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Ukip's policy chief has quit just six weeks ahead of the party's manifesto launch in February.

Head of Policy Tim Aker, who was expected to complete the 2015 policy platform before its launch at the Ukip spring conference next month, has been replaced by deputy chairman Suzanne Evans.

A Ukip spokesman said Aker chose to step down on January 12th following his election to Thurrock Borough Council on December 5th.

Aker is also standing as the party's general election candidate for Thurrock, hoping to unseat Tory MP Jackie Doyle-Price.

Earlier reports suggested Aker had been sacked for failing to deliver the manifesto on time, but this was denied by the party.

A party spokesman said: "The full policy platform is and always was scheduled for the Ukip Spring Conference at the end of February."

He also the manifesto was "almost entirely" Aker's work and said replacing him with just weeks to go before its launch was not an indication of problems with the document's preparation.

Last night, The Times reported a senior insider fuming: "There was growing disquiet that none of us had seen hide nor hair on the policy front. It was especially annoying for candidates, who are banned from making any specific pledges before the manifesto is published. They don’t know what to tell voters on the doorstep."

Aker's replacement, Suzanne Evans, took to Facebook this morning to praise Aker's work, saying his commitments as an MEP, local councillor and election candidate meant he "simply couldn't continue" with the full time job of developing the manifesto.

She also addressed the Times' claims that he'd been sacked, describing it as "codswallop".

"He was keen to hand the brief over," she said. "And I feel very sorry that he is having to face some appalling lies form mischievous journalists.

"Still, we all knew this campaign was going to be bloody..."

The forthcoming manifesto is the party's first full policy document since their notorious 2010 election platform, dismissed by Nigel Farage as "drivel."

As well as her new responsibility for Ukip policy, Suzanne Evans is deputy party chairman and the party's general election candidate for Shrewsbury & Atcham.

Evans wrote a book last year entitled Why Vote Ukip? - in which she suggests the party would demand all tourists visiting the UK prove they have medical insurance and that meat imports leave us at risk of Ebola if they were in power.

She also suggests the party would seek to abolish the Ministry of Justice.