Background
KNAPMAN, Roger Maurice was born on February 20, 1944. Parents: Harry Arthur Blackmore and the late Joan Margot Knapman (née Densham).
KNAPMAN, Roger Maurice was born on February 20, 1944. Parents: Harry Arthur Blackmore and the late Joan Margot Knapman (née Densham).
Allhallows School, Lyme Regis. Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.
Before entering politics, he was a Chartered Surveyor. 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.
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 He stood as their candidate in the 2001 general election for North Devon, coming fourth yet narrowly retaining his deposit.
As leader of the only British party in the European Parliament to vote against the expansion of the European Union 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. He contested Totnes at the 2005 general election, coming 4th with 7.7% of the vote.
Knapman was the only leader of to have succeeded in completing a full four-year term until Farage successfully did so in 2014 after returning to the role in 2010.
From 2000, he was "s political advisor, and in 2002 he was elected unopposed as party leader.
He successfully defended his seat in the 1992 general election.
50th United Kingdom Parliament. 51st United Kingdom Parliament]
As a member of the Conservative Party, he was elected Member of Parliament for Stroud in 1987. In 2004 he was elected a Member of the European Parliament for the South West England constituency.
Spouse Carolyn Trebell Eastman. Children: one son. one d.