WITH the exposé and revelations published in the national press this weekend, I feel I must hold my hands up and publicly admit I was wrong. For over a decade I have looked on Tom Wise MEP as a close personal friend whose corner I have argued constantly

WITH the exposé and revelations published in the national press this weekend, I feel I must hold my hands up and publicly admit I was wrong.

For over a decade I have looked on Tom Wise MEP as a close personal friend whose corner I have argued constantly and consistently, against my own party's NEC and against my own party's leadership.

I have been proved wrong and to those people I most emphatically apologise and on behalf of UKIP and to the public in general I most emphatically apologise. We all have our weaknesses and who knows how anyone would react when faced with the overriding ability to make money beyond our wildest dreams.

However, one thing has come out of this and that is it strengthens my own belief in our own ability to govern ourselves, for if the ability to be corrupt, to commit fraud, and downright criminality is so prevalent in the corridors of power in Brussels, what the hell are we doing in such an organisation?

I am not, and have never claimed to be, a politician. I am an Englishman and proud to be so and my belief is in my country's history, it's heritage and it's sovereignty, which in my eyes is second to none and the power to retain that must stay in these islands, in our own parliament, elected by our own people in Westminster. I don't know maybe I'm wrong in that too!

Again I most emphatically apologise.

LEB BAYNES

Chairman

UKIP Fenland