‘Lost’ £118,000 donations shake UKIP

Anthony Butcher · 18-02-2007, 08:22 PM

From the Sunday Telegraph apparently (although I can't find a web link):

Quote:

Daniel Foggo

THE United Kingdom Independence party (UKIP) is being investigated over donations totalling £118,000 that apparently disappeared.

The Electoral Commission is looking at why the donations, made by individuals in five instalments, the biggest of which was £50,000, never appeared in any of its four main bank accounts and bypassed UKIP’s treasurer.

The commission was notified of the discrepancy after it was leaked in a letter written by Bruce Lawson, the treasurer, in which he threatened to resign, while warning that the matter could “haunt us for years” and create difficulties with the authorities.

“I joined UKIP because I thought we were different to the other parties but even on the grounds of expediency I will not be associated with this sort of behaviour,” he wrote in the letter, which was sent to Nigel Farage, the party leader, and David Campbell Bannerman, his deputy.

Describing the missing £118,000 as a “very serious situation”, he added: “I fear that my faith in the transparency of party dealings is greatly diminished.”

The money consisted of five cheques: £50,000 and £23,000 from Alan Bown, a bookmaker, whose registered donations total £219,000 over the past three years; £20,000 from Charles Robertson, a private donor; and £15,000 and £10,000 respectively from the UKIP MEPs Roger Knapman and Derek Clark.

The five cheques, donated in March and April 2005, for use in the general election campaign, were declared to the Electoral Commission but did not pass through the party’s main bank accounts. “This £118,000 does not appear to have been entered into the books,” Lawson wrote in the letter, dated October 6 last year. “These five cheques were not banked in any of the four Royal Bank of Scotland accounts . . . I have been badly misled.”

Lawson, whose concerns contributed to the accounts being filed with the commission six months late, said that unless “full disclosure” was made of the secret account he would resign. “The Electoral Commission could quite rightly be very difficult if they knew the full circumstances and they are already pursuing us.”

This weekend, Lawson declined to answer whether he was given access to the account that received the money.

Farage said he could not say whether Lawson had been given access to the account.

“The money was declared but I don’t think the internal bookkeeping on it was as good as it could have been,” he said.

“There had been an account set up for the general election out in the west country and intitially Bruce just could not find where this money was and that was the reason for his letter.

“Bruce refused to submit our accounts to the Electoral Commission until he was 100% sure he could stake his professional reputation on the quality of the accounts.

“He felt the information was not, and I think rightly, up to the sufficient standard, so he made bloody sure that it was before it was submitted.”

The Electoral Commission declined to comment other than to state : “We have written to the party on a number of issues including the late submission of the accounts.”

Anthony Butcher · 18-02-2007, 08:44 PM

A related email that is doing the rounds in the public domain (presented for information only):

Quote:

Dear Sir,
if you thought the revelations about UKIP in today's broadsheets more than a little worrying (especially if you are one of its members) you might like to ponder on the fact that what is now in the public domain represents but the tip of a very large iceberg!

So, if I may be so bold, following the revelations in today's media, Mr Farage should be required to answer some very serious questions.

1 If the Ashford Call Centre was so successful, and a model of financial integrity - as Farage suggests in the Sunday Telegraph (see below), why is it that the UKIP Cabal thwarted an attempt by members of the NEC, last Summer, to have the Ashford Call Centre audited? Why did the Treasurer resign and why has the new party Treasurer refused to answer questions relating to Ashford?

2 Why has the Ashford Call Centre subsequently generated a £19k loss, following its mothballing?

3 Why were donors to the party led into believing that their contributions were for the party, nationally, but actually paid into the local SE Region? This was a gross misapplication and misuse of funds for a purpose other than that intended. In any other organisation this would create a scandal of misrepresentation, and possibly fraud, and it is arguably a matter for the police to investigate.

4 Mr Farage boasts :
"The Ashford call centre was something that I opened up. It doubled the party's membership and it made a very substantial profit. It's the single most successful thing U KIP has ever done. " I wonder if all those who saw their money disappear would agree with him?

One is reminded of the Bromley by-election which Mr Farage - whose garrulous patter might be likened to that of a cheap second hand car salesman - described as a great success - at a cost of nearly £30/vote or £80,000 to the party. If that was a success, and if Ashford - where 89% (minimum) of funds disappeared into a black hole - was also a success, one hates to think of what Nigel would describe as failure!

5 Mr Farage states funds were spent on DVDs and videos. Where are these materials? As far as I have been able to ascertain, the membership was never provided with DVDs and videos .

6 Given that it is claimed that the Ashford donations were paid into the SE Region's accounts, why does the SE Regional accounts explain the expenditure of funds as 'other costs'? What were those costs?

On the Electoral Commission's website, the SE region's expenditure for 2004 was put at £429k and £122k in 2005. Of this, 'other costs' are put at £211k in 2004 and £76k in 2005. Given the absence of salaried personnel, where has this money disappeared?

Considering the more than generous remuneration of Mr Farage in his role as an MEP, not least his colossal expense budget, why were funds diverted into the SE when they were required urgently elsewhere in the country? Could it be that Mr Farage employed the funds merely to secure his own support base in the SE, thus securing his continuance as an MEP, to the detriment of other regions?

Meanwhile, do consider what has become of the funds Nigel Farage pledged to the party in the form of making across his generous travel expenses, when he was elected as an MEP in 2004?

Why is it that old age pensioners have been asked to donate ill-afforded funds while their party leaders - and Farage in particular - draw princely salaries and expense perks without providing a worthwhile contribution to the party which elected them?

Finally, the latest resignation from the UKIP NEC demonstrates that reality in UKIP is very different indeed from the perception of its members. And that perception has been generated by the chatter of someone who would fit better onto the sales forecourt of an East London garage than the office of leader of a British political party.

Linda Guest's comment, (the latest NEC member to leave in disgust) quoted below, is damning:

"I see no point in supporting any party that is controlled by a leadership that displays such contempt for democracy when it comes to its own members."

Yours sincerely

George Clifford

I have no idea who this chap is, and can't find any web references to him in relation to UKIP.

Besoeker · 18-02-2007, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

I have no idea who this chap is, and can't find any web references to him in relation to UKIP.

Maybe just a member of the public asking pointed questions?

Chip · 18-02-2007, 10:36 PM

One is reminded of the Bromley by-election which Mr Farage - whose garrulous patter might be likened to that of a cheap second hand car salesman - described as a great success - at a cost of nearly £30/vote or £80,000 to the party. If that was a success, and if Ashford - where 89% (minimum) of funds disappeared into a black hole - was also a success, one hates to think of what Nigel would describe as failure!

I understood that Nigel paid for this himself. Was this correct? If so then the e-mail from George Clifford is suspect and seems more like a plant to me.

Bluemerle · 18-02-2007, 11:43 PM

Quote:

I understood that Nigel paid for this himself. Was this correct? If so then the e-mail from George Clifford is suspect and seems more like a plant to me.

Donations, donations, donations!!!!

Mark Croucher · 19-02-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Besoeker

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

I have no idea who this chap is, and can't find any web references to him in relation to UKIP.

Maybe just a member of the public asking pointed questions?

Or maybe another member of the BNP stirring the pot with its usual load of half truths and half-baked nonsense which is swallowed whole by the gullible and the troublemakers. I received this from Edwards, who was slung out of UKIP for links to the BNP, by e-mail.

Mark

mkpdavies · 19-02-2007, 10:54 AM

Edwards doesn't deny being BNP anymore does he?

I had to block him from spamming me wih pro BNP propaganda.

Jim Smith · 19-02-2007, 05:08 PM

Does Mark Croucher deny that treasurer Bruce Lawson

"wrote in the letter, dated October 6 last year. “These five cheques were not banked in any of the four Royal Bank of Scotland accounts . . . I have been badly misled.”"

or is that also "made up" and a "trifling matter"?

Milo · 19-02-2007, 07:27 PM

These are all lies to try and destroy the party :!:
I take everything with a pinch of salt if it’s not an official UKIP statement.

Milo · 19-02-2007, 07:30 PM

Honestly I’m just so fed up of all this backstabbing and conspiracy nonsense.

19-02-2007, 10:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 32,078 Party: Libertarian Party	Edwards doesn't deny being BNP anymore does he? I had to block him from spamming me wih pro BNP propaganda. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Lib Dems

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

18-02-2007, 10:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
Chip Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North West UK Posts: 618	One is reminded of the Bromley by-election which Mr Farage - whose garrulous patter might be likened to that of a cheap second hand car salesman - described as a great success - at a cost of nearly £30/vote or £80,000 to the party. If that was a success, and if Ashford - where 89% (minimum) of funds disappeared into a black hole - was also a success, one hates to think of what Nigel would describe as failure! I understood that Nigel paid for this himself. Was this correct? If so then the e-mail from George Clifford is suspect and seems more like a plant to me.

19-02-2007, 05:08 PM	#8 (permalink)
Jim Smith Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 123	Does Mark Croucher deny that treasurer Bruce Lawson "wrote in the letter, dated October 6 last year. “These five cheques were not banked in any of the four Royal Bank of Scotland accounts . . . I have been badly misled.”" or is that also "made up" and a "trifling matter"?

19-02-2007, 07:27 PM	#9 (permalink)
Milo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Leicestershire Posts: 134 Party: UKIP	These are all lies to try and destroy the party :!: I take everything with a pinch of salt if it’s not an official UKIP statement.

19-02-2007, 07:30 PM	#10 (permalink)
Milo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Leicestershire Posts: 134 Party: UKIP	Honestly I’m just so fed up of all this backstabbing and conspiracy nonsense.