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Douglas Carswell quitting UKIP to become independent MP for Clacton | |
(35 minutes later) | |
UKIP's Douglas Carswell is quitting the party to become an independent MP and says he is doing so "amicably". | |
The party's only MP defected from the Conservatives to UKIP in 2014. | |
Former leader Nigel Farage recently called on Mr Carswell to quit accusing him of "actively working against UKIP". | |
A spokesman for UKIP donor Arron Banks, who had suggested he would stand against Mr Carswell, said a by-election should be called and the Clacton MP had jumped before he was pushed. | |
Andy Wigmore said: "The net has been closing in - there is a UKIP National Executive Committee meeting on Monday and he knew he was for the chop, so jumped. | |
"He should call a by-election and Arron will stand against him." | |
Mr Banks, who previously indicated he could stand against Mr Carswell at the next election, did so amid a long-running feud over the party's future direction and strategy. | |
On Twitter, Mr Banks posted a smiley face emoji and a green tick. | |
Writing on his website, Mr Carswell said: "I switched to UKIP because I desperately wanted us to leave the EU. Now we can be certain that that is going to happen, I have decided that I will be leaving UKIP. | |
"I will not be switching parties, nor crossing the floor to the Conservatives, so do not need to call a by election, as I did when switching from the Conservatives to UKIP. I will simply be the Member of Parliament for Clacton, sitting as an independent. | |
"I will leave UKIP amicably, cheerfully and in the knowledge that we won." | |
Mr Carswell said: "I will be putting all of my effort into tackling some of the local problems affecting the NHS in our part of Essex... Local comes first." | Mr Carswell said: "I will be putting all of my effort into tackling some of the local problems affecting the NHS in our part of Essex... Local comes first." |
Mr Carswell, 45, first entered the Commons in 2005 as MP for Harwich, defeating Labour's candidate by just 920 votes. By 2010 he defeated the same opponent by 12,000 votes - although boundary changes had seen the seat renamed Clacton. | Mr Carswell, 45, first entered the Commons in 2005 as MP for Harwich, defeating Labour's candidate by just 920 votes. By 2010 he defeated the same opponent by 12,000 votes - although boundary changes had seen the seat renamed Clacton. |
He took the seat with a 3,437 majority at the general election in 2015 | |
UKIP MEP Bill Etheridge said he was "delighted" at the announcement. | |
"It's a lovely, sunny day and someone I believe was not genuinely interested in representing UKIP in Westminster but has been the focus of serious infighting in the party has gone. | |
"But I think he needs to step down and call a by election... He was elected twice on a UKIP ticket, with UKIP resources and the hard work and shoe leather of UKIP activists." |