UKIP Pickets 'Invalid' NWRA

The North West Regional Assembly has broken its membership rules and chosen to ignore parts of its own constitution according to the UK Independence Party (UKIP). Members of UKIP protested against the NWRA for a second time on Friday 18th November to point out that it is invalid because none of the local authorities who are members have paid their membership fees.

They picketed the Assembly's headquarters in Wigan as council members were due to arrive for a meeting. They were pointing out that none of the local authorities had paid their membership fees by the 30th September deadline and the NWRA constitution states that any authority that has not paid up by then shall cease to be a member. The Assembly claimed that it is an unincorporated organisation and so is allowed to ignore its own rules.

The Party’s North West MEP Dr John Whittaker sat in on the meeting. He said: ‘If it is a private organisation why is it funded by taxpayers’ money? The Assembly costs local taxpayers' £2 million a year and yet we have never been asked if we even want it. It is an expensive mouthpiece for the EU that wastes money and passes on bureaucracy.’

Dr Whittaker added: ‘None of the people present in today’s meeting had any right to be there. Not one local authority paid its subscription by the deadline and so, by law, the decision to re-join the NWRA should be left to each local council to debate and vote upon.’