• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

Gerard Batten – UK Independence Party Mayoral Candidate (2008)

January 15, 2008 - Staff

Gerard Batten was elected as the UK Independence Party Member of the European Parliament for London in June 2004 and has been selected by UKIP as its London Mayoral candidate.

Although he was born in Harold Hill both sides of his family have lived in the East End of London for generations and and he has lived and worked in London all his life.

Prior to being elected to the European Parliament he worked for British Telecom for twenty-eight years as a salesman, where in various capacities, he sold to some of the company’s largest corporate customers. This gives him experience and insight in the real commercial world sadly lacking in many politicians today.

He was a founder member of the UK Independence Party in September 1993 and was the first Party Secretary from 1994 to 1997. He has also been a member of the party’s National Executive Committee.

As an MEP he has published pamphlets on a number of subjects. Most notably in 2006 and 2007 an annual study entitled How Much Does the European Union Cost Britain? His conclusions show the combined costs total at least £60 billion gross, and £50 billion net, per annum. These figures were published in the national press and remain one of the few attempts to put a cost on EU membership. He is now working on the figures for the 2008 edition.

He is a member of the European Parliament’s Security and Defence Committee, and is UKIP’s spokesman on Security and Defence Issues. He is also co-chairman of UKIP’s Defence Policy Review Committee and Chairman of the Immigration Policy Review Committee.

Gerard Batten said, “As London’s Mayor I will put an end to the divisive politics of pandering to special interest groups and multi-culturalism. As far as I am concerned there are only Londoners and British citizens. As Mayor I will only spend money where that is in the interests of London and Londoners as a whole.

“My priorities as Mayor will be to combat crime (which is now out of control in London); to keep Council Tax and Business Rates to a minimum; to help businesses large and small make London more prosperous by removing unnecessary burdens; and to get London traffic moving again by abandoning Ken Livingstone’s policies based on hatred of the car. My policy is to abolish the congestion charge and I reject the idea of emission charges.”

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Tagged With: 2008 GLA Election

RECENT UPDATES

TfL proposes bus and tube cuts and annual fares increases to achieve long-term financial sustainability

London’s entire bus fleet now meets ULEZ emissions standards

New road layout comes into effect at Old Street roundabout

TfL funding enables creation of 2,000 new cycle parking spaces




Popular

1,700 extra Santander Cycles are coming to London’s streets

TfL confirms changes to Older Person’s Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster card hours

TfL fares to rise in return for £1.6bn Government rescue package

Election for Mayor of London and London Assembly postponed until 2021

FEATURED

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 MayorWatch Publications Limited · MayorWatch is Registered Trademark · All Rights Reserved · Contact Us · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

MayorWatch Publications Limited · 20-22 Wenlock Road · London N1 7GU · Company Number 6291816

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.