Ray Finch

{{For multi|the judge|Raymond L. Finch|the potter|Ray Finch (potter)}}

{{short description|British politician (born 1963)}}

{{Use British English|date=October 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Ray Finch

| birthname =

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Rayfinch2.PNG

| alt =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|6|2|df=y}}

| birth_place = Liverpool, England

| constituency_MP = South East England

| parliament = European

| majority =

| term_start = 1 July 2014

| term_end = 1 July 2019{{cite web |title=Key dates ahead|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/elections-press-kit/0/key-dates-ahead |publisher=European Parliament |access-date=28 May 2019 |date=20 May 2017}}{{cite web |title=Key dates ahead|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48365702|publisher=BBC News |access-date=28 May 2019 |date=22 May 2017}}

| leader = Paul Nuttall
Steve Crowther (Acting)
Henry Bolton
Gerard Batten

| predecessor = James Elles

| successor = Robert Rowland

| party = UK Independence Party (until April 2019)
Brexit Party (April–May 2019)

| otherparty =

| alma_mater =

| module = {{Collapsed infobox section begin |Other UKIP offices

|cont = yes

|titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey}}{{Infobox officeholder

|embed = yes

| office1 = UKIP Spokesperson for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

| term_start1 = 6 December 2016

| term_end1 = 16 April 2019

| successor1 = Vacant

| office2 = UKIP Spokesperson for Defence

| predecessor2 = Henry Bolton

| term_start2 = 17 February 2018

| term_end2 = 17 April 2019

| leader2 = Gerard Batten

| successor2 = Mike Hookem

| office3 = Leader of UKIP in the European Parliament

| term_start3 = 7 January 2017

| term_end3 = 14 April 2018
Deputy Leader: 14 April 2018 - 16 April 2019

| predecessor3 = Paul Nuttall

| successor3 = Gerard Batten (Leader)
Stuart Agnew (Deputy)

| office4 = UKIP Spokesperson for Housing

| term_start4 = 6 December 2016

| term_end4 = 14 April 2018

| predecessor4 = Andrew Charalambous

| successor4 = Andrew Charalambous

| office5 = UKIP Spokesperson for Fisheries

| term_start5 = 24 July 2014

| term_end5 = 29 November 2016

| predecessor5 = Office established

| successor5 = Mike Hookem

{{Collapsed infobox section end}}

}}

}}

Raymond Finch (born 2 June 1963) is a British politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England between 2014 and 2019.

The fourth named candidate on the UK Independence Party (UKIP) list for the South East England constituency, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament after the 2014 European Parliamentary Election.

Finch was the leader of the UKIP group on Hampshire County Council, standing down on election to the European Parliament.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/eu-regions/E15000008|title=Vote2014 - South East|website=BBC News|access-date=26 May 2014}} He resigned as a councillor in January 2017 following his appointment as head of the UK Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy delegation in the European Parliament.{{cite news|last1=Carr|first1=Michael|title='I am unable to continue': Hampshire UKIP councillor Ray Finch quits|url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/15016473._I_am_unable_to_continue___Hampshire_UKIP_councillor_quits/|access-date=5 December 2017|work=Daily Echo|date=12 January 2017}}

On 17 April 2019, Finch left UKIP to join the Brexit Party.{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/124941/RAYMOND_FINCH/history/8|title=Raymond Finch - 8th parliamentary erm|work=European Parliament|access-date=18 April 2019}} He was not selected as a Brexit Party candidate for the 2019 European Parliamentary election, and ceased to sit as a Brexit Party MEP on 26 May 2019.