BRANCH PRESIDENT

Jim Collins has been unanimously elected by our committee to become President of the Worthing West Branch. He was one of the founders of the Worthing West constituency branch of UKIP in 1996, and since then he regularly volunteers to help the party, in both practical assistance and in giving donations.

A Short Autobiography: Jim Collins

I was born in 1929, and brought up in the east-end London borough of Bethnal Green. I served in the RAF from May 1947 until August 1949 as an aircraft electrician, and emigrated to New Zealand in 1952. I remained there until 1965, when I retumed to the UK to study Electrical Engineering, qualifying eventually in 1971.

Following my retirement in 1989, my late wife and I went to live in Spain, where we were fortunate enough; to find many Spanish friends. I speak Spanish and still spend several months there every year. I mention this only to underline the fact that I have absolutely nothing against any of the people inhabiting this planet, but I have a passionate belief in their right to choose the way of life which seems best for them. I include the British people in this.

My late wife and I were introduced to UKIP by Bernadette Bullen who at that time (1996) was the Southern Area organizer, and at her request we founded the West Worthing Constituency Branch with 5 members, including the two of us! By May 1997 the branch had expanded to around 80 members, and we fielded a Parliamentary Candidate in the General Election, Tim Cross, who came to us as a convert from the Referendum Party. We didn't manage to save his deposit, but he did achieve 1029 votes, not bad for a first attempt.

Sadly, due in part to the enormous efforts made by my wife on behalf of UKIP, she became ill, and died in 1999.

Although, as I said, I spend several months a year in Spain, I still work for the party as often, and as much, as I can, in leafleting, helping out in the Regional office, attending meetings, subscribing to appeals, etc, and in Spain, spreading the word with some success I might add amongst ex-pats and holiday-makers.