Ukip's Evans calls for cross-party alliance to create EU referendum 'no' campaign
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Version 0 of 1. Ukip needs to be part of a broad alliance campaigning for Britain to exit the European Union rather than acting alone, Suzanne Evans, the party’s deputy chairman, has said. Asked whether Nigel Farage and Ukip should be the figureheads of the no campaign, Evans said the party should join a coalition of people from all parties. “I think it’s got to be a wider alliance,” she said. “As brilliant as we are, we only polled 14% across the country. We need 51% to win an out vote in an EU referendum. We have to pool resources, and indeed we should.” In an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, Evans said she thought businesses would be the biggest allies of the out campaign, but, she said, Ukip would “also, of course, work with Eurosceptics (hate that word but can’t think of a better one) in the other parties”. Her comments came at a time of disagreement within Ukip about how big a role Farage should play in the out campaign. Some in Ukip, and Conservative Eurosceptics, are concerned he is too divisive a figure without enough broad appeal to be the frontman. This tension was at the heart of some fierce feuding within Ukip over the last few weeks that turned into an attempted coup on Farage’s leadership. Patrick O’Flynn, the election campaign director, Douglas Carswell, the party’s only MP, and Evans were among those who suggested the party needed to adopt a less controversial tone ahead of the EU referendum, although they all denied wanting Farage to step down. Evans was later dropped as policy chief at the end of her contract – the timing of which she said was a coincidence – and Patrick O’Flynn resigned as economics spokesman after apologising for publicly saying Farage had turned into a “snarling, thin-skinned, aggressive” figure. After the rows, Farage appeared to have consolidated his control over Ukip, but he has not been clear publicly whether he is hoping to be the main spokesman for the EU exit campaign. Last week, Carswell appeared to take a similar approach to Evans as he said the out campaign should not be fronted by any single politician. He suggested business people such as Sir James Dyson would be some of the most valuable voices for the out campaign. “He’s not only a wealth creator, he was campaigning for Britain to join the Euro 15 years ago and now he’s had a complete change of heart,” he said. Evans was considered a frontrunner to take over from Farage as Ukip party leader after he stepped down in the wake of the election defeat in south Thanet, before changing his mind four days later and withdrawing his resignation. During that brief period, she was caretaker leader. Asked on Reddit whether she was aware she was a popular choice for future leader, Evans said: “Been there, tried that, something went wrong ;) ;) ;)” When pressed on whether she would stand in the future, she said: “No idea. Depends when it is and who else is standing. I might prefer to give them my support.” |