UKIP Uncovered

UKIP Uncovered
What motivates the leaders of the United Kingdom Independence Party?

Thursday, October 23, 2003

"Dr North and Peter Troy (continued)"

In our report of the morning before last, we discussed the so called "Disappearing Bucket", which contained an evening's collection from party members, together with a subsequent statement from Dr John Whittaker, advising that he had never believed these monies had been 'appropriated for Peter Troy' himself.

Indeed it was clear from Tony Bennett's article that we quoted, that the suggestion was: "it was discovered he had taken it home and used it for his travel expenses!"

Most party members gathering for a meeting and paying for the evening by a contribution into a bucket would bound to feel at the very least dismay, if the visiting salaried (and as I understand it, very unwelcome) Regional Organiser disappears with the lot.

Amazingly enough that is exactly what happened. Not only that, but it was exactly what had been intended to happen by the system set in place by Dr North and Peter Troy modelled, so we are informed, on an expense method developed by David Lott, today's Party Chairman, under whom the entire party's finances are now open to many very serious questions, and by all account in a state of crisis and disorder.

A confidential memorandum from Richard North to Graham Webster-Gardner, dated 28 January 2001, contained Richard North's personal observations on the Yorkshire Region and related matters, and was intended to assist GWG in his investigation. It reads:

"A main sticking point was Mr Troy's working expenses. The payment of £2000 per month was relatively modest and, given the size of the three regions, I agreed it was unreasonable to expect him to finance these out of his payments. Furthermore, I considered such an arrangement would act as a disincentive as, the harder Troy worked, the more it would cost him personally.

Accordingly, I negotiated a scheme based on one devised by David Lott that Troy should also take on the role of fundraiser and should be able to draw off his expenses from monies raised by him. To fund Troy's initial expenses, Mr Titford lent him £1,000 and I did likewise, allowing Troy to draw upon a float of £2,000".

Were one not aware of the activities to which Peter Troy subsequently got himself involved, one could almost find oneself feeling some sympathy for the position in which he was then placed. Not just encouraged, but as a matter of necessity forced to merge party funds with his own, yet somehow keep them fairly and completely separated would be hard enough for many individuals at that level and would require rigid and very formal expense account procedures to have any chance of remaining in order. To compound the confusion, however, the two expense floats being in the form of personal loans from his two superiors, Dr North and Jeffrey Titford, smacks of the grossest of negligence, especially when the same memorandum refers to Peter Troy in the role of "fundraiser."

After considering all these and no doubt many other facts and documents, Graham Webster-Gardiner did come down against both North and Troy, here again we quote from Tony Bennett's newsletter :-

His incisive report revealed that Dr North and Troy had been economical with the truth on a number of matters and vindicated the hard-pressed Yorkshire/Humberside activists. Unsurprisingly Dr North and Troy challenged the findings, with the good Doctor threatening to resign from the Party and go on strike from his part-time UKIP post. Troy meanwhile issued a threatening Solicitors' letter to Jeffrey which caused him additional problems in trying to resolve the 'Yorkshire crisis'

The Yorkshire Crisis? You might well ask! Of that, more to come!

posted by Martin |8:34 AM