Independence From Europe

Independence from Europe was a minor, Eurosceptic political party in the United Kingdom. The party was first registered in June 2012 but remained inactive until it was launched in October 2013 by sole party leader Mike Nattrass, a disaffected member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP). It had no official political representation at the time of its dissolution in November 2017, but previously had one Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and three Councillors, all of whom were once members of UKIP.

Nattrass' deselection as a UKIP candidate in August 2013 saw him voluntarily leave the party and after deliberation, launch his own group whilst still an MEP. The party's name changed twice subsequently, largely due to the potential of voters mistaking it with UKIP; use of the word "Independence" in both parties' names proved particularly contentious, prompting two separate investigations by the Electoral Commission. Virtually all commentators dismissed the party as a means for disgruntled former UKIP members to confuse the electorate and split their previous party's support, an allegation Independence from Europe denied. This is despite the party costing UKIP between one and three seats at the 2014 European Parliament election, for which Nattrass' group is perhaps best known. Collecting 1.49% of the national vote, it proved to be their most successful election, although the party never had a candidate elected to any office.

It shared a similar right-wing policy platform with UKIP, with Nattrass stating as such amid the party's launch. Key policies included withdrawing the UK from the European Union (EU), prioritising relations with the Commonwealth of Nations and introducing more stringent measures on immigration. It further supported widespread use of referendums, promoting English devolution and abolishing the National Assembly for Wales. Nattrass placed his party to the left of UKIP, however, due to both the party's general opposition to privatisation and its proposed nationalisation of targeted infrastructure and amenities.

History

Background and formation

Before establishing the party, Mike Nattrass had long been involved with Britain's Eurosceptic movement. In 1994, Nattrass joined the right-wing New Britain Party and unsuccessfully stood for the group in the Dudley West by-election of the same year. Alike most New Britain candidates, Nattrass was absorbed into and stood in Solihull for the single-issue Referendum Party at the 1997 general election. Led by James Goldsmith, this party's policy was for a referendum to be held on the UK's relationship with the European Union (EU), specifically as to whether the British population wanted to be part of a federal Europe or a free-trade bloc without wider political functions. Nattrass subsequently joined the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and eventually rose to the positions of Party Chairman and Deputy Leader. As the UKIP candidate, he was elected as a representative for the West Midlands constituency in the 2004 European Parliament election, and was re-elected in 2009.

Nattrass failed a candidacy assessment in August 2013 and was duly deselected as UKIP candidate for the 2014 election, prompting him to initiate unsuccessful legal action against the party.Walker, Jonathan He duly left UKIP and was in talks with the English Democrats, but cancelled plans to ally with them after they prematurely announced his joining the party. Nattrass, still a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), instead launched his own party after considering a career as an independent. An Independence Party's creation was announced in October 2013,Edwards, Tom being renamed An Independence from Europe on 7 March 2014 to avoid confusion with UKIP. Nattrass had previously considered the label 4 A Referendum. Electoral Commission records show that he had registered his own party significantly earlier, on 20 June 2012. From this date, he had also been filing financial statements for the fledgling, albeit inactive, organisation. The new party's development benefited from an incident in September 2013 when a Lincolnshire County Councillor, Chris Pain, was expelled from UKIP over an internal controversy. Fellow UKIP Councillors Alan Jesson and John Beaver supported Pain's innocence and were also expelled from the party for plotting to form a breakaway faction. All three became members of Nattrass' party and proceeded to represent their wards accordingly.

European Parliament election and controversy

An Independence from Europe fielded 60 candidates in the 2014 European Parliament election, proposing representatives for each of England's nine constituencies. The most notable of whom were Nattrass, who sought re-election in the West Midlands, and Laurence Stassen, a Dutch MEP who had recently left the Party for Freedom (PVV) and was vying for election in the South East England region. Stassen's unusual standing for the party "demonstrate the extent to which MEPs whose true ambition is to remain in the European Parliament will go in order to remain in their seat" according to political scientist William T. Daniel. The party did not stand candidates in the Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland constituencies. Campaigning for the election included a nationwide party political broadcast through the BBC on 8 May and Nattrass' appearance on ''Daily Politics'', where he was interviewed by Andrew Neil on 14 May. Despite claiming it would receive more than 10% of the national vote and elect up to four MEPs, the party only collected 1.49% (235,124 ballots) and all candidates were defeated. Finishing seventh, it was the highest placed party not to elect an MEP; it polled more votes than the British National Party (BNP), which was defending two seats.

Previously, pressure had come from UKIP for the party to change its name and official tagline, 'UK Independence Now', believing it was a strategy to split their vote.Hope, Christopher Henley, Peter This, in addition to the use of 'An' at the beginning of the party name, placing them highest alphabetically on the ballot paper, prompted an investigation by the Electoral Commission at the request of UKIP. Nattrass remarked "UKIP does not have sole right to the word independence" and the Commission soon dismissed the complaint. Notwithstanding, UKIP claimed the party's similar name unfairly cost them a seat in South West England to the benefit of the Green Party, with Nattrass' group acquiring around 23,000 votes in the region. UKIP's then-leader Nigel Farage later complained " lowing Nattrass to launch a party with that name was shocking and showed the absolute contempt that the establishment have for us ... they were given the green light to dupe voters." Political scientists Matthew Goodwin and Caitlin Milazzo concur, calling it "a deliberate attempt to confuse voters and damage Nattrass's old party."

The party's credibility was further attacked by commentators reporting the affair; Christopher Hope of ''The Daily Telegraph'' dismissed the group as being "set up late last year to confuse voters who were trying to back Ukip". Journalist Donal Blaney further labelled them "hitherto unheard-of" outside the incident. Blaney also invokes Mike Smithson's opinion that if UKIP had acquired the minor party's overall vote share, it would have won two additional seats; Farage posited "some think it cost us three." In response to the incident, citing his deselection, Nattrass retorted " d arageexpect me just to melt away? No, I am going down with my flag." A second review by the Commission found the name was unsuitable and the party became Independence from Europe on 23 February 2015, in time for that year's general election.

Domestic elections and downfall

At the 2015 general election, the party contested five constituencies, despite previously indicating it would vie for ten. These were the Lincolnshire seats of Boston and Skegness and Brigg and Goole alongside the West Midlands seats of Meriden and Solihull; additionally contested was Cheadle, a constituency in Greater Manchester. Nattrass once again appeared on ''Daily Politics'', interviewed by Jo Coburn on 1 April. No candidates were elected and the party accumulated a negligible vote share. Local elections in the same year saw the party unsuccessfully contest eight wards on East Lindsey District Council, with an additional candidate failing in his bid for election to Leicester City Council. The following year's local elections saw the party field a candidate for Exeter City Council, who was comfortably defeated. A day later, the party contested a local by-election for Croydon London Borough Council triggered by the resignation of Emily Benn; the party finished second last, above Winston McKenzie of the English Democrats. Independence from Europe failed to field any candidates in the 2017 local elections; incumbent Councillors Alan Jesson and John Beaver did not seek re-election and Chris Pain defected to the Lincolnshire Independents, leaving the party with no official political representation. The party did not contest any constituencies at the 2017 general election. It was "statutorily deregistered" by the Electoral Commission on 2 November of that year.

Ideology and policies

Little to no academic commentary has been conducted with regard to the party's ideology. Upon its launch in 2013, Nattrass implied "it will have similar right wing ideals as UKIP", only to assert a year later that "we are not the same, we are to the left of UKIP." He subsequently repeated the line in 2015. Aside from any ideological reason, the party was founded out of a general disaffection with UKIP's management, particularly leader Nigel Farage and Party Chairman Steve Crowther, who left members feeling "dictated to". That said, the party stated in 2014 that some UKIP MEPs were frustrated at the party's 2009 effort in creating, and embracing, the Europe of Freedom and Democracy

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