We were interested to see that a new UKIP website called UKIP West Sussex has appeared.
The site solicits donations via a private address:
The Treasurer,
UKIP West Sussex News,
22 Farm Avenue,
Horsham.
Many UKIPPERS are raising questions about this site. Is it another Ashford Call Centre scam?
You may recall that Ashford was set up to raise funds for UKIP. David Bannerman later admitted that less than 15% of Ashford's income ever reached UKIP! So where did the rest end up?
It is interesting to note that Farage later paid £250,000 into a private bank account.
This is what Barbara Booker – who posts on the British Democracy Forum as Barboo - had to say:
What exactly is 'UKIP West Sussex'?
Its website UKIP West Sussex - WELCOME TO UKIP WEST SUSSEX! is linked from the party website's list of South East branches, and solicits donations and membership fees to be sent to a PO Box in Storrington, West Sussex. However, it doesn't appear to have a branch committee or chairman, the only contact being the West Sussex County Organiser at the same Storrington PO Box. Entering 'west sussex branch committee' or 'west sussex branch chairman' into the search box draws a
The West Sussex News does not give head office's address, but in addition to the Storrington PO Box for membership fees it also requests donations towards the publication's running expenses to be sent to: The Treasurer, UKIP West Sussex News, 22 Farm Avenue, Horsham.
Neither UKIP West Sussex nor UKIP West Sussex News appears on the Electoral Commission's list of the party's accounting units.
John Wallace is the man behind the rather amateurish website. He claims that the site is a non-profit making operation merely to cover the cost of a new UKIP newspaper entitled' ‘UKIP News - West Sussex'.
However, Barboo was not impressed:
'UKIP West Sussex' is listed by UKIP itself as a branch; it has a website that solicits (I quote), "New Membership, Membership Renewal and Donations"; it invites visitors to print off its membership form, headed "UKIP West Sussex - JOIN US!'; it asks for cheques to be posted to the same Storrington PO Box that is also given as John Wallace's mail address; and it makes no mention of the newspaper 'UKIP West Sussex News' which it supposedly exists merely to fund!
What does John Wallace do with membership and donation cheques that he receives at the Storrington PO Box? Send them to Head Office at Newton Abbot? Pay them into the SE Region bank account? Or does the West Sussex branch have a bank account of its own that it has omitted to register as an accounting unit with the Electoral Commission? Who gets the first year's subscription of new members signed up through the West Sussex branch website or UKIP West Sussex News?
Re the UKIP West Sussex News, I understand that the Horsham address given as that of its treasurer is also the address of Martin Bridewell, Horsham branch treasurer and South East Region treasurer. What does Mr Bridewell do with cheques sent to him as a result of the newspaper's appeal for donations towards its running expenses? Pay them into the Horsham branch bank account? The SE Region bank account? Or again, does the newspaper have its own bank account? Where did the funding come from to set the operation up in the first place? Which bank account settles the printer's bills?
John Wallace writes today in the Brighton Argus that he wants to become an MP, "to see transparency and honesty from both local and national government, and our elected representatives in Westminster". As editor of UKIP West Sussex News, some transparency and honesty about UKIP's West Sussex branch for which he is the only named official would seem a very good place to start.
End of quote.
We can well understand her concerns. What happens to the money raised by the website? Where does it go? UKIP HQ? UKIP's South East bank account? Farage’s private bank account?
We would advise all UKIPPERS to avoid making a donation to this site. You never know where your money could end up!
Anyone planning another trip to the Isle of Man?
We wonder if the Electoral Commission knows about this bit of seemingly illicit fund raising by/for someone.
Another scam was also brought to our attention.
Someone calling themselves ‘Mainstream – UKIP’ is also seeking donations via:
PO BOX 4508,
BATH,
BA1 0NU.
UKIP Head Office CLAIMS that this has nothing to do with UKIP!
The PO Box was registered to someone at:
22 Wedmore Park,
Bath,
BA2 1JY.
Andrew Fear – a Farage sycophant who works at UKIP HQ, is employed by Derek Clark and was interviewed by OLAF – has said that Michael Zuckerman is looking into it.
Michael Zuckerman likes to think of himself as UKIP’s legal expert.
This is the same Michael Zuckerman who advised Jonathan Arnott and Peter Reeve that UKIP could not have legal representation in a Small Claims Court. The result? A win for John West and a defeat for UKIP.
This is the same Michael Zuckerman who advised Farage to fight ELCOM over the illegal Bown Donations. The result? A win for ELCOM and a defeat for UKIP. And a legal bill of £750,000!
Here is what David Abbott - a member of UKIP's NEC - had to say about Zuckerman and the ELCOM case:
“At the time of the original hearing the NEC had members who recommended paying the 18,000, admitting the party's 'error' and getting on with campaigning. The secretary (who is a famous West End lawyer, according to Mr Farage), and Mr Farage himself were ardently against this sensible approach.”
And this is the same Michael Zuckerman who quoted UKIP £10,000 to form a Limited Company. It can actually be done online in 10 minutes for under £200!
They would be better off with a performing flea!
So who is behind the Bath scam?
One UKIPPER has mentioned that a certain Andrew Edwards lives in Bath. And? That can hardly be seen as proof of guilt! Bath has more than one resident!
Douglas Denny – Himmer lookalike, serial idiot, Cuban boot fetishist and NEC member –has claimed that Andrew Edwards “ is a pseudonym for the BNP parliamentary candidate who stood against me in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton - Andrew Moffatt”.
Mr Denny clearly lives on another planet. Andrew Edwards is a real person. He used to be a member of UKIP and was chairman of UKIP Bath, 2002-2003!
But it gets much worse!
Andrew Fear has accused David Noakes and Richard Suchorzewski as being responsible for this latest scam.
Mr Noakes and Mr Suchorzewski are former UKIP leadership candidates. Both left the Party in disgust after being subjected to a Farage instigated smear campaign.
Mr Suchorzewski now lives in Switzerland. He has no interest in UKIP.
Mr Noakes now lives in Brussels. He is responsible for an anti-EU website known as EU Truth.
http://eutruth.org.uk/
They have not even spoken to one another for three years. The suggestion that they have plotted to defraud UKIP is laughable!
We would advise Mr Fear to hold his tongue. Mr Noakes and Mr Suchorzewski are now aware of his comments and could take legal action if he continues to make such ridiculous claims.
The real identity of those behind 'Mainstream UKIP' is still unknown. We will keep you posted.
Also see: LINK
Dear Junius, whoever you are, you seem to believe that our West Sussex website is new. As is stated on the front page, it was launched on July 20th 2007, so about 3 years ago.
ReplyDeleteWest Sussex isn't a branch, it's a county, and as such does not have a chairman. All funding received is distributed in full to the branches in the constituencies from which it emanates. Simple but effective.
I trust that you'll publish my response in full, and I should be pleased to answer any other allegations that you can produce.
Regards
John Wallace
W.Sussex County Organiser
It is bad enough being fleeced by total strangers, but being conned by your own family, which UKIP is, if you are a supporter or member, then that is quite despicable.
ReplyDeleteIt is not unlike going into a small family owned shop, where the owner works all hours God sends, to make ends meet, and stealing a bunch of notes from the till while one of your mates distracts the owner.
It is really quite the lowest form of fraud there is.
It would appear anyone can set up a UKIP account online, not be investigated, challenged and mass up large amounts of money .... for themselves of course.
I feel sorry for all the people who in good faith are sending cheques and being horribly deceived by scamming individuals.
UKIP has turned ripping off members into an art!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteJohn Wallace claims his initiative to make money has been in existence almost 3 years, yet various UKIP members (there are some genuine ones left) in West Sussex had never heard of it, hence the questions being asked.
It was good of John to offer to answer all questions, one wonders why he feels guilty and calls comments allegations but let us pass on that!
There are a number of questions asked by Barboo and Junius on this blog and I have some more when I get around to posting them on:
http://UKIP-vs-EUkip.blogspot.com
I look forward to John Wallace answering ANY questions!
1. Do you watch detective thrillers on TV?
2. Are you a fan of Biggles?
3. Do you watch reality TV?
4. Do you believe Lord Pearson or Nigel Farage is the effective leader of UKIP?
5. Do you believe Farage & Pearson should be given the opportunity to resign or merely fired as leaders for their betrayal of UKIP during the election?
6. Do you support racism, violence, membership of the EU, anti Judaism, Holocaust denial and sexual intolerance?
6a. Do you support UKIP's promotion of Farage's money spinner the EFD?
7. Do you believe Farage's slush fund the 4000 Account should be publicly accounted or should he be able to trouser the £3M+ without accounting this UKIP money?
8. Do you believe that UKIP's accounting systems are honourable in terms of loan rotations?
9. Do you believe that it is acceptable to declare £211K as 'Other expenses' in accounts when it is more than 50% of the income?
Thank you John for the offer to answer ANY Questions, we will take you at your word as an honourable man.
There will be lost more for you to answer on:
http://ukip-vs-eukip.blogspot.com
Regards,
Greg L-W.
John,
ReplyDeleteWe would also appreciate a response to Barboo's comments!
I'm no accountant, but my admin experience tells me that all donations be centralised and dealt with at Head Office.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as local offices start handling their own monetary affairs, that's where the problems and the 'fiddling' and 'errors' occur.
Charities always have their donations sent to HQ, why can't UKIP?
Much more straight forward to process.
Where ever there is money coming into an organisation there must be always someone there qualified to process it, be responsible for it and to have everything tapped into a computor with all the relevent details; donars name, amount given, cheque or cash, date received,and most importantly WHERE the deposit was placed.
All the i's must be dotted, and the t's crossed. That's accounting.
It's all common sense when you come to think about it.
It' about conducting all financial transactions in a transparent way so that all donations can be thoroughly checked and verified.
It's not rocket science is it?
Having box numbers, well, that sounds dodgy for a start! You wouldn't find me sending any money to anyone at a box number. Highly suspect.
Having people send cheques here there and everywhere to UKIP members who have set themselves as 'big wigs', is simply not a professional way to run an organisation.
This is not your local youth club, where members give 75p to get in for coffee and a game of pool. Even then, all monies are carefully monitored and banked immediately.
Are people simply too trusting?
Yes. And naive?
Yes.
Someone once said "Lead me not into temptation". Well, if there's loads of cheques lying about that nobody else knows about, then it MUST BE very tempting to pocket it and justify it to oneself that what you are doing isn't really wrong.
Sir/Madam
ReplyDeleteI draw your attention to the blog of http://citizenfreepress@blogspot.com and in particular " Skillstrain Scam exposing the Smear Campaign " with UKip man Rob Ager and further his connection to a Children's web site - sickening!