Nigel Farage's Brexit Party may relocate after 'malicious' trolling on TripAdvisor page

Nigel Farage’s newly adopted Brexit Party could move its headquarters from a £43-a-night bed and breakfast after its TripAdvisor page was flooded with “malicious” trolling.

The party is registered to a budget B&B called Annapurna, a set of converted barns near Norwich.

The guesthouse, which has a hot tub and a Buddha statue in its courtyard, is owned by Catherine Blaiklock who is registered as the new party’s leader and treasurer. However, she now plans to move the HQ out of the family-run business after pranksters took to hotel review sites to poke fun at the party.

Trolls gave Annapurna one-star reviews after Mr Farage, 54, announced his support for the party on Twitter.

One was titled “couldn’t wait to vote leave” while another punned “breakfast meant breakfast” and made a joke about “an advert on the side of a bus that promised a lot”.

Some commenters even gave the name “Gerard Batten”, pretending to be the Ukip leader. The comments have since been removed. A spokesman for the Brexit Party said they contacted Tripadvisor, adding: “This is transparent trolling. They are attempting to damage the business of somebody who dares to get involved in politics.

“For people who like to claim the high ground on Brexit, this is malice. It is done in spite, not out of a sense of humour — but bullying.”

The spokesman added: “There were lots of positive reviews before last week. The ratings have gone down from eight to 3.5 in a few days. It is a concerted, co-ordinated campaign of destruction.”

The spokesman said Ms Blaiklock was now planning to move the party’s headquarters out of the family-run business following the abuse.

Former City trader Ms Blaiklock, 55, ran as Ukip’s candidate for Great Yarmouth in the 2017 general election, finishing third with 6.3 per cent of the vote. She has vowed that her new party will field 200 candidates in elections for the European Parliament in May and claims supporters have pledged more than £1 million in donations.

In a tweet yesterday, Mr Farage claimed some 100,000 people have signed up to the new Brexit Party since it launched last week.

He quit Ukip in December after 25 years, saying he was unhappy with Mr Batten over his views on Islam and for welcoming far-Right activist Tommy Robinson into the party.

Supporters of the Brexit Party say it will ensure Britain leaves the EU.