Peterborough campaign manager for UKIP leadership hopeful says executive must '˜lead by example' over Steven Woolfe's late nomination

Jay Beecher, deputy chairman of UKIP Peterborough, said UKIP’s NEC (National Executive Committee) should show fairness and transparency regarding Mr Woolfe’s late submission to run in the party’s leadership election.

A spokesman for Mr Woolfe, an MEP, blamed a “technical issue” for missing the deadline to submit his nomination.

Mr Beecher, who is running the campaign for Ms Duffy, said there was also a question about whether Mr Woolfe had allowed his UKIP membership to lapse and only renewed it earlier this year.

Candidates to be UKIP leader need to have been a member for two years to stand.

Mr Beecher said: “The NEC have strict rules in place and must lead by example. There is already the existing issue of a lapse in Steven’s party membership which potentially rules him out of the leadership race.

“The NEC needs to think about both issues before making a decision, and must demonstrate that this decision reflects our principles of fairness, transparency and democracy.”

Ms Duffy, a district councillor for Huntingdonshire, said: “My nomination papers were successfully submitted on time and have been accepted. As far as Steven Woolfe’s late submission is concerned, any decision is now down to the NEC.”