EU Reporter

Only days after multi-millionaire Declan Ganley held a prestigious lunch in Brussels to announce that his political party Libertas EU will campaign across Europe in the coming June European elections someone appears to have stolen a march on him. Bridget Rowe, self styled dynamic newspaperwoman and close friend of Nigel Farage the charismatic leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, is listed as “leader” of newly registered Libertas UK on the electoral commission’s website register of political parties.

The party’s address is given as 400 Main Road, Westerham Hill, in Kent, which is believed to be Bridget Rowe’s home. Her nominating officer is J.M. Greenbough and her Treasurer is given as Damian Wilson.

Bridget Rowe, whose Fleet Street reputation does not match her own claim on her page at the Jaque Evans Management Ltd web site, has been a speaker at UKIP rallies. She is known in Brussels as a key UKIP player who is close to Nigel Farage. UKIP officials close to the leadership have described her as “the replacement national press officer”.

Either this UKIP insider has defected to Libertas or, it is being speculated, she has launched a spoiler operation. Under the Registration of Political Parties Act of 1998 brought in after a party calling itself Literal Democrats caused confusion and damage to the Liberal Democrats no other party can now use a name close to Libertas.

We have been unable to contact Libertas although a Brussels official promised before Christmas Day that someone would contact us. Paul Nuttal, UKIP party chairman, did return our call to say he was unable to contact his leader Nigel Farage on Christmas Eve.

Mr Nuttal did say that he knew nothing about the registration of a party by Bridget Rowe. He speculated that if Mr Farage was behind a “spoiler operation” it would be a great story.

A source close to UKIP told us that this was the most likely explanation “since Nigel Farage has done something very like this before”.

Just how Declan Ganley who lives in Galway and is blamed by the EU for orchestrating the Irish no to the Lisbon Treaty campaign and who made his millions as a contractor to American defence industries could have overlooked such a fundamental issue as registering his party in the UK is a matter for speculation.

UKIP will campaign in the June elections on a policy of leaving the EU. Declan Ganley poses as much, if not more of a threat to the British Conservatives campaigning on a policy of EU Reform as to UKIP.

After his press conference in Brussels just eight days before Libertas UK was registered Libertas EU said in a statement: “Speaking to a packed Press Conference at Libertas’ newly opened European Headquarters in Brussels, Mr. Ganley said that Libertas would field candidates across the European Union on a common pro-European platform of democracy, accountability and transparency.

“Mr. Ganley stated that Europeans have reached a crossroads: “If people want a strong and healthy Europe that is democratic and answerable to them, they should vote for a Libertas candidate. If they do not want Europe to succeed or if they are happy with the current undemocratic practises, then they should vote for an incumbent party. For those who weren’t given a vote on the Lisbon Treaty, this will be their referendum”.

“Libertas will run candidates in every country where the candidates are of a high standard, committed to the Libertas’s pro-European stance and its platform of democracy, accountability and transparency aimed at bring European back to the people.”