Anthony Butcher

1. NAME
1.1 The name of the party shall be The United Kingdom Independence Party, hereinafter referred to as the Party.

2 AIMS
2.1 The principal aim of the Party is that the United Kingdom shall again be governed by laws made to suit its own needs by its own Parliament, which must be directly and solely accountable to the electorate of the United Kingdom. Continued membership of the European Union is incompatible with this principle. The Party will therefore campaign for the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, initially by the repeal of the European Communities Act of 1972 and subsequent amendments to it. Until the UK's withdrawal is achieved, this aim receives special protection in this constitution (see paragraph 18.2). A further aim is to preserve the integrity of the United Kingdom.
2.2 In line with its belief in free world trade, the Party will campaign for the negotiation of sustainable and equitable trade agreements with the EU. It would expect the European Union and the United Kingdom to respect and preserve all the trade protocols and agreements negotiated under the auspices of the Genera! Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the World Trade Organisation.

2.3 The Party will be guided in its activities by the principle of non-discrimination, including non-racism and non-sectarianism, and will seek the support of all who Share Its aims. The Party's commitment to the principle of non-discrimination receives special protection in this constitution (see paragraph 18.2).

2.4 The Party will campaign for a programme of national revival and, to that end, will promote a full range of long-term domestic policies at parliamentary and local elections.

2.5 The Party believes that individuals, families and businesses alike suffer from, excessive government interference in the conduct of their affairs and will work to free them from it. Furthermore the Party will seek to return authority and responsible autonomy to all levels of local government, whether borough, county or district. It rejects the idea of an extra layer of government in the form of regional assemblies, which would alienate voters by distancing them further from government, and undermine the principle of democratically accountable local government.


3 ACTIVITIES

3.1 In furtherance of these aims, the Party may take part in all democratic electoral processes. It may contest parliamentary elections, parliamentary by-elections, local elections, elections for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies and regional elections.
3.2 Although the Party seeks to free the United Kingdom from all the institutions of the European Union, by bringing about its withdrawal from the European Union itself, it may, until that aim is achieved, contest elections to the European Parliament and its successful candidates will take up the seats it has won.

3.3 The Party may also work together with other democratic parties and organisations for particular purposes consistent with its aims.

3.4 In the furtherance of its aims, the Party may-

i) raise funds and invite and receive contributions from any person or persons whatsoever by way of loan, subscription, donation or otherwise, within the limits established by electoral law;
ii) publish, with or without charge, any items it sees fit;
iii) employ and pay people to supervise, organise and
carry out the Party's aims;
iv) purchase, lease or rent property necessary to carry out the Party's aims and make arrangements for the management of any property acquired;
v) invest any monies of the Party not immediately required, in accordance with the Trustee Act of 1925;
and
vi) do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the attainment of its ends.


4 MEMBERSHIP
4.1 Membership is open to those entitled to UK citizenship and resident foreign nationals who share its aims.
4.2 Members are those who are over 16 years old, maintain their subscriptions and agree with the aims of the Party.
4.3 Members shall accept the Party's constitution and rules and maintain its reputation.
4.4 Associate membership, enjoying all the benefits of membership except voting rights, is open to supporters not entitled to full membership.
4.5 Where constituency associations are established, membership shall be of the local Parliamentary Constituency Association and, by affiliation of the constituency association, of the national party.
4.6 The National Executive Committee may accept affiliation from other organisations. Such affiliated bodies will not enjoy voting rights.
4.7 Full members shall receive a membership card and the Party's newsletter, They shall be entitled to vote in national Party elections and in the selection of constituency association Officers and candidates to contest parliamentary and local government elections.

5 CONSTITUENCY ASSOCIATIONS
5.1 The Party shall seek to establish an Association in every UK parliamentary constituency. Constituency associations will affiliate to the national Party by resolution at their first corporate meeting.
5.2 The constituency association has the responsibility for administering its own financial and other affairs, including the election of local officers and the selection of candidates for UK parliamentary and local government elections. These functions will be conducted in accordance with the procedures set down in the Party's Rule Book.
5.3 Where an organisation covers more than one parliamentary constituency its shall be known as a branch and paragraph 5.2 shall apply to it as if it were a constituency association.
5.4 Where a constituency association or branch has not been established, it will he the responsibility of the Party Chairman, directly or by delegation, to administer the party in that area until a branch or association is established.

6 THE PARTY CONFERENCE
6.1 The Party shall hold a conference annually at a place and time decided by the NEC. Only paid up Party members may vote at the Conference.
6.2 The conference will be divided into two sections: the Party Business Meeting and the Conference Proper.
6.3 The Party Business Meeting will be open only to paid up Party members. Its business will be to receive reports from the national officers; to elect members of the Discipline Committee and the Conference Steering Committee (see paragraphs 14.3 and 14.5); and to determine the membership fee.
6.4 Members elected to the Conference Steering Committee and the Discipline Committee will serve until the next annual conference.
6.5 All motions at the Party Business Meeting may be passed by a simple majority of those voting. Procedures for submitting nominations and motions shall be lad down in the Party Rule Book.
6.6 The Conference proper will be open to Party members, associate members and guests. Its business is to consider motions on Party policy and strategy.
6.7 Motions carried by a two thirds majority of those voting become Party policy. Those carried only by a simple majority have only advisory force.
6.8 Motions for debate at the Conference proper must be submitted in accordance with the procedures laid out in the Rule Book. A decision on their inclusion shall be taken by tha Conference Steering Committee.
6.9 The NEC may also summon other special conferences for specific purposes, which will be open to all paid up Party members. Procedures for convening and conducting such conferences shall be laid out in the Party Rule Book.
6.10 The Party Secretary shall call an Extraordinary Conference, giving members a minimum of twenty eight days notice, if requested to do so by format applications from twenty per cent or mcra of the Party's duly registered constituency associations or branches (hereinafter called branches), drawn from at least four regions. Each Formal application shall include a written statement, signed by the branch chairman, verifying that the application is supported by a majority of members attending a properly convened Extraordinary General Meeting of the branch, and will accompanied by a cheque, made out to UKlP Head Office account, for 100 pounds drawn against the branch bank account, as a contribution towards the cost of the meeting. Such applications shall state the business to be dealt with and the conference agenda shall be restricted to such business and matters arising.

7 THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (NEC)
7.1 The National Executive Committee is the Party's highest management committee, entrusted with the duty of ensuring that it functions smoothly. It is responsible for the Party's funds, structure, political strategy and publicity, it is answerable to the Party conference and is charged with carrying out conference decisions.
7.2 Tne NEC may institute a postal ballot of Party members on amendments to the Party constitution, provided that a motion to do so is approved by a two thirds majority of NEC members present and voting.
7.3 The NEC shall appoint a Party Treasurer, who may bo a serving membsr of the NEC but need not be, In which case the Treasurer shall become an ex-officio member.
7.4 The NEC shall appoint a Party Secretary from amongst its own number.
7.5 The NEC shall establish temporary and standing committees for the administration of the Party and the development of policy.
7.6 The NEC shall normally comprise fifteen elected members and the Party Leader.
7.7 Members shall be elected for a term not exceeding three years and shall be eligible for re-election at its completion. Eligibility to stand for election to, and to serve on, the NEC shall be as laid down in the Party Rule Book.
7.8 Elections to the NEC shalll be conducted in accordance with the Party Rule Book, and shall take place annually, the date to be announced, together with the number of vacancies and the latest date for the receipt of nominations, in the issue of the Party newsletter penultimate to the election. The election shall be by postal ballot of members.
7.9 The election shall take place on the basis of the first past the post system. Each eligible Party member may cast a number of votes up to, but not exceeding, the number cf vacancies and all votes shall be of equal value.
7.10 The resignation of a member of the NEC shall be evidenced in writing by the member resigning or, if given verbally, shall be minuted after verification.
7.11 Should a vacancy occur between elections, the NEC may invite a member of the Party to fill it In accordance with the Party Rule Book. Members joining the NEC in this way shall have the same rights as elected members and shall be eligible to stand for election, at the next NEC election.
7.12 The NEC shall meet at least six times a year. Meetings shall be chaired by the Party Chairman or, in the chairman's absence, by the Deputy Leader or, in the absence of both, by a member of the NEC appointed by the NEC for that meeting only.
7.13 Seven members cf the committee constitute a quorum, except in the circumstances outlined in paragraph 7.17 below.
7.14 Any five or more members of the NEC may requisition an emergency meeting of the committee by calling on the committee's secretary to summon one as soon as practicable. They must state the business to be discussed and any related motions to be put, and the agenda for the emergency meeting shall comprise this business and matters arising and no other.
7.15 Expulsion of a member of the NEC from the committee, following its recommendation by the Discipline Committee, may be undertaken only by a resolution to that effect passed by a two thirds majority of the members present; only for specified offences and then only as a last resort.
7.16 Grounds for expulsion from the NEC shall be persistence in the following: public opposition outside the NEC to measures duly approved by it; breaching such undertakings to maintain confidentiality as the NEC may from time to time require; unauthorised non-attendance at its meetings, and unbecoming conduct in the course of NEC meetings.
7.17 The quorum for a meeting where a disciplinary matter involving an NEC member is to be heard shall be 10, excluding the member who is the subject of the motion.
7.18 Motions of no confidence in the Party Leader put before the NEC shall require the vote of no less than 9 members to pass.
7.19 In the event of a motion of no confidence in the NEC being carried at a Party, Special or Extraordinary Conference, fresh NEC elections shall be held as soon as possible, the outgoing NEC remaining in office until their successors are elected.
7.20 In the event of an NEC election with more than five vacancies, successful candidates other than the top five shall be elected for terms of two years or one year to preserve the three-year electoral cycle, but these terms of office may be extended to not more than three years should further NEC vacancies occur.
7.21 The NEC may authorise the establishment of other groups of members or groups of constituency associations in furtherance of the aims of the Party. These groups shall have responsibility for administering their own financial and other affairs in accordance with the procedures set down in the Party rule book for the said groups.

8 THE PARTY LEADER
8.1 The Party leader shall give political and administrative direction to the Party.
8.2 The Party leader shall be a member of the National Executive Committee enjoying full voting rights and shall be ex officio a member of all sub-committees and working groups set up by the NEC; shall, subject to NEC approval, appoint a Deputy leader to render assistance and act in his place in his absence; shall, subject to the approval of the NEC, appoint a Party chairman to be in day-to-day control of the Party organisation; may make such other appointments, in fields such as media relations and policy formulation, as he thinks fit; and shall approve the Party's manifesto and national statements of the Party's policies.
8.3 The Party leader shall be elected by a postal ballot of all paid up members of the Party. His normal term of office shall be four years, but this term may be extended if its expiry would otherwise fall in the year of a general election. A leadership election shall be called in the event of the leader's death, incapacity or resignation; on the passing of a vote of no confidence in the leader by the Party conference; on the passing of a vote of no confidence by the NEC if this is endorsed by an Emergency General Meeting of the Party; and on the leader's completion of his term of office. Nominations for the post of Party leader shall require the signature of a proposer and 20 assentors, all paid up members of the Party, drawn from at least four different constituency associations or branches. They must be submitted in writing to the Party Secretary within the time specified by him. A leader wishing to resign must communicate this decision in writing to the secretary to the NEC, who must then summon an emergency meeting of the NEC.
8.4 If there is only one valid nomination for the post of leader, the candidate nominated shall be elected without the need for a ballot, but ratification by a simple majority of members voting at the next Party Business Meeting is required in this case. If there are only two candidates, the one receiving more than 50% of the valid votes cast shall be elected. If there are three or more candidates, the election shall be by the single transferable vote system, as defined by the Electoral Reform Society. Those eligible to vote shall be paid up members 14 days before the last date for the receipt of ballot papers,
8.5 When a vacancy in the leadership occurs, the election procedure laid down in the Party Rule Book shall be put in train by the Party Secretary. Until that process is completed, the deputy leader shall serve as acting leader.

9 THE PARTY TREASURER
9.1 A Party Treasurer shall be appointed by the NEC from among party members. His term of office shall be annual. He will be an ex officio member of the NEC if not already a member of it. The Party Treasurer does not hold voting rights on the NEC by virtue of his or her office.
9.2 The Treasurer shall be responsible for managing the Party's finances, for preparing annual accounts and presenting for reception at an annual meeting of Party members to be held within three months of the end of the financial year or later date specified by the Electoral Commission for reporting accounts by the Party. He will chair the Finance Committee.

10 THE PARTY SECRETARY
10.1 The Party Secretary shall be appointed by the NEC from its own number. The Secretary's term of office will be one year.

10.2 The Party Secretary is responsible for ensuring that the administrative and other arrangements of the Party comply with all legal requirements; for maintaining an up to date record of Party members for national Party purposes; for the administration of leadership elections and elections to the NEC (except when he or she is a candidate, when the NEC shall nominate another of its members to carry out this task); and for the organisation of the Party Conference.
10.3 The Party Secretary shall chair the Discipline Committee and the Committee on Standing Orders and shall sit on the Conference Steering Committee.

11 THE DEPUTY LEADER
11.1 A Deputy Leader shall be appointed by the Party Leader, subject to the approval of the NEC, from amongst the elected members of the NEC.
11.2 The Deputy Leader will chair meetings of the NEC when the Party Chairman is not present. He will assist and stand in for the Leader in the performance of all the Party Leader's functions.


12 THE PARTY CHAIRMAN
12.1 The Party Leader will appoint a Party Chairman, subject to the approval of the NEC, from amongst paid up members of the Party. The Chairman will be an ex officio member of the NEC if not already an ordinary member of it.
12.2 The Party Chairman shall chair meetings of the NEC and the annual Party Conference and any special or extraordinary conference that may be called.
12.3 The Party Chairman will be responsible for ensuring that there is an active and properly constituted association of the Party in every constituency, financially able to support a parliamentary election campaign. To that end, the Party Chairman may make such subsidiary administrative appointments as he or she sees fit and may suggest to the NEC the creation of paid administrative posts. The Party Cheirman shall report, or ensure that a report is made by an appointed Party officer, on branch activity, as appropriate.

13 SEPARATION OF OFFICE
13.1 The offices of Party Leader, Deputy Leader, Treasurer, Party Secretary and Party Chairman may only be held singly.

14 STANDING AND TEMPORARY COMMITTEES
14.1 The standing committees set up by the NEC shall include a Finance Committee, a Discipline Committee, a Committee on Standing Orders and a Conference Steering Committee.
14.2 The Finance Committee shall be chaired by the Party Treasurer. Its responsibility will be to oversee the management of the Party's finances and to appoint auditors.
14.3 The Discipline Committee shall comprise the Party Secretary and the delegates elected for this purpose at the Party Conference and shall be chaired by the Party Secretary.
14.4 The Committee on Standing Orders shall be chaired by the Party Secretary and will be responsible for maintaining and updating the Party Rule Book and for reviewing proposals for amendments to the Party constitution.
14.5 The Conference Steering Committee will have the responsibility for all matters relating to the agenda of the Party Conference, including the selection of motions for debate.

15 DISCIPLINE
15.1 The Party shall establish a Discipline Panel comprising the Party Secretary and up to twelve delegates approved by the annual conference. Specific hearings shall be conducted in accordance with the Rule Book, by the Party Secretary and a minimum of four members of the Discipline Panel. Serving members of the NEC may not be nominated for election to the Discipline Panel, and elected members of the Discipline Panel must resign if elected to the NEC.

16 THE PARTY RULE BOOK
16.1 The NEC shall establish a Rule Book which will detail the rules governing Constituency Associations; membership of standing and temporary committees; submission of motions for debate at the Party Business Meeting, the Party Conference and special and extraordinary conferences, the conduct of these meetings, the calling and conduct of elections to the Party leadership and the NEC, disciplinary procedures and all other rules and procedures forming part of the formal management and administration of the Party.

17 CANDIDATES
17.1 The Party shall establish a list of approved parliamentary candidates, by means of interviewing potential candidates. Potential candidates shall make a written application and shall make full disclosure of any fact, political or personal, that may have a bearing on their suitability for selection as a candidate.

17.2 Potential candidates will be interviewed by at least two people drawn from the following categories: members of the NEC, appointed national officers and chairmen and elected officials of constituency associations or branches.

17.3 All parliamentary candidates must be paid up members of the Party and on the Party's list of approved candidates.

17.4 The selection from the list of approved candidates of a prospective parliamentary candidate to contest a constituency in a general election is the prerogative of the constituency association concerned. In the case of a by-election such selection will be subject to consultation and agreement with ths NEC.

17.5 The selection of candidates for local government elections is the responsibility of constituency associations or branches.

17.6 The procedure for selecting candidates for other elections shall be devised by the NEC.


18 THE CONSTITUTION: APPROVAL AND AMENDMENT
18.1 This constitution shall come into force immediately following its approval by a simple majority of members voting in a postal ballot.
18.2 Amendments to the constitution may be made by a two thirds majority of paid up members voting in a postal ballot, save that amendments to paragraphs 2.1, 2.3 and 18.2 shall require a three quarters majority. Such ballots shall be held when a constitutional amendment is proposed either by the NEC, after its approval by a two thirds majority of NEC members voting, or at the requirement of 20 or more constituency associations or branches, communicated in writing to the Party Secretary.


This Constitution was adopted following approval by a majority of members in 1998, and amended under Paragraph 18.2 in January 2001, in June 2003, in Dec 2003 and in Feb 2004.