United Kingdom Independence party accused of diverting EU allowances

Anthony Butcher · 23-02-2008, 09:41 PM

United Kingdom Independence party accused of diverting EU allowances - Times Online

Quote:

THE leader of the eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence party (UKIP) is employing his son as his assistant, using taxpayers’ money, despite the young man being in full-time education.

Nigel Farage’s 19-year-old son Sam is being paid to work for his MEP father through his European Union expenses allowance, despite being a politics student at Exeter University.

Farage’s use of public funds to pay his son is comparable to the case of the disgraced Tory MP Derek Conway, who employed both his sons using parliamentary expenses despite one being a full-time university student.
The revelation comes after a confidential EU report showed that MEPs from a cross-section of parties were abusing staff allowances, which total almost £100m per year.

Farage also employs his wife Kirsten as a £24,000-a-year secretary using public funds. He is being investigated by Olaf, the EU’s antifraud watchdog. Olaf is examining allegations that UKIP has used taxpayers’ money to fund the party over several years, including while Farage, an outspoken critic of MEPs exploiting the EU “gravy train”, has been at the helm.

Olaf has been alerted to UKIP’s use of allowances meant for funding MEPs’ assistants to pay the salaries of party workers. EU rules state that the allowance, of about £125,000 per MEP, should not be used to fund national party workers.

Following the revelation of the confidential EU report last week, Farage publicly criticised the abuse and condemned the EU’s attempt to “brush the matter under the carpet”, telling Newsnight, on BBC television, that UKIP was in Europe “to expose this sort of thing”.

However, leaked e-mails reveal that Farage and his colleagues have failed to provide the EU with requested information about how it gives its regional organisers in Britain jobs as MEPs’ assistants so that their salaries can be paid from public funds.

Farage, who says his party has done nothing wrong, insists that the regional organisers do their party work “in their spare time”, a claim contradicted by a former UKIP regional organiser.
Farage refused to comment on his employing his son, saying: “I am fed up with answering ridiculous questions.”

In an e-mail sent to Farage last July, Koen Snijders, who works for the EU’s general finance directorate, said the UKIP leader and his MEPs’ accountant, Robin Collett, had “promised to produce evidence regarding this expenditure” four months earlier but none had materialised.

Last night Farage said that the paperwork would eventually be supplied.
A survey by The Sunday Times has found that almost a third of the UK’s 78 MEPs boost their family income by paying their spouse or children from their allowance. Labour councillors have donated £1.6m of their expenses to help to get the party out of debt

Eurosceptic Atlanticist · 23-02-2008, 10:02 PM

BANG! Credibility lost.

mkpdavies · 23-02-2008, 10:04 PM

Jesus Christ.

I'm begining to feel ashamed I ever had anything to do with UKIP.

Aardvark · 23-02-2008, 10:12 PM

Foggo will have double-checked the information on Farage as he wouldn't risk a libel writ.

We are in the same mess as every other party. People just don't know how to handle these matters professionally.

The EU gravy train is open to collective abuse. Former UKIPpers RKS and Ashley Mote have both used their spouses as 'researchers' or secretaries. There remains a cloud over Tom Wise. Now Farage is in the public eye. That makes a third of our original 12. Let's hope it doesn't get worse.

mkpdavies · 23-02-2008, 10:17 PM

I excpect it of the old parties, but UKIP were supposed to be against this sort of thing. Indeed, Farage had the nerve to go on Newsnight, and scoff at this sort of thing.

My contempt for him couldn't be any more. He is a ******* traitor, just like Mote and Wise.

mkpdavies · 23-02-2008, 10:18 PM

Oh and if Kernow runs along to defend this ****** again, I think I'll puke.

chikrodah · 23-02-2008, 10:26 PM

It has to be said, the news about Farage's wife can hardly come as a shock. That got fed to the Times in both March and May last year. No doubt Farage got asked enough "ridiculous questions" about her employment then.

What does come across in the article is that, yet again, the in-fighting amongst UKIP's MEPs and staff (or ex-staff) has reached the levels one would expect of Mafia bosses in bad movies.

Chip · 23-02-2008, 10:40 PM

"Labour councillors have donated £1.6m of their expenses to help to get the party out of debt"

I think this is much more interesting. Is this legal? is it right? Since when has the taxpayer had to save political parties from going broke. I know it's OK for a Bank because Gordon says so, but not The Labour Party.

Well if it is OK then it's time for the Raving Monster Looney Party to come back. Or is it already in charge anyway?

mkpdavies · 23-02-2008, 10:43 PM

True, the whole think really is sick making.

Mark Croucher · 23-02-2008, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eurosceptic Atlanticist

BANG! Credibility lost.

I think you'll find these allegations are bollox. And you can put money on that.

Rgds

Mark

23-02-2008, 10:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
Eurosceptic Atlanticist Uber Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: The West Country Posts: 5,318 Party: Libertarian Party	BANG! Credibility lost. __________________ Ubuntu User \| Get Ubuntu! \| Ubuntu Social Group \| Ubuntu Forum Firefox User \| Get Firefox! \| Firefox Social Group \| Firefox Forum NO2ID Supporter \| Join NO2ID! \| NO2ID Group \| NO2ID Forum

23-02-2008, 10:04 PM	#3 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,328	Jesus Christ. I'm begining to feel ashamed I ever had anything to do with UKIP. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

23-02-2008, 10:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
Aardvark Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Oxonia Posts: 2,806	Foggo will have double-checked the information on Farage as he wouldn't risk a libel writ. We are in the same mess as every other party. People just don't know how to handle these matters professionally. The EU gravy train is open to collective abuse. Former UKIPpers RKS and Ashley Mote have both used their spouses as 'researchers' or secretaries. There remains a cloud over Tom Wise. Now Farage is in the public eye. That makes a third of our original 12. Let's hope it doesn't get worse. __________________ When in Woking do as the Wokes do. "I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008

23-02-2008, 10:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,328	I excpect it of the old parties, but UKIP were supposed to be against this sort of thing. Indeed, Farage had the nerve to go on Newsnight, and scoff at this sort of thing. My contempt for him couldn't be any more. He is a ******* traitor, just like Mote and Wise. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

23-02-2008, 10:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,328	Oh and if Kernow runs along to defend this ****** again, I think I'll puke. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

23-02-2008, 10:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
chikrodah Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Midlands Posts: 895	It has to be said, the news about Farage's wife can hardly come as a shock. That got fed to the Times in both March and May last year. No doubt Farage got asked enough "ridiculous questions" about her employment then. What does come across in the article is that, yet again, the in-fighting amongst UKIP's MEPs and staff (or ex-staff) has reached the levels one would expect of Mafia bosses in bad movies.

23-02-2008, 10:40 PM	#8 (permalink)
Chip Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North West UK Posts: 527	"Labour councillors have donated £1.6m of their expenses to help to get the party out of debt" I think this is much more interesting. Is this legal? is it right? Since when has the taxpayer had to save political parties from going broke. I know it's OK for a Bank because Gordon says so, but not The Labour Party. Well if it is OK then it's time for the Raving Monster Looney Party to come back. Or is it already in charge anyway?

23-02-2008, 10:43 PM	#9 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,328	True, the whole think really is sick making. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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