UKIP: Stuart Wheeler

From UKIP’s website:

UKIP Leader Nigel Farage was delighted at the appointment.

"I am absolutely thrilled that Stuart Wheeler has become UKIP's Treasurer," he said.

End of quote.

No wonder Farage is ‘delighted’. He hopes to hoodwink Wheeler into financing yet another Euro bid for our Nigel. He just loves being on that EU Gravy Train!

We note with amusement an interesting comment from Mr Wheeler:

'I should be allowed to investigate any issues regarding its (UKIP’s) finances'.

A rather odd remark to say the least! You would have thought that this would be an absolutely normal function of any party treasurer!

But this is UKIP! A proper Treasurer would need to investigate the finances of not only UKIP MEPs but also those of the EFD group. We very much doubt that Farage would like that!

Remember Marta Andreasen brief term as UKIP Treasurer? Her reign soon ended in tears! See: LINK

UKIP statement, 8 October 2007:

Mr Farage said he was "delighted" that Mrs Andreasen had taken up the position. "I hope her appointment will restore faith in the financial security and propriety of the party, which due to recent circumstances has not been as good as it could have been," he said.

End of quote.

This is what Barbara Booker (posting as Barboo on the British Democracy Forum) had to say:

If Nigel Farage's hope then had been realised, there would not now be any need to brush aside the current treasurer in order to bring in another outsider. Stuart Wheeler's comment on the crucial nature of the party's financial management would have been superfluous.

As it is, the impression has been created that a wealthy donor has so little faith in UKIP's financial management that he insists on controlling the party purse strings before untying his own again. It is, after all, more usual to join a party first as an ordinary member before being promoted to a position of responsibility. Not come straight in as treasurer when there is no vacancy for that position.

End of quote. To see the original: LINK

And remember John de Roeck? He wanted to know what had happened to the money raised by the Ashford Call Centre:

From: John de Roeck
Subject: ASHFORD TELESALES - COMPLIANCE WITH PPERA 2000
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 08:52:35 +0000

Dear NEC members,

ASHFORD TELESALES - COMPLIANCE WITH PPERA 2000

I am advised that the South East Regional Committee has resolved to disassociate itself from the Ashford Telesales operation at it's committee meeting of Friday, 17th October 2003. This has important consequences under the Political Parties Elections and Referendum Act 2000(PPERA).

I have previously been led to understand along with other NEC members, by Nigel Farage and John Moran, that the Ashford telesales operation was being run under the auspices of the South East Region. We were told this at various NEC meetings. I further understood that the reporting under PPERA would be through the South East regional committee. I need to address the issue of the South East regional committee divesting themselves of the telesales operation and advise the NEC what now must be done to achieve compliance with the PPERA.

I have received a copy of the following correspondence from the Treasurer, Doug Denny, of the South East Region. "It must be stressed, however, that the Ashford office has been set-up by Nigel and others without any discussion, consultation, approval or acceptance in any official capacity by the SE Region committee to date. It is, to date, in limbo. It is not as yet included in any official SE Regional business." This shows that there has been a lack of communication with the South East committee.

The South East Regional Committee has decided to no longer take responsibility for the Ashford telesales operation.

As a consequence I have no option but to carry out my duties as National Treasurer under PPERA, and immediately take on direct responsibility for reporting activities and ensuring compliance of PPERA, of the Ashford telesales operation through Central Office.

If the SE Regional Committee wishes to change its decision it should advise me by the latest by 31st October 2003.

I have discussed this issue with the Electoral Commission who confirm that this is a necessary course of action in the circumstances. I wish to further advise that as Party Treasurer I am personally liable for reporting by the Party to the Electoral Commission and may incur civil and criminal penalties, as well as with the Party, if I do not follow proper procedures and reporting practices.

The effect of reporting through Central Office is that donation reports, campaign expenditure reporting, accounting reporting, and general compliance with PPERA will now be undertaken directly through Central Office and not through the South East region. Other than reporting and compliance issues, the running of the Ashford Office should remain the same.

Two further issues of profit sharing and reporting need clarification now that we know that the operation is no longer part of the South East region as follows:

1. Although no written plan of budget of the Ashford operation was produced to the NEC the NEC was told that Alan Bown would underwrite losses for the first three months. We were also told by Nigel Farage that he would underwrite losses personally. We must establish a clear understanding and agreement for any profits and losses and ownership of the Ashford operation. We need to know if profits are generated from the scheme who exactly will receive the benefit and by the same token if there are losses who will be responsible. We must also agree the profit sharing formulae if the operation is to continue to use national data gathered in the UKIP name rather than just South East data. We must consider if Central Office should be burdened with liabilities of the Ashford telesales department unless it is also receiving the profits. If John Moran and Nigel Farage continue to take responsibility for the operation and remain the signatories to the bank account for Ashford telesales, it is important that the Party receives a written agreement from them, in which they agree to indemnify the Party from any losses, consequential losses or other liabilities incurred by the Ashford operation, or give a similar written undertaking acceptable to the NEC. A detail to consider is whether the operation should be converted into a limited company.

2. Accounts from the Ashford telesales operation should also be prepared for the NEC in future on a monthly basis so that we can establish the effectiveness of the operation. As the operation is using data collected nationally from UKIP, we have a duty on the NEC to receive reports and in turn report to membership. This is in addition to the Party Treasurer responsibility of reporting to the Electoral Commission. In the September NEC meeting Nigel Farage agreed to supply accounts although none as yet have been produced.

Kind regards,
John de Roeck
Party Treasurer
cc Members of the NEC
cc Members of the South East Regional Committee

As you can imagine Farage was less than impressed with John. A stormy NEC meeting resulted in Farage making this threat:

"For as little as £ 1,000, I could have him killed and his body disposed of."

John de Roeck later resigned.

We can confirm that many UKIPPERS are unhappy with the speedy appointment of Wheeler. As expected, the NEC rubber stamped his appointment after Farage made it quite clear to his sheep that he wanted the multimillionaire to replace Mark Wadsworth.

But will Mr Wheeler miss illegal donations to the party or advise the NEC the mislead the Electoral Commission like Andrew Smith did? We hope not! See: LINK

Wheeler is a political clown. What can you say about a man who actually thought that being a member of the Tories while donating money to UKIP would not upset certain senior Conservative politicians?

And let us not forget that he has already gone on record as saying he may continue to vote Conservative!

So what do UKIPPERS think about that?

From the Kent News:

Tycoon Wheeler may still vote Tory even after becoming Ukip treasurer

Gambling tycoon Stuart Wheeler says he may still vote Conservative despite becoming the new treasurer of the UK Independence Party.

The millionaire businessman, who lives at Chilham Castle, near Canterbury, was expelled by the Tories in 2009 for giving £100,000 to their Euro-sceptic opponents, who he now hopes to raise even more money for Ukip in an official capacity.

However, Mr Wheeler said he would only vote Conservative in future local and general elections if there were no Ukip candidates standing in his constituency.

His current political stance is far removed from his position of 11 years ago when he handed over £5 million to the William Hague-led Tories – the largest ever donation to a political party.

"I’ve always been very strongly opposed to our relationship with the EU," said Mr Wheeler. "And over the last year I’ve gradually come to realise that the EU is unreformable, and also the Conservative Party is going to do precious little about it.

"The right thing for the country to do is to leave Europe, and that is the main aim of Ukip. If you think like me then there’s no other party you can join, unless you’re a racist and want to sign up to the BNP.

"I’m now going to be very much a supporter and member of Ukip, and as long as Ukip candidates are standing in my area then I will vote for them.

"If they’re not then I’m more inclined to vote Conservative than anyone else, but I’m still unhappy with the party and its stance on the EU in particular."

Mr Wheeler made his first donation to Ukip in March, 2009, just months after Marta Andreasen – the controversial former chief accountant of the European Commission – was unveiled as the party’s new treasurer. However, she quit Ukip later that year, claiming she disagreed with how it was being managed at chairmanship level.

Mr Wheeler had also previously told KoS he did not want to join Ukip because there were "some internal rumblings there that I would not want to get involved in".

When asked about those comments this week, Mr Wheeler said he had put his previous concerns about the party behind him.

"As far as my job is concerned it doesn’t really matter what decisions were made in the past," he said. "People still say this, that and the other to me about the party, but part of the basis of my appointment was that I should be allowed to investigate any issues that may arise regarding its finances.

"The party is clear that everything should be more out in the open in future."

Mr Wheeler, who made his fortune as the founder of the IG Index spread-betting firm, launched his own party – Trust – and unsuccessfully ran for Parliament in Bexhill and Battle at the last general election.

He told KoS he would have discussions with the party’s supporters between now and March 1, when he officially joins Ukip, about what will happen to the organisation.

In the meantime Mr Wheeler is looking forward to teaming up with Ukip leader and fellow Kent resident Nigel Farage, who was born in Bromley but now lives in Westerham, near Sevenoaks.

"I get on extremely well with Nigel, as I do with executive chairman Steve Crowther, who will effectively run the party while Nigel is in Europe," he said.

"I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve seen so far."

To see the original: LINK