Poor Annabelle!
We sincerely hope that Annabelle's recent 'problems' are not worrying her. But what has Nigel to say about her latest escapade?
Why not click here for a fellow blogger's site? LINK
Nikki Pays for 'Campaign for a Referendum' advert in Daily Mirror
More great work for the Euro-realist cause! And many UKIPPERS in the West Midlands will have also received her latest magazine!
Don't forget to sign the petition at: http://www.haveyoursay.eu/
Anti-PEPP website launched!
http://www.no2pepp.com/no2pepp_index_flash.html
Farage has had to resort to wheeling out the likes of Stuart Agnew and Wolfman McGough to argue the case for a pan-European party. No wonder that the whole 'Yes' campaign has largely been discredited!
Agnew was caught on video boasting how he was committing fraud. See: LINK.
And McGough was caught out lying in an election statement to UKIPPERS. He also applauded the fact that GLW's cancer had returned. See: LINK.
Agnew and the Wolfman feature in a video where they both fail miserably to convince UKIPPERS that joining a pan-European would benefit the party.
The video has generated complaints from the 'No' campaign:
As the returning officer for the internal consultation process I can confirm I have received a complaint about this video. I have therefore sent the following e-mail
From steve allison
From steve allison
to Stuart Agnew MEP
cc Mick McGough
cc Trevor Colman MEP
cc Steve Crowther
Date 19.06.2011
Stuart,
I have received a complaint regarding the video.
Specifically the complaint refers to the claim by Mick McGough that he "has in his hand a cheque for £300,000 payable to UKIP"
The No campaign claim the money CANNOT be paid to UKIP.
Can you please confirm that the claim that the money can be paid from a PEP direct to UKIP is accurate.
If you cannot confirm this is a factually accurate statement then I must ask for the video to be withdrawn until a suitable correction of fact can be made.
Steve Allison
Vice Chairman UKIP.
End of email.
Certain MEPs should be worried!
From The Independent
Europe braced for MEPs' expenses storm
Publication of suppressed report could undermine efforts to deal with eurozone debt crisis
Members of the European Parliament. MEPs' expenses are the subject of a report expected to be published soon
The European Parliament will today back down and order the release of a secret report detailing the widespread abuse of expenses by MEPs, The Independent has learnt.
A meeting of senior MEPs is expected to accept a European Court of Justice ruling that there is an "overriding public interest in disclosure".
The decision could have far-reaching consequences for transparency within the European Parliament and wider European Union institutions. It will increase pressure on the parliament to publish more details of the expenses claims of MEPs including their travel expenditure, attendance records and the highly controversial €4,300 (£3,800) "go anywhere" budget given to members.
Given the difficulties the EU faces in persuading countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal to accept tough austerity measures, the re-emergence of allegations of misuse of taxpayer funds by MEPs is unlikely to be welcome on the streets of Athens or across the Union. It also means future reports – however controversial – into governance of EU institutions are likely to be put into the public domain.
"Bit by bit the parliament is being brought kicking and screaming towards transparency," said Chris Davies MEP, who first leaked the contents of the report compiled by the parliament's chief internal auditor, Robert Galvin, in 2008. "I was delighted by the European Court's decision.
There is still a long way to go but I would hope pressure will now build to identify what was done to pursue those MEPs identified by Galvin as misusing the system."
The court ruled earlier this month that European institutions could no longer claim potential political controversy as grounds to refuse access of internal audit reports.
A leaked copy of the report to The Sunday Times revealed systematic abuses by Euro MPs of parliamentary allowances that enable them to pocket more than £1m from a five-year term.
Among the abuses it detailed were:
* Payments made to assistants of MEPs who were not accredited.
* End-of-year bonuses worth nearly 20 times the monthly salary paid to assistants, which allowed members to use up their full annual allowance.
* Some assistants doubled their salaries by banking pay-offs from outgoing MEPs at the same time as receiving salaries from incoming ones.
But despite widespread outrage at the allegations senior officials in the European Parliament refused to release the full report and fought a costly court battle with Ciaran Toland, an Irish lawyer, over its disclosure.
The parliament had argued that if such reports were released to the public then in future those writing them might not be prepared to offer frank advice and could adversely affect decision-making. However, this was rejected by the court.
Last night Mr Toland said: "I would very much welcome this development. When they refused me access to the report, the European Parliament effectively said that the taxpayers of Europe, who fund the parliament, cannot be trusted to know how their money is being spent by that parliament, nor are they entitled to know what recommendations exist for how the system should be reformed.
"What is at the heart of the case are central issues of European transparency law. This case has now established new rights of access to a wide range of documents by both citizens and the media. On a wider point, involving the public in any debate on legislative reform, or in respect of public funds, is an essential prerequisite of a democratic system. No self-respecting parliament should ever be afraid to discuss its finances in front of the citizens who elect it, and who pay for those very funds."
Those who argued against the publication will be anxious it should not inflame the situation in Greece. Anger there is so far directed at the Commission and other nation member states, but that could spread.
Sources in the European Parliament said last night that the Galvin report would be discussed today at a meeting of the Bureau of the Parliament which is responsible for matters relating to the budget, administration, organisation and staff. It is composed of the President, Jerzy Buzek, along with all 14 vice-presidents.
The release of the Galvin report is being backed by Diana Wallis, the vice-president responsible for transparency and is expected to be passed.
"The plan is to release the report and not question the wider element of the European Court's decision either," said the source.
The move was welcomed by the Ukip MEP Nikki Sinclaire, who has campaigned for greater transparency within European institutions.
Selected revelations from the Galvin Report
* Documentation was not provided for 63 of the 105 contracts examined.
* A series of bonuses awarded MEPs' assistants between three and 19.5 times their normal salary.
* A payment was made to a crèche, supposedly for secretarial work, whose manager was a local politician from the MEP's party.
* Payments were made to national political parties.
* One MEP paid the full £182,000 staff allowance to one person, suspected of being a relative.
* The report was based on a sample of 167 payments — out of a total of 4,686 — made during October 2004.
To read the original: LINK
And finally......
Instead of attending to the issues being voted upon, Farage slipped out of the voting chamber in Brussels this afternoon to enjoy a cigarette in the Parliamentary smoking chamber - you were seen 'Spivboy'!!!
[BTW there was an inordinate number of votes being held in the chamber at the time Farage departed to indulge his personal habit.]
Clearly, Nigel 'Spivboy' Farage places his personal pleasures before those of his constituents and party activists. Likewise he also rates his cigarettes as more important that voting to defend his country's interests.
With Spivboy it's Me, Me Me, first second and last!!!
The extent of the contempt Farage holds for his duties is remarkable - don't you agree, Nigel???
AE
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