Ukip at war as Farage calls for MP’s head
Party has little future with Carswell as its voice in Commons, says ex-leader in row over knighthood
UKIP was in a state of open civil war last night after Nigel Farage publicly warned that the party will collapse unless its sole MP, Douglas Carswell, is thrown out. Mr Farage, the former par- ty leader, said Mr Carswell had “sought to split and divide Ukip in every way imaginable” since defecting from the Conservatives to Ukip in 2014.
The two men have been at odds for years over the party’s policies but their antipathy came to a head last night amid claims that Mr Carswell frustrated Mr Farage’s chances of being awarded a knighthood.
Writing in today’s Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage says: “As a party, how can we let a man represent us in the House of Commons who actively and transparently seeks to damage us? I think there is little future for Ukip with him staying inside this party. The time for him to go is now.”
Mr Farage has voiced concerns that Mr Carswell’s position on immigration is not in line with the party’s desire for strict controls.
Ukip is already facing a crisis after the party’s leader Paul Nuttall failed to win last week’s by-election in Stoke on Trent, an area in which people voted heavily for Brexit.
Last week Mr Farage said he believed Ukip had lost in Stoke due to its failure to continue its strong message on mi- gration. Now, leaked emails seen by
The Daily Telegraph show Mr Carswell mocked Mr Farage’s chances of an honour, saying he should be given an award “for services to headline writers”.
Mr Farage said the leaked online exchange showed Mr Carswell was “consumed with jealousy and a desire to hurt me” and urged Paul Nuttall, Mr Farage’s successor, to sack him.
However Mr Carswell insisted the leaked email “confirms that I made every effort to make sure that Ukip got its fair share of peerages and honours”. Mr Nuttall declined to comment. Lord Pearson of Rannoch, Ukip’s former leader, initially tried to organise a peerage for Mr Farage, backed by Ukip peer Lord Willoughby de Broke, last July.
But these plans were dropped when the pair realised Mr Farage would have to resign as an MEP first. Lord Pearson then approached the Cabinet Office’s parliamentary and political service honours committee about a knighthood for Mr Farage. It turned down the application at the end of July.
The peer then asked Mr Carswell – who is Ukip’s leader in Westminster – to approach Gavin Williamson, the Government’s chief whip, about appealing against the decision to reject Mr Farage’s application. Mr Williamson, as an “official member” of the honours committee,
is allowed to recommend honours to MPs who represent minor parties.
Lord Pearson asked Mr Carswell in the middle of December to approach Mr Williamson, believing this offered “a sporting chance of getting around this committee”.
On December 30 Lord Pearson emailed Mr Carswell saying: “Dear Douglas, Could you let me know how your talk with Gavin Williamson went before Christmas? By phone if you pre- fer? Good wishes. Malcolm.”
Mr Carswell replied the next morning on December 31 – the day the New Year’s Honours were announced – saying: “As promised, I did speak to the government Chief Whip. Perhaps we might try angling to get Nigel an OBE next time round? For services to headline writers? An MBE, maybe?”
Lord Pearson replied an hour later: “Let’s speak at your convenience. Ring me? Not sure an ‘Other Buggers’ Efforts’ quite hits the spot for Nige........?!”
Mr Farage and Lord Pearson said the email showed that Mr Carswell had not backed the honour.
Mr Farage said: “It could not be clearer that Douglas Carswell was negative in his response to the chief whip. He is consumed with jealousy and a desire to hurt both Ukip and me. What a sad figure he cuts.”
Lord Pearson said the comments showed that it was “pretty clear [that Mr Carswell] did not support” Mr Farage’s knighthood. He added: “It is true that I and others tried to get a knighthood for Nigel Farage and one way or another we failed, and we still think he should have one. I am not going to give up.”
Mr Carswell insisted he had supported Mr Farage’s knighthood. His email showed he was “commiserating with the person who asking me to lobby on behalf of the party”.
He said: “I would say the emails you have directly contradict those who suggest I was not trying to ensure that Ukip got its share of peerages and honours.
“You cannot regard that email as anything other than being supportive that Ukip gets its fair share of peerages and honours. I am not going to say what I did or didn’t say to Gavin Williamson.”
‘He is consumed with jealousy and a desire to hurt both Ukip and me. What a sad figure he cuts’