UKIP Uncovered

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

Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Farage vetoes reimbursement of mis-donated DM funds.

The following is the latest in the saga of the Democracy Movement's wrongful donation of two thousand pounds to UKIP by Farage's friend John Moran Chairman of the DM's Kingston branch:-

Quote Hi,

Our latest statement is what started this discussion on EuroFAQ before the weekend.

The Kingston branch has, by this incident, naturally lost our trust to act in the name of the DM according to our principles and clearly stated non-party nature and has therefore been closed.

Everyone with the slightest involvement with euroscepticism knows we are a non-party organisation and it's obvious that making donations to a political party compromises that. You can't be non-party and support one political party with words or money. It's not rocket science but, sadly, too complex for some.

Further, our statement also said: "We will be pursuing John for the recovery of the misused money and of the other funds in the Kingston DM account." So I wouldn't say that recovery of the money is being ignored.

I would admit that there has been delay on this front because, as you alluded to in an earlier posting, Petrina Holdsworth, the new UKIP chairman, recently approached us about the situation, wishing to smooth over the trouble this donation has needlessly caused and prevent any untoward publicity that the action we are being forced to take to recover the funds will no doubt provoke.

After looking at the evidence she offered to return the donation to us. But then a week later she told us that she had consulted Nigel Farage as 'leader' of UKIP in the South East and he said there was no money in SE funds to give back.

We believe her intentions in contacting us were genuine and were of course very welcome. But it turned out that, despite being the chairman, she had neither the authority nor the means to suggest repaying the money.

That was obviously disappointing, as although UKIP are not responsible for what happened - it is clearly those licenced to act in our name who are subject to our principles - that would nevertheless have been a much more satisfactory conclusion for all concerned than the action we now have to revert back to taking.

I hope you will understand that we do not intend to publish exactly what our thoughts, intentions and actions are in that regard on this public list before it is concluded. Given the obvious interest here, I will of course let everyone know when there is news that can be published.

It is because you are absolutely right in what you say about the implications for the DM's campaign if our independence from party politics is seen to be compromised that we do not intend to let the matter go. There are only two ways to effect change in our relationship with the EU in the short to medium term: to become the government at the next election, or to win the EU Constitution referendum.

If you think it's more than likely Labour will win the next election, then the Constitution referendum has to be the focus of our efforts and no one party can deliver the over 50% of the vote we will need to win that.

There has never been a bigger need for a strong, broad-based, non-party eurosceptic campaign that those on all sides of the political spectrum can get involved in, like the DM. Thousands of people are involved in our campaign against the EU Constitution, and hundreds of thousands have registered their support, precisely because we are not party political.

We do not intend to allow a few people in one of our over 100 local branches getting over-excited about their particular political party at election time risk that.

best regards,
-Stuart-Unquote

posted by Martin |9:17 PM