JUST a week into the job, ex SAS soldier Nigel Ely is under fire over his selection as UKIP’s would-be MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire.

Former UKIP constituency candidate Kip Waistell has Mr Ely in his sights saying the soldier’s selection doesn’t command rank and file support.

But UKIP is standing by its "man of calibre".

Mr Waistell quit the candidacy in September citing “personal vendettas” within the party amongst his reasons for doing so.

He raises two arguments against the selection of his successor:

- At the adoption meeting on 15th January, Mr Ely was selected as the replacement candidate by the vote of “a mere ten persons” present out of a local membership of about 80.

- None of the “old committee” was informed of this adoption meeting, nor were any of the other local members to whom he (Mr Waistell) has spoken.

As such, Mr Waistell is challenging Mr Ely's election as being invalid claiming a “vast majority” of  constituency UKIP members were “in ignorance” of the meeting so did not attend and have a chance to vote.

Mr Waistell says: “ All local members should have been given prior notice of the meeting, and they were not. As the meeting was an adoption meeting with just one candidate, rather than a hustings meeting with several candidates, Mr Ely would have required 75% of the vote...I know at least eleven people against Mr Ely who were not notified of the meeting, and their attendance would have meant that Mr Ely would have been rejected.”

UKIP dismissed the challenge in a statement to the Hereford Times that read: “The party is happy that Nigel Ely was properly selected according to the rules and thus disregard the claim made by Mr Waistell who, of course, is not a UKIP member of good standing.”

Confirming Mr Ely’s candidacy, UKIP cited majority support for the former paratrooper and SAS soldier saluted by Hereford & South Herefordshire branch chairman Richard Smith as a “true working class patriot”  with the “character and  leadership lacking from our political leaders in this county for decades.”

Mr Ely said he was “ honoured” to have been selected having only signed up to UKIP 18 months ago.

The September split between the branch and Mr Waistell was ugly.

 Mr Waistell cited “personal vendettas” within the party amongst his reasons for standing down.

Behind the scenes, Mr Waistell was known to be at odds with UKIP activists over the targeting of seats on Herefordshire Council. 

He thought it counterproductive for UKIP to try and eject Independent councillors he respected and split the vote where Independents were, in turn, targeting seats.

Mr Waistell remains in dispute with UKIP.

Former branch secretary Derek Preedy subsequently told the  Hereford Times that some members were “disgusted” at the way  Mr Waistell  had been treated and at the “undemocratic”  treatment of the branch committee in general.

The then branch took the decision to dissolve itself following a vote of members.

At the time, county UKIP MEP James Carver said that due to “negative influences from within” the branch was not functioning according to UKIP's aims and objectives.

Dissolution, said Mr Carver, was a “positive move” allowing for the reforming of a “leaner and fitter” local association, to be built around “forward looking, and constructive” local activists and members.

He told the Hereford Times he was “absolutely delighted” at Nigel’s selection  as a “man of calibre” who has made a huge personal commitment to “our country”.