Regional Organisers

Star · 22-03-2008, 10:11 AM

I wonder if someone could tell me what exactly the Regional Organisers do? What is their role in the party?

In a recent Times interview Nigel Farage said that RO's only worked for UKIP in their spare time. Is this true?

SponPlague · 22-03-2008, 11:56 AM

Their role is to assist the MEPs. As such, under EU rules for paid employees, they may only assist UKIP in their spare time, I believe

harryaldridge · 22-03-2008, 12:04 PM

Yes, let's not go down this road again. RO's support MEPs work in their region and are employed by the MEPs.

Geoffrey Collier · 22-03-2008, 12:23 PM

Star: By law, EU funded staff can work only for their MEP. The fiction that they work as ROs' only in their spare-time is a sheer nonsense. Indeed, the employment status of Ros' is very ambiguous. Are they employees to those who engage them? Could they be self-employed and contract their services, which are then paid for using EU funding. Another classification are 'workers'.
The latter are, so I understand, for tax purposes employees. Should that be the case, what is their NI code, and if for tax purposes they are deemed employees, would any person deemed to employ them, be liable for the employers NI contribution? That, apparently, is one of the more obtuse aspects of this debate.

A more parochial question concerns the appointment of ROs'. A person could be eminently suited for that employment financed by the EU; but can it be assumed that those talents would be similarly suited for the tasks of a regional officer? A moot point! Supposing a branch did not wish to have one of these 'volunteers' imposed upon them; as autonomous branches, could they instruct them to cease interfering in branch affairs? I don't see why not.
A branch must have ultimate control over any local volunteer.
Take another hypothetical case. Suppose that there was a conflict between a branch and say, for example, the NEC. Could one of these paid officers,
reverting to his/her 'volunteer' role, act as neutral arbitrator in the resolution of that dispute? Certainly that should be opposed by all. As the status of volunteer, is a fiction, the dominant status of paid servant must be deemed paramount. Fortunately, it is inconceivable that those events described, would ever occur.

brian lee · 22-03-2008, 05:07 PM

Years ago when the idea of Regional Organisers was first dreamed up, I recall Tony Bennett who worked for Jeffrey Titford at the time, and myself wondering what it was all about. We asked the question then and never got an answer. It was a ploy to get money out of the the EU to pay somebody to work for the Party but make it look as though they were working for the MEP. Hence some of the MEPs allowances from one region were used in another where there wasn't an MEP. It was all very much 'Nod nod, wink wink.' Somebody has said that the term, 'Regional Organiser', is a description used by the EU, but I have never had the description explained.

Star · 22-03-2008, 05:50 PM

Thank you. I cannot speak for members outside the Eastern Region but Peter Reeve is employed full-time as the RO for our region. He has no other employment. He has told members he is paid by Jeffrey Titford. His wage is apparently £35,000, including expenses. I imagine Mr Titford uses EU funds for this.

This is why I was surprised when Nigel Farage said RO's only worked for UKIP in their spare time.

Geoffrey Collier · 22-03-2008, 07:25 PM

Star: Your knowledge of the Eastern Region may come in useful to answer my question. There was a time when the E.R. had two MEP's Jeffery Titford and Tom Wise. Now that Tom Wise has been excommunicated, apparently for the sin of presumption, his photograph has been removed from UKIP . org.
website. It could of course, just be coincidental, but is it anything to do with the fact the Bedfordshire Police has now been re-awakened to fraud allegations, which were made some time ago in the Sunday Times?

Do you have the answer to this inquiry?

Star · 22-03-2008, 08:04 PM

I understand that Tom Wise is still working as a UKIP MEP and will appear at meetings if invited. I was not aware that Bedfordshire Police were looking into his financial affairs. I do know that Nigel Farage does not want him to stay in the party and would like to see the back of him.

Geoffrey Collier · 22-03-2008, 08:46 PM

Star: I understand what you are saying, but have you any idea of his actual status? If he is still a UKIP MEP, why is that not acknowleged on the party website? He at least should be afforded the presumption of innocence, until/unlessl he is convicted or acquitted. Will he be attending the Eastern Regional conference? If he is permitted to work as a UKIP MEP and accept speaking engagements, can he really be debarred from his own Regional Conference? The facts or truth of allegations concerning fraud, will be decided in the future in another place. Legal-fictions, made on the hoof, merely hold us up to ridicule. What we can say for certain, is that he's (1) a Party member. (2) an MEP. If he is a UKIP MEP, but not a UKIP/IDG MEP, that should not debar him from recognition on the UKIP website. Should that not be the case, even in the UK, the IDG membership takes precedent over UKIP status. What kind of irrational reasoning is consuming us all?

Star · 23-03-2008, 09:51 AM

Tom Wise is not liked by Nigel Farage. He was always too independent. That is why Farage is content for Mr Wise to remain in limbo until after the Euro selection. He wants that seat vacant for one of his cronies.

He will not be invited to the Bar Hill meeting.

On another point. Nigel Farage says that all RO's do the job in their spare-time and yet Peter Reeve tells members he is employed as a full-time RO. One of them is not telling the truth. Which one?

22-03-2008, 10:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
Star Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Beds Posts: 87	Regional Organisers I wonder if someone could tell me what exactly the Regional Organisers do? What is their role in the party? In a recent Times interview Nigel Farage said that RO's only worked for UKIP in their spare time. Is this true?

22-03-2008, 12:04 PM	#3 (permalink)
harryaldridge Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: West Sussex Posts: 1,868	Yes, let's not go down this road again. RO's support MEPs work in their region and are employed by the MEPs. __________________ http://vindicovindico.blogspot.com Zopa

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

22-03-2008, 11:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
SponPlague Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Zurich Posts: 1,610	Their role is to assist the MEPs. As such, under EU rules for paid employees, they may only assist UKIP in their spare time, I believe

22-03-2008, 12:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
Geoffrey Collier Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 648	Star: By law, EU funded staff can work only for their MEP. The fiction that they work as ROs' only in their spare-time is a sheer nonsense. Indeed, the employment status of Ros' is very ambiguous. Are they employees to those who engage them? Could they be self-employed and contract their services, which are then paid for using EU funding. Another classification are 'workers'. The latter are, so I understand, for tax purposes employees. Should that be the case, what is their NI code, and if for tax purposes they are deemed employees, would any person deemed to employ them, be liable for the employers NI contribution? That, apparently, is one of the more obtuse aspects of this debate. A more parochial question concerns the appointment of ROs'. A person could be eminently suited for that employment financed by the EU; but can it be assumed that those talents would be similarly suited for the tasks of a regional officer? A moot point! Supposing a branch did not wish to have one of these 'volunteers' imposed upon them; as autonomous branches, could they instruct them to cease interfering in branch affairs? I don't see why not. A branch must have ultimate control over any local volunteer. Take another hypothetical case. Suppose that there was a conflict between a branch and say, for example, the NEC. Could one of these paid officers, reverting to his/her 'volunteer' role, act as neutral arbitrator in the resolution of that dispute? Certainly that should be opposed by all. As the status of volunteer, is a fiction, the dominant status of paid servant must be deemed paramount. Fortunately, it is inconceivable that those events described, would ever occur.

22-03-2008, 05:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
brian lee Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: South Essex Posts: 611	Years ago when the idea of Regional Organisers was first dreamed up, I recall Tony Bennett who worked for Jeffrey Titford at the time, and myself wondering what it was all about. We asked the question then and never got an answer. It was a ploy to get money out of the the EU to pay somebody to work for the Party but make it look as though they were working for the MEP. Hence some of the MEPs allowances from one region were used in another where there wasn't an MEP. It was all very much 'Nod nod, wink wink.' Somebody has said that the term, 'Regional Organiser', is a description used by the EU, but I have never had the description explained.

22-03-2008, 05:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
Star Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Beds Posts: 87	Thank you. I cannot speak for members outside the Eastern Region but Peter Reeve is employed full-time as the RO for our region. He has no other employment. He has told members he is paid by Jeffrey Titford. His wage is apparently £35,000, including expenses. I imagine Mr Titford uses EU funds for this. This is why I was surprised when Nigel Farage said RO's only worked for UKIP in their spare time.

22-03-2008, 07:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
Geoffrey Collier Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 648	Star: Your knowledge of the Eastern Region may come in useful to answer my question. There was a time when the E.R. had two MEP's Jeffery Titford and Tom Wise. Now that Tom Wise has been excommunicated, apparently for the sin of presumption, his photograph has been removed from UKIP . org. website. It could of course, just be coincidental, but is it anything to do with the fact the Bedfordshire Police has now been re-awakened to fraud allegations, which were made some time ago in the Sunday Times? Do you have the answer to this inquiry?

22-03-2008, 08:04 PM	#8 (permalink)
Star Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Beds Posts: 87	I understand that Tom Wise is still working as a UKIP MEP and will appear at meetings if invited. I was not aware that Bedfordshire Police were looking into his financial affairs. I do know that Nigel Farage does not want him to stay in the party and would like to see the back of him.

22-03-2008, 08:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
Geoffrey Collier Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 648	Star: I understand what you are saying, but have you any idea of his actual status? If he is still a UKIP MEP, why is that not acknowleged on the party website? He at least should be afforded the presumption of innocence, until/unlessl he is convicted or acquitted. Will he be attending the Eastern Regional conference? If he is permitted to work as a UKIP MEP and accept speaking engagements, can he really be debarred from his own Regional Conference? The facts or truth of allegations concerning fraud, will be decided in the future in another place. Legal-fictions, made on the hoof, merely hold us up to ridicule. What we can say for certain, is that he's (1) a Party member. (2) an MEP. If he is a UKIP MEP, but not a UKIP/IDG MEP, that should not debar him from recognition on the UKIP website. Should that not be the case, even in the UK, the IDG membership takes precedent over UKIP status. What kind of irrational reasoning is consuming us all?

23-03-2008, 09:51 AM	#10 (permalink)
Star Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Beds Posts: 87	Tom Wise is not liked by Nigel Farage. He was always too independent. That is why Farage is content for Mr Wise to remain in limbo until after the Euro selection. He wants that seat vacant for one of his cronies. He will not be invited to the Bar Hill meeting. On another point. Nigel Farage says that all RO's do the job in their spare-time and yet Peter Reeve tells members he is employed as a full-time RO. One of them is not telling the truth. Which one?