Jan 22nd 2007 BRIEF For Political Committee

22 January 2007

BRIEF For Political Committee Jan 22nd 07 Reaction to Leader’s Email to Councillors – East Midlands Responses 2 by email - Gerry Hartop, cllr in Erewash, resigned from Tory party, now Independent - Cllr in Lincolnshire speaking for some 20 out of 50 Independent cllrs in Lincs, they want us not to oppose them Personal approach elected Mayor in Notts, Independent, in contact with 8 or 9 other elected Mayors and with Independent cllrs. NB: Mansfield council 29 cllrs of whom 26 Independent Am in contact with all 3 Another cllr in Erewash resigned Tory party with press release Jan 9th, councillor Robert Dockerill, trying to establish contact via Gerry Hartop The Independent Mayor is sympathetic to UKIP, seems very keen, runs an Independent Forum comprising his 26 Independent cllrs - he is proposing/asking can there be an association or alliance with UKIP, says his Independent forum is also UKIP sympathetic but don’t want to go the whole way and join us. If such an alliance can be made to work and is approved I would try to extend it to the Lincolnshire group. If all that worked we would have some 50 plus East Midlands Independent cllrs supportive of UKIP, plus perhaps some elected Mayors. Would not like to forcast possible number of conversions to UKIP, nice but does it matter at the moment. DRC Northampton 11th Jan 07