Background
Booth was born in Paignton, Devon and educated at Torquay Boys" Grammar School.
Booth was born in Paignton, Devon and educated at Torquay Boys" Grammar School.
In the 1999 European Parliament elections, Booth was the number two candidate on the UKIP list for South West England. Booth was re-elected in 2004 with a greatly increased vote. In the 2005 General Election he contested the Torbay constituency in Devon, and gained 7.9% of the vote.
UKIP MEPs frequently claim that the European Parliament is a powerless talking shop, with real lawmaking power resting with the European Commission.
However, Graham Booth is credited with having helped save the Isles of Scilly helicopter shuttle service in his constituency by means of an astute parliamentary speech in 2003. The service, which is crucial to life on the islands, had been threatened with closure by a heavy-handed interpretation of a new European Union directive aimed at larger airlines.
Following Booth"s speech, an alliance between UKIP and the United Kingdom Labour Party MEPs persuaded the European Union Transport Commissioner to amend the directive, allowing the service (and similar "social carriers" across Europe) to continue in business. Booth retired from his role as a UKIP Member of the European Parliament on 1 October 2008 and was replaced by the next candidate on the list, Trevor Colman.
He continued to be a keen activist in and around the bay until his death in December 2011.
Before he entered politics, he was a businessman in the building and tourism trades. Consequently, he became an Member of the European Parliament in 2002 as the replacement for Michael Holmes, former party leader, when Holmes resigned from the European Parliament.
He was a member of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP).