ONE of Ukip’s most outspoken local members has been suspended by his party.

The former chairman of Ukip North West Hampshire, Daniel Emmerson, has hit back at the party claiming he has been treated unfairly.

Daniel says he believes he was suspended after falling out with senior members over issues he had raised which would have benefitted the party.

“I have done nothing but push Ukip in a positive way,” he said.

“Our branch has been more active than ever, so I am constantly told by our members.

“I canvass every day with other members of Ukip, pushing Ukip’s message locally. I have a successful petition going to reinstate our local accident and emergency department and we have thousands of signatures so far.

“I am passionate about what I believe in.”

Mr Emmerson has been a member of the party since January 2015 and stood in the borough council elections in St Mary’s ward, gaining the fourth highest number of votes in the three-seat ward.

He says that he will continue to fight for the causes he is passionate about, but as an independent candidate.

“There are are some fantastic people in the party, but there are two that I fell out with,” he added.

“It’s very ‘Dad’s Army’ and they don’t want to move into the 21st century.”

The new chairman of Ukip North West Hampshire, Sue Perkins, steered the Andover Advertiser towards Ukip’s head office for a comment on the situation – who had not responded at the time of going to press.

Mrs Perkins ran as Ukip’s prospective parliamentary candidate for North West Hampshire, but finished second behind the Conservative’s Kit Malthouse.

She said: “The new committee has decided to make branch meetings more accessible to all interested people in constituency, by rotating the monthly branch meetings around the constituency.

“Our meeting on March 24 will be the start of this new style format with a very special Ukip guest joining us for the evening, which will start with a cheese and wine social.

“Our website (ukipnwhants.org.

uk) gives full details of this and other events under the ‘events’ section.”