UKIP try to spin their way out of trouble

From UKIP’s official website:

Following the article in The Sunday Times (dated April 4th 2010) the UK Independence Party would like to make the following statement to clarify any misunderstandings.

As with all political parties, UKIP receives many offers of donations (both financial and voluntary help) everyday, so it was not unwise for Stuart Agnew MEP to follow up the offer made to him. Perhaps, however, it was naive of Mr Agnew not to realise it was a Sunday Times reporter in disguise. We would like to make it clear that no transaction between Mr Agnew and The Sunday Times journalist took place.

The UK Independence Party did receive donations via Global Britain, in 2009 for the European Election Campaign. All these donations were, at the time, perfectly legal and within the guidelines set down by the Electoral Commission. These donations were fully disclosed by UKIP in the second quarter of 2009.

When asked by The Sunday Times reporter if her anonymity could be guaranteed, Lord Pearson, Leader of the UK Independence Party, clearly stated (as reported in the Sunday Times article) that he would check with the Electoral Commission and "if there was any doubt I would honestly rather go without.'"

Lord Pearson also added that he was regularly in touch with the Electoral Commission over Global Britain and all donations.

Mark Wadsworth, UKIP Treasurer, said today: "All donations or loans to the UK Independence Party have been reported to the Electoral Commission."

End of statement.

UKIP’s corrupt leadership have been exposed as crooks and yet they still try to spin their way out of trouble!

The Sunday Times has a video of Agnew stating categorically that both he and Bannerman are illegally employing Reeve to work for UKIP while he does almost nothing for him. Agnew describes his own behaviour as illegal.

The old argument that Peter Reeve worked for UKIP in his spare time is now totally exposed as a lie. OLAF will be most interested in this.

They have a video of Agnew advising the undercover reporter how she can make an illegal donation to UKIP.

And we know that Agnew did not take the money. But that does not excuse his blatant dishonesty!

They have an audio recording of Pearson explaining how a potential donor can make an illegal donation to the party via Global Britain. Farage is also implicated in this.

UKIP is in very serious trouble. ELCOM is aware of the situation. OLAF is aware of the situation.

There is clear evidence of a conspiracy to commit a crime. Agnew, Farage, Pearson, Reeve, and Bannerman are implicated. This is a matter for the police.

It is no surprise that Agnew has the full backing of Farage and his NEC. They always look after their own!

And we can confirm that UKIP’s other MEPs are less than happy after reading that Lord Pearson had described Agnew as ''one of our only really sane MEPs''

And should a leader of a political party refer to his members as Neanderthals?

It is interesting to compare Agnew’s behaviour with Nikki Sinclaire’s treatment at the hands of Farage and his corrupt NEC.

She was expelled for leaving the EFD.

Agnew, on the other hand, admits on video that he and Bannerman are illegally abusing their staff allowances and yet the NEC takes no action against them!

We note that Douglas Denny - NEC member and another one of Farage’s useful idiots- claims that this scandal is a non-story.

A forlorn hope!

BBC’s Look East has featured it. Reeve was quoted as saying that the video was edited and the comments taken out of context. What a fool!

And the Telegraph has decided to run with the story:

Ukip member 'advised donors how to flout rules'

A senior UK Independence Party (Ukip) member described how a donor's name could be kept secret by passing tens of thousands of pounds to the party through intermediaries, it has been claimed.

Stuart Agnew and Ukip party leader Lord Pearson of Rannoch allegedly suggested ways to flout Electoral Commission rules to give cash to its general election campaign fund, according to the Sunday Times.

The MEP told an undercover reporter that a person could remain anonymous by channelling funds through an unincorporated association called Global Britain, which was set up by Lord Pearson in 1997.

Electoral Commission rules state unincorporated associations, which do not have to file accounts, can make donations to political parties but the money must not be channelled from an individual who is seeking to remain anonymous.

Mr Agnew was recorded as saying: ''I've spoken to Nigel Farage (Ukip MEP and former party leader) and he says at the moment you can put £25,000 into Global Britain and you will remain anonymous.''

Another undercover reporter spoke to Lord Pearson who said the money given to Global Britain would be passed ''straight on'' to Ukip.

Asked if he could guarantee the donor's name would not come out he said: ''Yes, we did it in the European elections (in 2009). We passed on £80,000 from one person in effect ... and that caused no difficulty at all.''

When confronted later Lord Pearson told the paper he would have given the donor's name to the Electoral Commission.

Mr Agnew suggested that other ways of keeping a potential donor's identity secret included giving money as a gift to another person who then donated it.

He went on: ''Your mother can make you a loan of £100,000 to buy a house ... and you would then become a donor to the party for £100,000 and your name would go up on the Electoral Commission website.''

When the real donor died, she could state in her will the loan was now a gift. ''You are seen to be the donor rather than her,'' he added.

Lord Pearson also branded some Ukip members ''Neanderthals'' and said Mr Agnew, 60, was ''one of our only really sane MEPs''.

In a statement tonight, Ukip confirmed it had received an £80,000 donation last year, via Global Britain, for the European election campaign from Patrick Barbour, who wished to remain anonymous.

"This anonymous donation was at the time perfectly legal and within the guidelines set down by the Electoral Commission. This donation was fully disclosed by Ukip in the second quarter of 2009," the statement said.

Mr Agnew had been "naive" not to realise he was talking to an undercover reporter, the statement added, but stressed no transaction with the journalist had taken place.

To see the original: LINK

Non-story it is not!