Troubled times for UKIP

Rumours, plotting, even a BNP link - is the party over for Ukip? Three years ago, the United Kingdom Independence Party was a political force to be recognised. With 12 seats in the European Parliament and a 16 per cent share of the vote, the party was Britain's third-biggest in Europe. At one point, inside Conservative Central Office there were fears that this one-time rag-tag gang of breakaway anti-Europeans would split the Tory vote in the UK and break the mould of British politics at Westminster. This, despite a memorable claim in 2004 by the MEP Geoffrey Bloom that a woman's place was behind the fridge, scrubbing. But as hundreds of delegates gather for their annual conference in a rain-swept Bournemouth this weekend the party finds itself riven with furious – and quite extraordinary – infighting. Its leader, Nigel Farage, is facing an attempted coup to unseat him by several factions of the party, including one with links to the far-right British National Party (BNP) and another still loyal to his predecessor. The party's press officer, Annabelle Fuller, a close ally of Mr Farage, has resigned after receiving phone threats. She told The Independent the calls came from "sexist" party members in the middle of the night. In her letter of resignation, Ms Fuller, 26, complained of "personal threats" and "verbal abuse". She said she had been subjected to abusive telephone calls, including one at 3am calling her a whore. Back at Ukip's headquarters, at least four senior party figures – including one who gave money to the US associate of the BNP – are said to be seeking Mr Farage's removal. At the same time, another plot to remove Mr Farage is being co-ordinated by the former Ukip member Andrew Edwards who was removed from the party after it emerged he had links to the BNP. In January, he sent an email to friends saying, "Happy new year and damnation to the enemies of Britain and the British". He confirmed yesterday that he wants Mr Farage removed, and named several other figures who believe Mr Farage is not taking a hard enough line on issues including immigration and who are moving against his leadership. Then there is David Abbott, a member of Ukip's national executive committee (NEC), and former candidate in the European elections. He once donated money to the American Friends of the BNP (AFBNP). Dr Abbott, whom Mr Farage has tried to remove from the NEC, said he was working for Mr Farage's removal from the leadership, saying "UKIP needs effective leadership". Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, confirmed both Dr Abbott's donation – which he said was a one-off and on "free speech" grounds – and Mr Edwards' ever-closer involvement with the BNP. He said Mr Edwards regularly wrote for the BNP website, confirmed he was involved with the BNP while in Ukip and said that he "was with them and is now much more sympathetic to us". The Independent