Roger Knapman
| Roger Knapman | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Leader of the UK Independence Party | |
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In office 5 October 2002 – 27 September 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Jeffrey Titford |
| Succeeded by | Nigel Farage |
| Government Whip for the Conservative Party | |
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In office 23 July 1996 – 1 May 1997 |
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| Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Armed Forces Minister | |
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In office 28 November 1990 – 14 April 1992 |
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| Member of the European Parliament for the South West England | |
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In office 10 June 2004 – 4 June 2009 |
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| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | Earl of Dartmouth |
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Member of Parliament for Stroud |
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In office 11 June 1987 – 1 May 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Anthony Kershaw |
| Succeeded by | David Drew |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
20 February 1944 Crediton, Devon, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party |
UK Independence Party (Since 1997) Conservative (Before 1997) |
| Spouse(s) | Carolyn Knapman |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | United Kingdom |
| Alma mater | Royal Agricultural College |
Roger Maurice Knapman (born 20 February 1944 in Crediton, Devon) is a British politician and a former leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP).
He was educated at the Royal Agricultural College. Before entering politics, he was a Chartered Surveyor.
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.
Shortly afterwards, Knapman left the Conservative party to join UKIP. He stood as their candidate in the 2001 general election for North Devon, coming fourth yet narrowly retaining his deposit.
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 constituency. As leader of the only British party in the European Parliament to vote against the expansion of the EU in 2004 (and publicly opposing immigration), 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.
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