Death of first UKIP MEP for East Anglia Jeffrey Titford

Mr Titford lived near Clacton and ran his family's funeral director business for many years until he decided to become involved in politics.

He is seen as one of the godfathers of Brexit - he was one of three UKIP MEPs elected in 1999, the first year elections were held by proportional representation.

Another fellow Brexit MEP elected that year was Nigel Farage, in the South East of England.

Mr Titford became leader of the party in 2000 and served for three years, bringing stability and respectability to its campaigns. During this period, he made 70 speeches a year. He also served as interim leader from September to November 2010.

Jeffrey Titford has died at the age of 90 (Image: Contributed)

He led several delegations of fishermen to see UK agriculture ministers in Westminster and also took a delegation to meet the European Commissioner for Fishing in Brussels.  

He wrote monthly columns for the East Anglian Daily Times, the Hertfordshire Mercury and Farmers Guide and made many appearances on regional television. 

Mr Titford’s political career began in 1970, when he became a councillor on the Clacton Urban District Council.

He ended his association with the Conservative Party in 1992, in protest over Prime Minister John Major’s signing of the Maastricht Treaty.  

He joined Sir James Goldsmith’s Referendum Party and stood in the general election of 1997 in Harwich when he was the party’s most successful candidate, securing almost 10% of the vote in a seat where the Tories were surprisingly beaten.

He then established a UKIP branch in Clacton and a regional committee, which led to his successful campaign in the European Elections in 1999.

He was re-elected to the European Parliament in 2004, with a greatly increased share of the vote and UKIP also returned a second MEP. He retired from European politics in 2009.

Mr Titford is survived by his wife Margaret, one son, three daughters, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.