#485* – EUkip HAS MUCH TO ACCOUNT
Clean EUkip up NOW & make UKIP electable!
The corruption of some of EUkip’s leadership
& NEC is what gives the remaining 10%
a bad name!
EUkip HAS MUCH TO ACCOUNT & NEAR TOTAL OBFUSCATION!
SOMETHING OF A ROUND UP ON FINANCES
By No Means Comprehensive!
It is extraordinary that the very Party that seems to have benefited most from the media driven false Parliamentary expenses scandal is the most tainted of all in the matter of shoddy accounting and obfuscation of the handling of money – The Farage Party sometimes known as EUkip.
The focus of attention has been on the 2.1/2 main parties at Westminster.
Yes there has been much folly in the administration and payment of ‘SECONDARY ALLOWANCES’ at Westminster, though exceeding profitable for the Press it has done little for our Parliament who had foolishly found themselves in this position – largely due to the clear and undeniable stupidity and incompetence of The Speaker and Gordon Brown in their handling of the very reasonable application under the FOI Act.
Every aspect of the handling of this matter has shown Gorbles Mick and Prudence to be clearly incompetent to the offices they hold/held and their latest efforts in trying to remedy their follies has led to a feeding frenzy for the media and the realisation that they haven’t the vaguest clue either what their job is or what the Constitutional position of OUR Parliament is!
This has left the utterly false impression that the only “clean” parties are the smaller ones. EUkip has by default seen its support in opinion polls treble as it rides this wave. Events dear boy, events! clearly this is just inflation of a particularly rancid bubble!
The reality is EUkip is riddled with allegations of financial fiddles, and a general atmosphere of untrustworthy behaviour, inculcating a deserved complete lack of trust amongst many who would wish to support it and many of these fiddles seem proven. Some are to do with the Party’s finances but this Blog deals with its MEPs.
It is worth noting that of the 12 UKIP MEPs elected in 2004, only 8 remain in the EUkip EU Parliamentary delegation of today.
Of the 12:
one was sent to prison,
one has been charged with false accounting and money laundering,
three have had to pay back misclaimed money
and
three have faced investigations by the EU fraud-busters OLAF.
Additionally only one EUkip MEP has been prepared to publish his expenses details.
Minded that we have written much on the corruption amongst EUkip’s leadership, here is a selection of facts, backed with supporting evidence:
1. ASHLEY MOTE MEP.
He was elected as a UKIP MEP for the South-East in 2004.
He had been charged prior to this with housing benefit fraud.
His case eventually came to court and he was found guilty.
He was given a 9 months prison sentence but continued to serve as an MEP.
EUkip did attempt to distance itself from Mote, but only after the charges became public. He had been a welcome candidate, parachuted in above David lott presumably as Farage felt he would, as the No. 2 candidate, enhance Farage’s own position.
Ashley was elected under the UKIP label.
(Relevant details are widely available on this Blog and on the web from newspaper sites etc.)
2. TOM WISE MEP.
Elected as a EUkip MEP for the unfortunate Eastern region.
He was exposed over his expenses claims and after an OLAF investigation the information was passed to the British police (Ian Williams of Bedfordshire Constabulary).
Wise was investigated and subsequently charged, with his researcher Lindsay Jenkins, false accounting and money laundering and is due in court the day after the European election results are declared (08-Jun-2009). .
(All details are widely available on this Blog and the web from newspaper sites).
EUkip leader Nigel Farage has claimed that Wise was expelled from EUkip immediately the matter arose.
This is totally false and an outright lie by Nigel Farage, it is not even a distortion of facts IT IS A LIE.
Tom Wise remained a member of EUkip until March 2009 when he chose to allow his membership to lapse. (Both Tom Wise and EUkip HQ can confirm this and you will note I published the letter from EUkip HQ signed by David Challis and dated in February reminding Wise to renew his membership and thanking him for his support whilst soliciting a donation! In early April EUkip HQ phoned Wise at home and spoke with his wife by name asking her for a donation towards the election!!!).
For a considerable time after the first allegations he was fully supported by EUkip, including after various internal inquiries.
Wise was later excluded from EUkip’s delegation in the European Parliament in a mutually advantageous and utterly duplicitous deal – Farage being a Chairman of the pro EU Ind.DemGroup was able to give him promotion within the EUkip/Ind.Dem.Group (he became a vice-president thereby enhancing his status and financial position!!).
Wise remained an elected EUkip MEP, a Branch Chairman and a party member until earlier this year.
(Former EUkip leader Roger Knapman MEP can to confirm all of this as it was he who duplicitously orchestrated some of the cover-ups! as could Trevor Colman who prostituted his Queens Commission as a senior Police Officer (rtd.), seemingly in return for preferment as No. 1 candidate in the SW and Piers Merchant who assisted in carrying out an internal inquiry and colluded in his criminality by orchestrating a cover-up).
3. Derek Clarke MEP.
He was elected as a EUkip MEP for the East Midlands in 2004.
He is currently under investigation by the EU’s anti-fraud body OLAF.
It is not known exactly why.
However it would seem to be fraud related and involve money laundering and it is claimed that Derek Clark uses EP money to employ a person (Andrew Fear) who in fact works as a membership officer for UKIP in the party headquarters in Devon and who does no work for Clark as an MEP.
Clark also paid for Niall Warry in a purely political position failing to tell Warry that his employment was fraudulently funded!
This is clearly known to be against EU expenses rules.
Derek Clark OLAF Case Number: D/007/033/04.09.08
Derek Clark OLAF Investigation Number: DD/FD-D2008.A1/7133/OF/2008/0240
4. Jeffrey Titford MEP.
Titford has been EUkip MEP for the Eastern region since 1999, when he was put in position by the circulation of a letter written by Christopher Booker & Bill Jamieson and circulated to ALL members by myself and also another more explanatory and detailed letter which I wrote and also circulated to all members.
Titford was a classic example of making the mistake of advocating voting for the lesser of several evils!
Titford has also been under investigation by OLAF.
He also has previously “employed” at least one person who was in fact working for the Party in the North East, Stephen Allison, although this arrangement was hurriedly terminated about two years ago when it was apparent OLAF & The Police were determined to bring Wise to Court.
Jeffrey Titford:
OLAF OF/2008/0764/Titford.
East Anglian Daily Times report said:
‘last night OLAF – the European Parliament’s Anti-Fraud Office – confirmed that the Essex Police decision had not ended the matter. “We have opened a file and we are taking steps to
gather all relevant information for an investigation,” said the spokesman.
5. Nigel Farage MEP.
MEP for the South East since 1999.
Farage became leader having taken advantage of corruption of the leadership election by:
Douglas Denny who was dumped by a majority vote of the NEC from the position of Returning Officer for dishonesty and deliberate corruption of the electoral process and abuse of his position and trust.
The new Returning Officer Geoffrey Kingscott is believed to have been promised General Secretary if Farage was elected and did virtually nothing to maintain a level playing field.
Annabell Fuller who went to hustings across Britain and introduced hersel as a press officer and lied and besmirched other leading candidates for Farage spreading unfounded (untrue) rumours of BNP membership and/or support!
This theme was aided and added to by the indisputable racist obsessions and lies of Mark Croucher.
David Lott & Jim Carver colluded in an attempt to undermine and attack a leading candidate.
David Lott, whilst employed by Farage mailed out attacks and praise to the oleagenous advantage of Farage filled with lies and distortion using privileged access to EUkip mailing lists and computers!
John Moran considered to be a funded placeman of Farage’s mailed out extensive lies to corrupt the election in favour of Farage.
Toby Mickelthwaite issued a letter corrupting the election by damning a lead candidate with faint praise.
EACH of these individuals were members in well placed positions or salaried staff dishonestly and corruptly aiding Farage to cheat to become leader.
Clearly – he who controls the cash would seem to control the weak and the dishonest with some ease!
Farage is believed to be under investigation, or has been investigated, by OLAF, both in his personal capacity as an MEP or in his role as co-leader of the IndDem Group over financial matters related to the pro EU Ind.Dem Group, which he chairs. OLAF were certainly making inquiries in February 2009.
Further when the Sunday Times published an article about Farage to which he took exception which showed again his hypocracy – claiming that he was employing his son and was under investigation by OLAF. Farage was unable to set aside the certainty of his hypocracy as he had already been exposed dishonestly employing his wife – well paying her with tax payers money and since neither his Political Assistant nor his Regional Organiser had any idea that she was on the payroll and clearly she was thus doing no meaningful work!
The Sunday Times had proved his hypocracy and dishonesty though they were happy to apologise for the inaccuracy of their comment regarding his son, the misunderstanding had come about as the result, I believe, of £10,000 paid to Farage by Graham Booth with which to buy a car and the perception this money went to Farage’s son – the Sunday Times were unable to fully corroborate this position or that attempts had been made to gain funding for Farage’s son from Trago Mills.
Interestingly however Carter Ruck, acting on Farage’s behalf were forced to write a letter of correction and apology that although they had denied it Farage WAS under investigation by OLAF.
We understand the compensation paid to Farage was a fraction of his initial claim and relatively reliable sources inform us that the sum received did not cover the costs gained by Farage and he had clearly lost his claim on a substantive part of the claim.
6. Both Jeffrey Titford and Nigel Farage
were caught out in the 1999-2004 Parliament for the misuse of expenses and had to pay back wrongly-claimed money. (Not certain where this can be confirmed but it is common knowledge within UKIP)
7. Former leader Roger Knapman MEP
Elected for the South West in 2004, is the only EUkip MEP who has published details of his expenses which can be seen on his website.
He has consistently offered to publish all details regularly and has advocated total transparency but as a leader was too weak and disorganised to actually carry the concept forward and left his Chairman Petrina Holdsworth high and dry most dishonourably when she acted to implement transparency. Knapman’s betrayal led to Holdsworth’s resignation as Chairman as he had totally undermined her authority.
He has criticised a culture of secrecy within EUkip but lacked the courage or integrity to act dithering for years, to the embarrassment of those who tried to assist him as he repeatedly ‘bottled out’ in the most venal and shameful manner.
In 2008 he finally plucked up the integrity to resigned from the UKIP delegation at Brussels as a protest over financial mismanagement and EUkip’s involvement with the Ind.Dem.Group. However he remained a member of EUkip, ineffectually faffing around like a myopic chicken.(many can confirm this – he has been utterly inconsequential in EUkip since damagingly orchestratic cover-ups of Wise and his criminality, his betrayal of Holdsworth’s attempt to clean up the party and his self serving hypocracy employing Poles in prefference to British workers and promoting his family People Traffiking business.
8. Robert Kilroy-Silk MEP
RKS was elected for East Midlands in 2004, after being parachuted in as No. 2 on the list which he accepted based on lies from Nigel Farage, which came back to haunt the party due to the complete incompetence or Officer Qualities of Farage.
RKS resigned from EUkip altogether early in the Parliament in disgust at the dishonesty describing EUkip’s leadership as ‘A bunch of Nutters’. One of his concerns was EUkip’s financial mis-management, which as an individual of substance he was unwilling to be held responsible for with no control. (Comments were openly made at the time)
9. Nigel Farage’s expenses.
Farage boasted that he had made £2m from expenses in a speech and this was later repeated by Denis McShane MP on the BBC’s Politics Today on 19 May.
Much detail is to be found if you CLICK HERE or LINK HERE and many more.
Farage has quickly attempted to row back from this gaff, made most likely under the influence of alcohol (in vino veritas).
However his statement (apologia!), which can be viewed if you CLICK HERE, is itself misleading. He claims he covers the cost of his “regional office.” In fact his own entry in the MEP’s register of interests reveals that the office is Free Of Charge and a donation (made by Julia Longhurst).
He has previously confirmed that he employs his wife (contrary to rules made by him and his own delegation in 2004 as a pledge to the electorate).
Farage has never explained precisely what his wife does for this £25,000 a year and no one else in EUkip appears to have any idea.
He claims to have used expenses to travel to meetings around the UK, although the NEC voted him a party budget for this purpose. (Former NEC members can confirm this, though I question anyone on the NEC now could be trusted, based on their track record of dishonesty and corruption!)
MEP’s EXPENSES
As a brief guide, which is far from complete as I have not included the huge scam based on pensions that most MEPs seem to enrich themselves with!
This is what UKIP MEPs can claim in expenses.
Do note the sterling amounts are approximate because of exchange rate variations etc.
This guide is based on the latest 2009 figures from the EU for a full year:
(A) Parliamentary Assistance Allowance
To employ or contract staff in the UK.
A job description must be given.
The staff must work for the MEP on his duties, not be transferred to a political party or elsewhere and must not engage in election work.
£175,920
(B) General Expenditure Allowance
To pay for a UK office (but not staff), UK travel, communication equipment.
May not be used to cover peronsal expenses or political subsidies.
£42,144
(C) Annual Travel Allowance
This is available for world travel and can also be used for hotels if undertaken “in the performance of their duties.”
This is generously interpreted and covers most foreign jollies.
Despite an agreement by EUkip MEPs in 2004 not to use this allowance, many EUkip MEPs have participated liberally in such jollies which can be incorporated into foreign holidays.
This allowance may NOT be used for travel within the UK.
Amount: £3,467
(D) Subsistence Allowance
A daily allowance for when in Brussels.
£249 per day. Most MEPs will spend four days a week in Brussels or Strasbourg , three out of every four weeks on average.
Annualised on that basis this amounts to £38,844
(E) A Travel Allowance to Brussels/Strasbourg
(in addition to the Annual Travel Allowance)
A fixed rate is paid calculated on the cost of travel from the constituency based on figures well above the real cost of cheap-rate travel.
Thus most MEPs are able to make a substantial profit by claiming the full fixed rate but actually travelling cut-price.
Profit can be as much as £800 per return journey. Thus a EUkip MEP could make as much as £31,200 a year in profit alone.
The total allowance in this case would be around £39,000.
Note this is very variable depending on the distance of the UK constituency from Brussels and the availability of cut-price flights or rail. (NB As many UKIP MEPs are over 60 they use senior citizens discounts to drive down the real cost of travel and can choose times of travel where the lowest price tickets are available).
(F) Free Medical care
All MEPs receive comprehensive free private medical care including dental treatment and free prescriptions. This also extends to spouse and dependent children. This perk includes “thermal cures,” acupuncture and transport costs. There are some limits – only 60 sessions are allowed for the following, among others: mud baths, hydromassage, electrotherapy, radar, ionisation, and only 30 sessions of aerosol therapy and irrigation.
Contact lenses are included as are hearing aids and artifical limbs as well as false teeth, gold crowns and veneers. The cost is dependent on how much medical help is needed but it does include a variety of health checks and scans for perfectly-healthy MEPs.
(G) Free insurance
MEPs receive free life assurance and accident insurance, and a generous
invalidity pension.
(H) Free language and computer courses
Free and unlimited hours with teachers at EP or a fixed allowance for teachers at home (including one to one) for lessons in five main EU languages. Also free computer lessons up to a maximum amount anywhere in UK or at EP
(I) Retirement pension
UK MEPs are entitled to the same generous pension that MPs receive.
They may also top this up under the additional voluntary scheme.
Under this for every £1 paid in by the MEP, the EU adds £2.
Many MEPs apparently pay £4,000 of their own allowances into this fund per month – it is tax free!
(J) Salary
And, of course, MEPs receive a salary which is the same as MPs.
They do pay tax on this, which of course they do not on any of their allowances,
including those which openly make a profit (eg travel to Brussels allowance).
Salary £63,000pa
(K) MEP’s Allowances
UKIP MEPs also have access to a further allowance, from what is known as the 4000 Budget.
This is ostensibly for use in PR and Communications but is loosely administerd!
The budget is about £20,000 a year.
In some cases EUkip MEPs have used the money themselves – in other cases it has been pooled and used for campaigning.
The EUkip leadership have consistently refused to publish details of how the sums have been spent.
Transparency
Before 1999 Nigel Farage (shortly to be MEP) promised that, if elected, all EUkip MEP’s would publish all details of their allowances & expenses and how the money had been spent. (This is a matter of public record).
Sadly Farage and all EUkip MEPs since lied.
After election this wasn’t done and still hasn’t been.
Indeed Farage has consistently blocked requests from within his Party to publish details even to the Party’s national executive. (Ex NEC members will confirm).
You will note that these same lies are a main plank of his campaigning again in 2009 – he has even lied on National media claiming he HAS published the details on Open EUrope’s web site. Go check there is no such entry and not only has he lied but the editors of Open EUrope have denounced his lies.
Various additions pertain for Group Chairmen, Party leaders, Vice Chairmen etc.
Certain allocations are made through Groups in addition, clearly it is possible to skim these – thus a % of travel or salary for others could be syphoned off.
Consider the £250,000 from The Ind.Dem.Group which was obtained for a petition which never took place and seemingly the money was never accounted and may well have been trousered.
CONTACTS
OLAF:
for press enquiries :
Communication, PR and Spokesman Unit
olaf-press@ec.europa.eu
Phone: +32-2-296.75.47
or
Direction A – Investigations & Operations I (European institutions, agencies & bodies, direct expenditures and external aid)
+32-2-299.87.68
EUkip HQ (based at Lexdrum House, Devon) 01626 831290
EUkip MEPs:
Nigel Farage (mobile) 07802 597692
Tom Wise 01525 379261
Roger Knapman 01822 860254
Trevor Colman 01626 831340
Derek Clark 01604 636002
Jeffrey Titford 07836 223090 (may be out of date)
Robert Kilroy Silk 0034 952 894301 (Spanish home)
Ashley Mote 07836 220223
Others:
Dr Eric Edmunds (former EUkip NEC member) 01935 881707
Dr David Abbott (former EUkip NEC member) 01271 813455
Del Young (former EUkip NEC member) 01455 615100
Martin Haslem (former EUkip NEC member and deputy treasurer) 01444 247871 or 01444 483105
Bruce Lawson (former EUkip treasurer) 01686 668004
All above are believed to be unhappy over financial sleaze in Farage’s EUkip.
Trevor Colman 01626 – 777 542 or 01626 – 830 628 (Carried out a cover-up of Tom Wise’s criminality for Roger Knapman and seemingly preferment on the candidate lists)
Piers Merchant 01805 622587 (carried out one of the cover-ups on Tom Wise)
Andrew Fear 01626 831280 (direct line) or 01626 831290 (switchboard)
Stephen Allison 07900 803052 Home 01429 838168 or in Campaign HQ London
Addendum to Briefing on UKIP
MEP’s Allowances
UKIP MEPs also have access to a further allowance from what is known as the 4000 Budget. This is for use in PR and Communications but is loosely administerd. The budget is about £20,000 a year. In some cases UKIP MEPs have used the money themselves; in other cases it has been pooled and used for campaigning. The UKIP leadership have consistently refused to publish details of how the sums have been spent.
Transparency
Prior to the 1999 Nigel Farage MEP promised that, if elected, all UKIP MEP’s would publish all details of their allowances and how the money had been spent. (In the public record). After election, however, this wasn’t done and still hasn’t been. Indeed Farage has consistently blocked requests from within his Party to publish details even to the Party’s national executive. (Ex NEC members will confirm).
TO LEAVE THE EU
What is the exit and survival plan for these United Kingdoms to maximise on the many benefits of leaving The EU. It is the DUTY of our Politicians and Snivil Cervants to ensure the continuity, liberty and right to self determination of our peoples they have a DUTY to protect against crime and secure both our food and our border.
NONE of these DUTIES has a single British politician upheld for 40 years. They have drawn their incomes fraudulently and dishonesty.
Politicians are failing to tell the truth, but so are almost all wanabe Politicians, the MSM and Snivil Cervants.
The fact is that even if EVERY British MEP wanted change in The EU it would achieve NOTHING.
Every single British Politician, of EVERY Party, elected since before we joined the EUropean Common Market, has promised to change The EU’s CAP – In 40 Years they have achieved absolutely NOTHING!
To try to put a value on OUR Freedom is as futile as floccipaucinihilipilification and as odious as the metissage of our societies, as we rummage in the ashes of our ancestors dreams, sacrifices and achievements, the flotsam of our hopes and the jetsam of our lives, consider the Country and Anglosphere which we leave our children and the future, with shame!
Regards,
Greg L-W.
01291 – 62 65 62
PLEASE POST THIS TAG AS FOLLOWS:ON YOUR eMAILS & BLOGS, FORUM POSTINGS & MAILINGS – GET THE MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE IT IS OUR BEST HOPE AS WHOEVER IS APPOINTED WILL MAKE NO DIFFERENCE AS PROVED!
I SUGGEST – since there is clearly no political party of repute, advocating or campaigning for withdrawal of these United Kingdoms from the EU and restoration of our independent sovereign, democracy, with Justice & the right to self determination in a free country. Deny the self seeking & meaningless wanabe MEPs the Mythical Mandate for which they clamour. Diktat is imposed from The EU but Law should be made at Westminster, for our Country & our Peoples.
Write Upon Your Ballot Paper:
Leave_The_EU
Greg Lance - Watkins (Greg_L-W)
Ukip-vs-EUkip 