BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — The son of Conservative Party MP Sir Bill Cash has been revealed as a new UKIP spokesperson today, on the eve of David Cameron’s speech to the Conservative Party conference.
Cash senior has been a Tory MP for 30 years, and is a high profile draw to eurosceptic causes and events on the British political right. His son’s elevation to Nigel Farage’s UK Independence Party is likely to cause further ructions in the Tory parliamentary party, and fuel the already rampant speculation over a major UKIP defection before the conference closes tomorrow.
William Cash Jr is the proprietor of Spears Magazine, an influential publication aimed at high net worth individuals, which raises the question as to whether his defection to UKIP will open up new revenue streams for the insurgent party.
Cash junior will take up the position of Heritage Spokesman for UKIP and is hoping to stand for the party in Warwickshire in the general election next year.
Nigel Farage, UKIP’s leader said: “I am delighted to be welcoming William to the party and am appointing him as our Heritage spokesman. William is already a consultant on National Heritage for the Government and various other organisations. He has vast experience in the field and will be a great addition to the team, working closely with Stuart Agnew on Countryside matters and Peter Whittle on Cultural affairs”.
Mr Cash said: “This decision has been a long time coming. I have been a passionate advocate of Britain’s successful heritage business but believe that it and the countryside have been badly let down by this Conservative led government.
“There is a critical need to get the policies right in relation to Green Belt, tourism, heritage and countryside planning. This is especially the case with local economies in areas like the South-East and the West Midlands where tourism is critical to the regional economies.
“Taxation on repairs for historic buildings is invidious and is damaging a £6billion per year industry. It is cultural, historical and economic vandalism to allow this to continue.”
Cash senior is known as perhaps the most Eurosceptic of all Tories. His son’s defection is already being commented upon at the Tory Conference.
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