UKIP Uncovered

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

Monday, March 15, 2004

A Culture of Continuing Lies

UKIP's corrupt ruling cabal of R. Knapman Leader, M. Nattrass Deputy Leader, D. Lott Chairman, N. Farage MEP and G. Booth MEP have overseen a totally disastrous year for the party where lies have become such a commonplace that one becomes weary of their constant recitation. We must therefore particularly thank Andrew Edwards for this detailed expose of the recent situation regarding the hiring of Max Clifford, its reporting in the FT Observer Column (blog report linked here) and the resulting lies of Party Chairman Lott, the Party Press spokesman Croucher, and a mysterious apparently untraceable letter to the newspaper from Farage. The quotes which caused the furore were these:-

No repentance on Wednesday from the UK Independence party after Observer revealed Max Clifford, its recently hired PR Svengali, was a fan of the euro and would vote Labour in a general election.

Ignoring a Labour call to "back or sack Max Clifford", UKIP MEP Nigel Farage said: "Max agrees [with us] 100 per cent on one thing: power should lie in Westminster not Brussels. I know what he was trying to say."

Herewith the report from Andy Edwards:-

Quote

So to begin, at the meeting of London Branch Chairmen and officers on 26th January, David Lott told the meeting that the remarks attributed to Max Clifford in the Financial Times on 21st January were 'four year old statements'.

This fits in with 'bumbling amateur' Mark Croucher's public email on 22nd January, that: 'Max Clifford's comments were pulled from earlier interviews he had given and cobbled together in an article.'

THIS SEEMS TO BE A - DECEPTIVE AND UNTRUE STATEMENT BY MR CROUCHER. But, did he know it was so, or did he blindly follow Lotts' lead without researching the story for himself? I doubt we'll ever know! But knowingly or otherwise the statement was as I've described!

David Lott had already put out an email on 22nd January when he was heading off criticism of the Gary Titley affair by talking about the misrepresentation of Max Clifford by the hostile FT. However, a study of the Financial Times' story reveals that, except for one quotation as being clearly labelled 'at the last election' (2-1/2 years ago - not four years ago) all the statements were in the current tense.

A phone call was made to the Financial Times to enquire whether or not the story was cobbled together from four year old statements. The FT unequivocally replied that all the quotes from this article were made by, Max Clifford, in the last few days just before the story was published
(except of course for the one correctly labelled as having been made at the last election.)

In particular the quote 'I'll vote Blair. He's heads and shoulders above anyone else' was a January 2004 quotation by Clifford - AFTER HE HAD TAKEN THE COMMISSION TO REPRESENT UKIP!!!

The FT stated that anyone who disputed that story should contact Max Clifford who had not and has not denied it. David Lott is wrong and so is Mark Croucher - THERE WAS NO MISINTERPRETATION!

Why THEN did David Lott make incorrect statements to the London Officers?

Simple! It was self protection! He was trying to head off any potential criticism for his hiring, at great expense, of a man often described (in less than complimentary terms in the media - ed). A man whose main speciality was sourcing to the media, unpleasant, and (scandalous - ed) stories, about extra marital liaisons with consequent dire consequences for the families involved.

A further deception occurred when asked why no press release putting the facts allegedly straight was not put out. This would have been a denial of the attributed remarks by Max Clifford. David Lott gave the reply that it would keep a false story going in the press - the same reply as Croucher gave on 22/1/04.

Yet, amazingly, David Lott also announced that Nigel Farage had written to the FT pointing out the error of their story about Max Clifford but the hostile FT had not published it. To my simple mind, this seems to contradict the idea of not keeping a false story going? doesn't it?

So, we go back to the FT to check David Lott's story, again. The FT Observer column has no record of Nigel Farage's letter. This has been confirmed by the ' Observer' column, Chrystia Freeland, the Deputy Editor and the 'Letters to' Editor. It, therefore, seems that this was another incorrect statement by Lott. BTW, does anyone ever recall seeing a copy of this Farage letter to the FT?

posted by Martin |2:51 PM