John Whittaker (born 7 June 1945) is a former UK Independence Party (UKIP) politician who was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the North West England region from 2004 to 2009.

[1] He stood for UKIP in the Littleborough and Saddleworth by-election in 1995 where he came 5th out of 10 candidates behind the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.

Whittaker was the UKIP's lead candidate in the North West for the European Parliament elections in 1999.

He contested the 2005 general election for the constituencies of Ashton under Lyne, Crosby, Heywood and Middleton, Hyndburn, Manchester Central, Rochdale, Stalybridge and Hyde and Wigan.

In September 2006, following the election of Nigel Farage as leader of UKIP, Whittaker was appointed party chairman.