UKIP and Veritas in name row
The ongoing conflict between UKIP and Veritas is showing no signs of ending after a row erupted over the naming of a London Assembly group.
Last week, the Veritas group in the London Assembly decided to change its name to Veritas-UKIP.
Its two London Assembly members were originally elected under the UKIP ticket, but chose to join Robert Kilroy-Silk when he broke away from UKIP to found Veritas.
Both groups suffered disappointment in the general election and failed to win a single seat.
Speaking last week, Assembly members Damian Hockney and Peter Hulme Cross said the “obvious conclusion” from the election was that “it makes no sense for UKIP and Veritas to be in competition for the same votes.
“It is also clear from discussions with both UKIP and Veritas members in London and elsewhere that the vast majority agree that the two parties should co-operate wherever possible. Problems at leadership level should not be allowed to disrupt good relations at local level.”
As such, they said it was “in the best interests of both parties and more importantly our cause” to rename the group Veritas-UKIP to “enable both parties to gain the credibility that elected office brings.”
But today, UKIP issued a furious press statement saying it would be raising the “improper use” of its name with both the London Assembly and the Electoral Commission.
UKIP said the name change “was done with neither authorisation by nor the knowledge of the U.K. Independence Party.”
A spokesperson for Veritas-UKIP told politics.co.uk that the assertion was “very strange”, claiming that the two parties had been in discussion about the group incorporating UKIP in its name since before the election and this was the “compromise” that had been reached.
He also entirely rejected UKIP’s claim that the Mr Hockney and Mr Hulme-Cross had recently approached UKIP about the possibility of leaving Veritas and rejoining UKIP.
