Kit Malthouse in the constituency of North West Hampshire (PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

One of Ukip’s most respected female MEPs unexpectedly quit as a general election candidate yesterday, only hours after giving a well-received speech to the party’s conference.

Diane James will no longer be standing for election in the constituency of North West Hampshire in May, where she had hoped to defeat Conservative candidate Kit Malthouse.

The surprise announcement came shortly after she gave a speech on the subject of crime and policing at Ukip’s conference in Margate, during which she gave no hint of her plans.

Ms James, one of Ukip’s four MEPs for South East England and the party’s justice and home affairs spokeswoman, is understood to have decided she needs to spend more time with a sick family member.

A Ukip spokesman said: “Diane James is standing down as a PPC in North West Hampshire for purely personal reasons.”

In 2013 Ms James finished a narrow second to the Lib Dems in the Eastleigh by-election.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in