Peter Whittle (politician)

Peter Whittle
AM
Deputy Leader of the UK Independence Party
In office
28 November 2016 – 18 October 2017
Leader Paul Nuttall
Steve Crowther (Acting)
Preceded by Paul Nuttall
Succeeded by Margot Parker
UKIP Culture and Communities Spokesperson
In office
24 July 2014 – 18 October 2017
Leader Nigel Farage
Diane James
Paul Nuttall
Steve Crowther (Acting)
Preceded by Position established
Succeeded by David Meacock
Leader of the UK Independence Party in the London Assembly
In office
6 May 2016 – 22 January 2018
Leader Nigel Farage
Diane James
Paul Nuttall
Steve Crowther (Acting)
Henry Bolton
Preceded by Position established
Succeeded by Vacant
Member of the London Assembly
as the 2nd Additional Member
Assumed office
6 May 2016
Preceded by Stephen Knight
Personal details
Born (1961-01-06) 6 January 1961
Peckham, London, England
Political party UK Independence Party
Alma mater University of Kent

Peter Robin Whittle AM (born 6 January 1961) is a British politician. Between November 2016 and October 2017, he was the Deputy Leader of the UK Independence Party. He also ran in the 2017 UK Independence Party leadership election, but finished in fifth place.

Whittle has served as an Assembly Member (AM) in the London Assembly since the Assembly election in May 2016,[1][2] and was also UKIP's candidate, at the same hustings, for the 2016 London mayoral election.[3][4] He resigned as London spokesman on 22 January 2018 following Bolton's refusal to stand down following a vote of no confidence in his leadership by UKIP's National Executive Committee.[5]

Career

Whittle was born in Peckham, South London, and studied at Roan Boys' School, Orpington College and the University of Kent (BA History and Politics).[6][7] He worked in journalism, living for five years in Los Angeles,[8] before founding the New Culture Forum think-tank in 2006.[3]

He became UKIP's cultural spokesperson in 2013 [4] and stood for Eltham at the 2015 general election, coming third with 15% of the vote, a vote share surpassing both the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party.[7]

In September 2015, Whittle was selected as the UKIP candidate for Mayor of London, as well as topping the party list for election to the Greater London Assembly.[3] Openly gay, Whittle was the only LGBT candidate currently selected by any of the parties for the 2016 Mayoral election.[9]

On 12 October 2016, Whittle announced his intention to stand for UKIP leader following the resignation of Diane James after just 18 days; however, on reflection, he decided to stand for the position of deputy leader instead and was duly successful in this candidature. On 28 November 2016, it was announced that Whittle was the new Deputy Leader of UKIP, replacing Paul Nuttall, then newly appointed as Party Leader. Following the election of Henry Bolton as leader of UKIP in October 2017, Whittle left the role of deputy leader and was appointed UKIP spokesman for London affairs.[10] He resigned as London spokesman on 22 January 2018 following Bolton's refusal to stand down after a vote of no confidence in his leadership by UKIP's National Executive Committee.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Results 2016". London Elects. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "London Mayoral Election 2016: Labour dominate vote". BBC News. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "UKIP selects Peter Whittle as London mayoral candidate". BBC News. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 Banham, Mark (26 September 2015). "Ukip chooses Peter Whittle as London Mayor candidate ahead of deputy chair Suzanne Evans". International Business Times. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  5. 1 2 Heffer, Greg (22 January 2018). "UKIP crisis as top figures quit and tell leader Henry Bolton to go". Sky News. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  6. ↑ ‘WHITTLE, Peter Robin’, Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017
  7. 1 2 "UKIP announces Mayoral candidate and list for GLA" (Press release). UKIP. 26 September 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  8. ↑ Whittle, Peter (7 May 2008). Look at Me: Celebrating the Self in Modern Britain. London: Social Affairs Unit. ISBN 9781904863311. ASIN 1904863310.
  9. ↑ Duffy, Nick (26 September 2015). "UKIP picks gay candidate Peter Whittle to run for Mayor of London". Pink News. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  10. ↑ Walker, Peter (18 October 2017). "New Ukip leader Henry Bolton reveals frontbench lineup". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 October 2017.


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