Roger Maurice Knapman (born 20 February 1944 in Crediton, Devon) is a British politician, and is the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Crediton (Credington, Cryditon, Kirton) is a town in Devon, England about 12 km north west of Exeter, with a population of about 6,500. ... “Devonshire” redirects here. ... The United Kingdom Independence Party (commonly known as UKIP, pronounced // ) is a British political party. ...

As a member of the Conservative Party, he was elected MP for Stroud in 1987. Between 1990 and 1992, he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the armed forces minister, Archie Hamilton. He resigned from this position in order to oppose the Maastricht Treaty. He successfully defended his seat in the 1992 general election. In 1995 he became a government whip. In 1997, however, he lost his seat to the Labour candidate, David Drew. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and is the second oldest extant political party in the world. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Stroud is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Margaret Thatcher David Steel Election 1987 Titles The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987 and was the third consecutive victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. ... A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a junior role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP). ... The Right Honourable Sir Archibald Hamilton (born 1941) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... The Maastricht Treaty (formally, the Treaty of European Union, TEU) was signed on February 7, 1992 in Maastricht, Netherlands after final negotiations in December 1991 between the members of the European Community and entered into force on November 1, 1993 during the Delors Commission. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992. ... In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... The Labour Party has been, since its founding in the early 20th century, the principal political party of the left in England, Scotland and Wales. ... David Elliott Drew (born 13 April 1952) is a politician in the United Kingdom, and Labour and Co-operative member of Parliament for Stroud. ...

Shortly afterwards, Knapman left the Conservative party to join the UKIP. He stood as their candidate in the 2001 general election for Devon North, coming fourth yet narrowly retaining his deposit. The United Kingdom general election of 7 June 2001 was dubbed as the quiet landslide by the media. ... Devon North (or sometimes North Devon) is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

From 2000, he was UKIP's political advisor, and in 2002 he was elected unopposed as party leader. In 2004 he was elected a member of the European Parliament for the South West England region. As leader of the only British party in the European Parliament to vote against the expansion of the EU in 2004, there was some amusement in May 2006 when it was revealed that he had employed a team of Polish builders to renovate his Grade II listed home in Devon, claiming there were no suitable local workers - a claim denied by local builders. [1] A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... South West England is one of the regions of England. ...

He contested Totnes at the 2005 general election, coming 4th with 7.7% of the vote. Totnes is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Barring a change in the law, the next general election in the United Kingdom must be held some time before June 30, 2006. ...

Before entering politics, Roger Knapman was a Chartered Surveyor. He is married with two children, and lives in Devon.

In 2006 it was revealed that, although publicly opposing immigration, he had been employing Polish workers at his home.^[1] He announced in 2006 that he had no intention of seeking re-election as party leader; the leadership contest was won in September of that year by Nigel Farage MEP. Nigel Paul Farage (born 3 April 1964 in Farnborough, Kent) is a British politician, and leader of the eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip). ...

External links

• Official website
• Profile at European Parliament website