Braine refused to attend UKIP's annual party conference in September 2019, in protest at the UKIP National Executive Committee's decision to no longer regard Gerard Batten as a member of the party "in good standing". He wrote: “I have made clear to the chairman and NEC that I would not attend unless something drastic was done to increase ticket sales, namely returning Gerard Batten to good standing to heal the rift with the many members who are boycotting conference for that reason”. UKIP's party chairman, Kirstan Herriot, commented: "Both I and the NEC believe it is a complete insult to the membership to attempt to cancel conference because of a potentially low turn-out...it is also a particular affront to hard-working regional, county and branch officers who have worked hard in encouraging members to attend conference to hear Richard lay out his vision for the future of UKIP." Neil Hamilton commented on Braine's refusal to attend the conference held in Newport, Wales, saying: "This would have been a great opportunity for him to make himself known in Wales and he has turned it down for a totally spurious reason", and that Braine "is a novice and he has only been involved in politics a couple of years, he is almost completely unknown".
Suspension from UKIP and resignation
In October 2019, Braine was suspended from UKIP after being accused of stealing data from the party, along with three other members: Jeff Armstrong, Mark Dent and Tony Sharp. All four members were reported to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. UKIP's application in the High Court for an injunction against Braine et alia was denied by Mr Justice Warby of the High Court Queen's Bench Division, who said that
"the prospects of UKIP establishing at a trial that any of the defendants to this claim obtained, and then threatened to disclose, confidential information......are slender in the extreme, or worse".
Braine resigned as leader at the end of October 2019, citing "internal conflict" and an inability to "prevent a purge of good members from the party". Despite this, UKIP proceeded with its claim, which was subsequently struck out after being ajudged "fanciful and without any proper and sound evidential foundation" in the High Court Judgement of 7 July 2020. Mr Justice Saini said...
"I see no basis for any conclusion other than that Mr. Braine acted to further the interests of the Party in the political direction which he, as Leader, was entitled to take… Equally, I fail to see how it is arguable that the decisions he made qua leader put Mr Braine in breach of his duties to the Claimant to act independently and in its best interests."
UKIP was ordered to pay Braine's costs.
Personal life
Braine is married with four children, and lives in Chelsea, London, where he has contested local elections as a UK Independence Party candidate.
