Ukip appointed lawyer Matthew Richardson to keep 'bad stuff' out of public eye
The party prides itself in avoiding Westminster-style spin
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.While Ukip has achieved almost unimaginable success this year, 2014 has also been a year littered with gaffes by party members.
And its chiefs appeared to predict such blunders two years ago, by hiring an Oxford-educated City barrister to keep “bad stuff” hidden from the public domain, it has been revealed.
The documents seen by the Daily Mirror fly in the face of Ukip’s attempt to present itself as a party which is not concerned with spin like the three main Westminster parties.
Leaked minutes from the party’s national executive committee from June 2013 show that officials discussed the need for a lawyer to be “actively involved” in its dealings with the media.
Chiefs at the meeting admitted that the party “will face some tough times” and said that barrister Matthew Richardson could become Ukip secretary in order to decide “whether to take injunctions out” in the event that the party is criticised in the media.
The document read that the party chiefs “ensure all of the bad stuff is kept out of the public domain”, with Mr Richardson declaring he specialises in “online reputation management”.
Party chairman Steve Crowther then explained that “work must be done in dealing with what our members publish” with Mr Richardson agreeing.
The meeting ended with the committee unanimously agreeing to appoint Mr Richardson.
Ukip has not yet responded to a request for a comment by The Independent but a Ukip spokeswoman told the Mirror: "Like all other parties we have a party secretary to manage legal and political affairs.
"No injunctions have ever been used."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments