Jane Collins

Jane Maria Collins (born 17 February 1962) is a British politician and horse show-jumper who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Yorkshire and the Humber from 2014 to 2019.

In 1985 her family moved to Selby and eventually bought a stable and livery yard at Willitoft which she helped run.

During this time she was involved in showing horses and show-jumping at the highest national levels.

An equine physiotherapist, she met Katie Bloom with whom she formed a partnership in 1995.

Katie Bloom was (and remains) married to Godfrey Bloom, who later became a UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEP.

One victim denounced the party's tactics as "disrespectful" after it launched a "1,400 reasons to vote" campaign, in reference to the estimated number of victims in the city between 1997 and 2013.

Collins' allegation was retweeted many times by UKIP supporters.

Collins became interested in the party, which she joined in 2003.

Collins stood for UKIP in the March 2011 Barnsley Central by-election triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Eric Illsley over the UK parliamentary expenses scandal.

She came second to Labour's Dan Jarvis, winning 12% of the vote.

This was the first time a UKIP candidate had come second in any election.

She again stood for UKIP in the November 2012 Rotherham by-election triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Denis MacShane, also over the expenses scandal.

She came second to Labour's Sarah Champion, winning almost 22% of the vote.

It was at the time the highest share of the vote achieved by UKIP in a by-election.

The by-election took place almost parallel with the inaugural police and crime commissioner elections.

The timing combined with press reports concerning child sexual exploitation in Rotherham led to questions about the selection of the Labour candidate for police and crime commissioner, Shaun Wright who had been the cabinet member of the council responsible for children's services.

During the by-election campaign a row also emerged after Rotherham's Labour council removed three foster children from the care of their foster parents, which the Daily Telegraph wrongly attributed to their membership of UKIP.

However, in May 2013, Rotherham council apologised, saying that communication about the decision gave the impression that it related to the couple's UKIP membership.

This impression was incorrect; the children were removed because it was in their "best interests", though full details couldn't be given "for legal reasons".

The council said it had "taken action to strengthen the way it made decisions and how it communicated information."

She was elected in May 2014 as a member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), but defected to the Brexit Party in 2019 in the last months of her membership of the European Parliament.

Collins served as UKIP's spokesperson on Employment law, Home Affairs and most recently on Animal Welfare.

Interviewed by the Observer ahead of the September 2014 UKIP conference and therefore unable to discuss their new policies, Collins described herself as a "progressive libertarian".

Referring to comments made by Godfrey Bloom on international aid (in a speech in which he referred to "Bongo-Bongo land"), she said that they were valid but badly expressed.

She was concerned about "a developing health problem" in Sheffield in relation to the Roma community of Slovak origin.

She claimed they had a higher incidence of hepatitis B—the subject of a planned vaccination program—which would put a greater strain on the health service.

She also called for those indigenous children who are in close contact with the Roma to be vaccinated as well.

In conclusion, journalist Daniel Boffey said Collins would continue Bloom's tradition of stirring controversy.

She was selected to top the party's regional list for Yorkshire and the Humber in the 2014 European Parliament elections.

Former UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom stated that he gave her his "wholehearted support" and that she "is almost certainly going to be the next UKIP MEP".

In November 2014, whilst campaigning for UKIP in the 2014 South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner by-election, Collins appeared to imply that Mark Russell, head of the evangelistic charity Church Army, was a paedophile.

Russell had posted support for the Labour Party candidate in the by-election; this prompted Collins to tweet "Yes because we’d soon stop your criminal activity. Paedos leave our kids alone. #UKIP".

Collins originally refused to apologise, but eventually deleted the tweet and offered to make a donation to the charity after Russell threatened to sue her.

Her tweet followed accusations that UKIP exploited the suffering of Rotherham sex abuse victims for political gain in the by-election.

On 15 April 2019 she announced that she was leaving the party to join the Brexit Party.

Collins was born in Pontefract, West Riding of Yorkshire and attended East Hardwick Junior School and Pontefract and District Girls High School, leaving at 18 with four GCE O-levels and a GCE A-level in Art.

On leaving school, Collins opted against going to college, preferring to develop an equestrian career.

She began her equestrian career with a racehorse training establishment in Moss, South Yorkshire.

From there she moved to Clarehaven Stables owned by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

At Clarehaven she became Head girl to Trainer Alex Stewart.