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Brexit Party founder reveals it was almost named ‘The Nigel Farage Party’
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage gives a speech during a general election campaign visit. (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) - Credit: AFP via Getty Images
The founder of the Brexit Party has revealed she almost called the organisation 'The Nigel Farage Party'.
Catherine Blaiklock, who was forced to step down as leader of the Brexit Party when a series of racist comments came to light, appeared on right-wing YouTube channel Hearts of Oak to explain the thinking behind the formation of the pro-Brexit organisation.
Blaiklock told channel host Alan Craig that she had been in discussion with Richard Braine about forming a new organisation, who later became a short-lived political leader himself, when members of UKIP despaired at Henry Bolton's leadership.
She revealed that she had considered a number of names for possible business ventures - including The Nigel Farage Party.
She said in October she 'started registering names, literally registering company names. There was the Brexit Party, I tried the Nigel Farage Party, but obviously I couldn't get that through Companies House.
'I was buying companies and there was also an idea of the 'alternative for Britain' and various names. Lots of names floated.'
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'But I was doing that on my own, I did it in my bedroom, I bought these companies for £3.99 and then I was talking to Nigel.'
Blaiklock said she won over Farage's support after Gerard Batten, who the Brexiteer disliked, won a no confidence vote on UKIP's National Executive Committee meaning he would not return to UKIP.
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'So I started setting this company up and was talking to Nigel and formed a constitution and then pushed it through the Electoral Commission and half way through the process Nigel came out in public and said that he would support me.'
Blaiklock was later forced to resign as leader after a Hope Not Hate exposé, but she had still expected to later become an MEP candidate for the Brexit Party.
She said: 'I didn't have any written agreement with Nigel, I did the work for him for free, and it always understood that I would step down when the time would come and I would become one of his MEP candidates.'
The Brexiteer went on to support Boris Johnson in the general election, and claimed the Brexit Party was 'finished'.
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