A Newark branch of UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) has been launched and plans to put up candidates in the forthcoming county elections and for the next General Election.
Officers were elected at an inaugural branch meeting in The Prince Rupert, Newark.
The chairman is chartered surveyor Mr Dieter Schranzer, 46, of Southwell.
The secretary is Mr Barry Thompson, 70, of Newark, who is retired, and the treasurer is Mr Peter Weston-Davies, 66, a retired agriculturalist from South Scarle.
Mr Weston-Davies, who has been a member of UKIP for six months, said he had been a card-carrying Tory for 30 years but was tired of senior members of the party not listening.
The party’s primary objective is to achieve the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union.
Last month they recorded one of their best results to date when they came second in the Eastleigh by-election and gained the highest percentage of votes for a candidate.
Mr Weston-Davies said they planned to contest six seats in the Newark and Sherwood wards in the Nottinghamshire County Council elections in May.
He said they aimed to attract votes across the board, not only from Conservative voters but also from Labour and Liberal Democrats.
He said: “It is no longer just a case of haemorrhaging the Tory votes. There appears to be discontent across all the parties.”
Newark’s Conservative MP Mr Patrick Mercer said he knew Mr Weston-Davies as a friend and was sorry he had chosen to join UKIP.
Mr Mercer said: “I would say to Newark UKIP you are misguided and have a workable home inside the Conservative Party.”
The branch plans to hold a stall on Newark Market to publicise its aims.
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