UKIP versus the Electoral Commission.

Mr Justice Walker will be announcing his decision at 10 am, tomorrow, at the Royal Court of Justice. This follows a Judicial Review. Alan Bown has already been told the decision. Steve Harris, SE Regional Organiser and MEP candidate, is now busily trying to get members to attend the court in order to give Mr Bown some moral support.

This concerns donations made to the Party by Alan Bown while Andrew Smith (pictured above)was Treasurer. You will recall that Mr Smith - currently an MEP candidate in the Eastern Region - advised misleading the Electoral Commission.

Here is the email in question:

From: "Smith Epping" To: "Geoffrey Kingscott" Cc: "Nigel Farage (UKIP)" ; "Douglas Denny"

Subject: Treasurers meeting

Thank you Geoffrey for organising the meeting. We need to give the Electoral Commission every reason to believe we are serious about compliance, in order to provide the next Party Treasurer with a good story to tell when we next fail to meet the statutory requirements.They should be invited to any big regional meeting and to Party Conference to speak at least to a break-out meeting to Treasurers.

It would have been a suitable event for prospective Party Treasurersto learn a lot about what the job entailed. Were any of them there?

I thought the practical points which emerged, in the absence of theElectoral Commission, were a lesson for the NEC on what theirpriorities should be. The branches are crying out for better adminand they are full of good ideas.

I hope the NEC takes good notice of your report of the meeting.

AS