Who is Olly Neville?

About Me

Short CV
  • March 2010        - Joined UKIP
  • March 2011        - Helped campaign at Barnsley, was thanked on stage by Jane Collins for my time
  • August 2011       - Became YI Elections Officer, helped organise the YI target seat campaign
  • October 2011     - Co-founded and became Chairman of York University UKIP Society
  • October 2011     - Organised a grassroots 'money bomb' supporting Nigel Farage on Question Time raising the party several hundred pounds
  • November 2011 - Represented UKIP at the Young Britons' Foundation conference
  • December 2011  - Organised and attended YI action days in Feltham and Heston
  • January 2012      - Attended the Republican Primary in Nevada working for the Ron Paul campaign, and built links between UKIP and seasoned US campaigners
  • February 2012     - Awarded the Dolphin Award for Activism by Young Britons' Foundation 
  • February 2012     - Orgnaised another grassroots money bomb supporting Paul Nuttall on Question Time again raising significant funds
  • March 2012         - Became YI Social Media Director, in charge of online presence including YI's Facebook, Twitter and Independence Home blog
  • March 2012        - Represented UKIP on the Trinity School Question Time panel alongside Gavin Barwell MP and the Bishop of Bath and Wells
  • April 2012          - Represented UKIP at Liberty League
  • May 2012           - Helped with London Mayoral elections 
  • October 2012     - Used YI's growing online presence with IndHome to help campaign for the Police Crime Commisioner elections
  • November 2012 - Assisted in the Rotherham by-election with campaigning
Long CV
I joined UKIP in 2010 when I was 18, a few months before the General Election. It was the first time I was able to vote and, as in every election since, I was proud to put my mark next to the UKIP candidate. UKIP is the only political party I have ever been a member of and the only one I would ever want to be in.
My first real taste of UKIP was in 2011. I had had very little contact with YI and only knew of them through the official UKIP forum, but I was asked to assist at the parliamentary by election in Barnsley. Barnsley was where I first met YI members and saw how effective at campaigning we could be. Wayne Harling and Nathan Brittain spent three straight weeks in that constituency, and while joining them at every moment in days when I had no lectures, it was clear that they had delivered at least 75% (if not more) of the leaflets. We came 2nd with our best ever by-election performance to date.

I became YI elections officer in August of 2011 when Chris Cassidy stood down from the post. I spent my time in the post focusing on assisting YI members who were standing in local by-elections as well as improving YI turnouts at parliamentary by-elections. The only by-election that happened during my term was in Feltham and Heston, where YI put in impressive turnouts at our action days.

In October, Jacob Campbell and I set up the York University UKIP Society and I was elected Chairman. Godfrey Bloom came down to help us launch and we held our inaurgal event with Steven Woolfe speaking. Helping set up the society showed me both how difficult tackling campus bureaucracy is, but how important and influential University societies can be

I became YI Social Media Director in March of 2012. Since then I have created our Twitter account, which has gained over 1700 followers in the last 8 months, as well as seeing our Facebook page double in likes over the same period to 1000. I also revived the YI blog Independence Home which has seen regular contributions by YI members and is currently being updated. Social Media was where I first tried out the idea of using a sub-team, and with help from Chris Hall, Lee Jenkins, Christina Annesley, Rob Zima and Miroslav Jahoda the Twitter and Facebook feeds are updated around the clock, allowing YI to improve its Social Media output to a level that one person alone could not achieve. If Chairman I will attempt to increase the use of sub-teams to help all council members achieve their goals as effectively as possible.

I have represented UKIP at many events, including YBF, Liberty League and TFA events, organisations I wish to build closer links with in the future as these are natural recruiting grounds for UKIP. I have also spoken for UKIP at Question Time events alongside sitting MPs and members of the House of Lords.

In short, my entire politically active life I have been a member of UKIP. I joined as soon as I possibly could and have done everything I can to help move this party forward. YI really is the future and I believe that my ideas for YI could make us a youth wing fitting for the third largest party in the UK.