Independently minded . . .

Few people who read 1984, George Orwell's vision of a totalitarian state ruling all humanity with the ruthlessness of a Stalin and Hitler combined, will ever forget the cautionary tale.

For Brian Lee it had a special significance.

"I first read it when I was about 16," he says. "Soon after that the European Movement started to bring out documents in support of British entry to what was then the Common Market.

"It suddenly clicked!" Orwell's nightmare. Europe. They were one and the same thing. Brian's conclusion: "For Europe to work, it has to go down the road of 1984."

Almost 30 years later that conviction remains central to his thinking, and Brian has poured much of his time and care into following where it leads.

He is the chairman of the south Essex branch of the UK Independence Party, dedicated to rescuing Southend, Basildon and Thurrock from the clammy clutches of the European Union.

His own daughter refers to the UKIP affectionately as "the Nutty Party", and even those essentially sympathetic to the cause wonder whether a political party smaller than many office Christmas parties can actually achieve anything for Britain.

Brian, though, is unfazed. "I do things I believe in. If I don't believe in them I don't do them," he says, and that's that.

He is a gently-spoken, tweed-clad architect with a sharp mind and a strongly developed sense of the ridiculous. When not doorstepping or licking envelopes he lives quietly with his wife Pamela in Hadleigh, "who agrees with me, but is far too sensible to be involved with politics."

It is hard to imagine a measured individual like this ranting from a soapbox, but Brian is keen to stress that the UKIP means business. In his scheme of things, it is the EU that is ridiculous, not the notion of British independence from it.

"If you look at the statistics," he points out, "you find countries that have a high gross domestic product. They are doing well, then they join the EU and they stop doing well.

"It's certainly applied to us. From the day we joined, I thought, this is barmy, why join something that is just headed downwards?

"Nobody yet has given me any good reason for being in the EU. It costs us billions. If we weren't wasting that money on Europe, we could have it to spend on education, health, the police."

Right now, similar-minded candidates are marshalling for the European elections in June. As well as co-ordinating the south Essex campaign, Brian is standing for the Eastern region.

It might sound odd that candidates should try to become members of a parliament that they want to show the door to, but Brian says: "It gives a signal that there is such a thing as a co-ordinated opposition.

"There is no other party that I personally could subscribe to. All the others are to a greater or lesser degree in favour of union. If people vote strongly enough for a party like ours, they can achieve something."

UKIP candidates are all rank amateurs, politically speaking. "None of us are career politicians. We've just come from the grass roots," he says.

If Brian Lee is typical, they are individuals with minds of their own and, as such, a complete contrast to the professional placemen and nonentities who, in Brian's words, "need to hang onto their place in Parliament to pay the mortgage."

Just because they are amateur it doesn't mean they don't play for high stakes. "You might say we don't stand a cat in hell's chance of becoming the party of government," Brian says. "That doesn't mean, though, that that isn't what we aim for."

As for the amateur bit, Brian feels that "once you seriously root for a cause, once you stand up and shout the odds, you have become a politician whether you like it or not".

The UKIP's problem is not the want of political skills or conviction, but money. Brian says that it would be lovely to get a few members into the European Parliament "so that we can tap into some funds from those enormous pay packets the MEPs get".

Brian earns his own crust as the resident building projects manager at Barking College, in Romford. An architect, he worked for development companies in his early career.

He came to Barking College in 1993 to do a course on computer draughtsmanship. "I started as a student in January '93 and by September '93 I was teaching."

Parts of the college, including the creche, are designed by Brian. At the moment, he is overseeing the college's £8-million new building programme. He is also chairman of the London branch of the Institute of Architectural Technologists.

In his career, he says, he has never been hugely ambitious -- "never saw myself as a Frank Lloyd Wright or a Le Corbusier". What a contrast to his political strategy.

Much of his pleasure comes from politics: "I've never found politics a thankless job. You meet a lot of nice people. They appreciate what you're doing. That's payment enough."

Brian's main relaxation is travel. Where does he go? Why, to the hated Europe.

Except, of course, that it isn't hated at all. "I love Europe," he beams. "I have a particular love for Brittany," he says. "But that doesn't mean I want to govern Brittany or them to govern us.

"It's quite possible to co-operate with people without imposing a formalised system."

No to Europe -- Brian Lee, chairman of the south Essex branch of the UKIndependence Party dedicated to keeping us out of the EU

Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.