UKIP Wales: Are they imploding? Deputy chairman quits and criticises party.

UKIP Wales have been rocked this week by the resignation of their deputy chairman James Cole.  To make matters worse, Cole posted a scathing attack of the party as his Facebook status, claiming that UKIP in Wales are ‘no longer a party of democracy’.  Here is his post in full.

James Cole resigns with a parting shot at UKIP Wales.

James Cole had an eventful time as deputy chairman.  In August 2013, he released a video (below) on his Youtube channel in which he claimed that:

i) ‘Native Welsh people will be a minority in their own country within the next 15 to 20 years’.

ii) On arrival in Britain, immigrants are able to receive benefits ‘from day 1’ – a claim which has been proven false.

He also commented below the video claiming that Britain was the most densely populated country in Europe.  In reality, Malta, the Netherlands and Belgium are 3 EU countries more densely populated than the UK.  Cole was accused of ‘blatant scapegoating’ over the video.

Last year he was selected and then deselected as UKIP’s PPC for Llanelli in a series of farcical events.   Firstly, he was controversially declared (by UKIP Llanelli chairman Barry Clark) as PPC despite not achieving a two-thirds majority in a members’ vote.  Non-committee members were not given the chance to verify the count.  After a complaint made from within UKIP Llanelli to UKIP’s head office, party chairman Steve Crowther ruled the vote invalid.  Cole was deselected.  To add to the events, during UKIP Llanelli’s next meeting in November, a journalist was ejected and UKIP were accused of curbing press freedom.

Ex-military businessman Cole voiced his opinion on Facebook often.  He claimed to be against racism last year, but does he practise what he preaches?  A quick look at his friends list reveals a few far-right, anti-Muslim and sectarian friends.  You may recognise Jacqui Jackson.  She was the UKIP supporter who used racial slurs to describe Chukka Umunna as well as admitting that she was a UKIP member (not a wise combination).

Dubious friends on James Cole’s friend list.

Almost as bad are Cole’s ‘likes’, which include Britain First and the hate-filled page ‘We demand an immediate end to immigration’, the admin of which admits to being a ‘passionate’ ex-BNP supporter.

James Cole ‘likes’ far-right pages.

Here is an example of what the second page posts.

We hope the next deputy chairman of UKIP Wales is more careful on social media sites.