Nigel Farage faces new questions over European expenses

Ukip leader admits claiming £205,000 from the taxpayer for office space provided free of charge by party supporter

Nigel Farage is facing fresh questions over his European expenses after he admitted that an office for which he claimed more than £205,000 from the taxpayer was provided to him free of charge by a Ukip supporter.

The Electoral Commission is considering what action to take, because donations such as rent-free office space should have been declared to the body within 30 days of a regulated person accepting the benefits.

Farage failed to do this, meaning that it appeared the office – near Bognor Regis – was leased on a commercial basis. However, Ukip said he declared the donation in a register in the European parliament and this was the logical place to make the declaration.

The Electoral Commission sought clarification in April over Farage's failure to declare these donations-in-kind, leading Farage to register 14 separate donations dating back to 2001, with a total value of over £205,000, on 14 May. The non-cash donations came from party supporter John Longhurst.

The Electoral Commission can levy a fine if it deems the breach of rules sufficiently serious.

The Times suggested earlier this year that Farage received £15,000 a year from the EU to pay for his constituency office. But since the office, an old grain-store near Lyminster, was rent-free, the true cost of administering the office was close to £3,000 a year – suggesting £12,000 a year was unaccounted for.

In his correspondence with the Electoral Commission, Farage has confirmed he did not have to pay rent on the office for 14 years. This leaves him needing to explain where more than £160,000 of taxpayers' money from the European parliament has gone.

He has said the expenses are an allowance and therefore he does not need to account for the individual expenditure. He has said "How I spend that money is up to me" and that he was spending thousands of pounds on electricity because he is "running machines" and "banks of computers".

He said he had declared it as a benefit in kind there every year since 2001.

He added: "The Electoral Commission decided it's a donation in kind to Ukip. I don't understand it for a moment. I took advice which I thought at the time was right."

A Ukip spokesman said: "Every year since 2001, Mr Farage has declared in his European parliament register of interests the use of a rent-free office from J Longhurst Ltd. The premises has been used as his MEP office so the European parliamentary register was the logical place for it to be declared."

Speaking on the BBC Today programme at the outset of the European elections, Farage said he would be happy to have his office accounts audited by an independent accountant "if it would settle the argument".

Days later he refused to do so saying he would not be singled out as the only one of 73 MEPs to have his accounts independently audited. In fact all UK MEPs other than those from Ukip have had their accounts audited

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/12/nigel-farage-europe-expenses-ukip


Just another scam artist. And people were silly enough to fall for his act.

European Union’s Home Affairs Commissioner urged member states to take more refugees by offering 6000 euro support for each refugee taken from camps outside the EU and resettled in one of the member states.

“I am speaking on behalf of the European Commission in support of the reception and integration of refugees. EU states will receive 6000 euro support for each refugee taken from the refugee camps and resettled in their respective countries,” Cecilia Malmstroem, EU Homes Affairs Commissioner said in an interview with German daily Die Welt.

Malmstroem stressed that due to the ongoing violence and poverty in most of the countries surrounding the EU, more refugees will try to come to Europe in the coming decades with the hope of being granted asylum. EU commissioner criticized European countries for their reluctance so far on taking more refugees which forces more and more refugees to seek insecure and illegal means to reach Europe.

“Each year around 80 thousand refugees are resettled, most of them find a new home in the U.S., Canada or Australia,” Malmstroem said. “In 2013, EU countries were ready to receive around five thousand refugees for resettlement, and that is a shame,” she stressed, adding that half of the 28 EU member states did not participate even once in the refugee resettlement programs.

Malmstroem called on EU member states to do more for refugees seeking asylum.

“I am convinced that the EU member states should do more to help people who flee their home countries due to hunger, violence and misery,” Malmstroem said.

He added that hundreds of thousands of refugees are living in the overloaded camps in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon, and we cannot just stand by and accept this inhumane situation. "We must help urgently.”

http://www.worldbulletin.net/world/138302/eu-offers-6000-euro-for-each-refugee-resettlement

And that has something to do with Farage being a thief how?

THE MOST PATHETIC SMEAR ATTEMPT YET!

Mr Farage told Brussels authorities that he had been receiving the free use of a barn as his constituency office in Britain since 2001 – but he did not tell the UK Electoral Commission.

A spokeswoman said the commission was now reviewing information supplied by Mr Farage, who was re-elected as an MEP last month, and considering it “carefully”. She added: “We have not yet made a decision about whether any further action will be taken.”

A Ukip spokesman said “professional advice” did not suggest Mr Farage had to declare the benefit in the UK and he was “surprised” to learn he should have told the Electoral Commission.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/482112/Ukip-leader-Nigel-Farage-in-205-000-poll-gift-probe

So - all it involves is the free use of a barn, which, as an MEP, he declared to the relevant authorities in Brussels. As he is NOT a British MP, why should he have to declare it to the UK commission? And the Guardian and other lefty papers know this, yet they know the headlines will suck in the usual saps - and weren't they just right!

Sassy wrote:And that has something to do with Farage being a thief how?

nothing

but it simply highlights the need to vote UKIP

I thought one of the comments in the Express was very apt:

"Never, in the history of British parliamentary democracy has there been such a orchestrated attack by the Government and its Offices of State, and H.M Opposition and Media moguls , in order to prevent a Democratically supported party from entering the process which divides Democracy from terrorism on the side of Democracy...... "

Tesstacious wrote:THE MOST PATHETIC SMEAR ATTEMPT YET!

Mr Farage told Brussels authorities that he had been receiving the free use of a barn as his constituency office in Britain since 2001 – but he did not tell the UK Electoral Commission.

A spokeswoman said the commission was now reviewing information supplied by Mr Farage, who was re-elected as an MEP last month, and considering it “carefully”.  She added: “We have not yet made a decision about whether any further action will be taken.”

A Ukip spokesman said “professional advice” did not suggest Mr Farage had to declare the benefit in the UK and he was “surprised” to learn he should have told the Electoral Commission.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/482112/Ukip-leader-Nigel-Farage-in-205-000-poll-gift-probe

So - all it involves is the free use of a barn, which, as an MEP, he declared to the relevant authorities in Brussels.  As he is NOT a British MP, why should he have to declare it to the UK commission?  And the Guardian and other lefty papers know this, yet they know the headlines will suck in the usual saps - and weren't they just right!

Tess, the Mail and the Express carried similar headlines - they're not lefty newspapers.

According to the article Farage offered to allow an independent accountant to audit his books and then later said he wouldn't. That's strange because that would have cleared it all up one way or the other but as it isn't going to happen then doubts over this will just linger on.

He declared it all in Brussels.




Smear campaign.



Lefties lapping up the bullshit as usual.

Tommy Monk wrote:He declared it all in Brussels.




Smear campaign.



Lefties lapping up the bullshit as usual.

Doesn't matter where it was declared. It's about what he has done with the money - surely even you would want to know that.

First he said they can audit his books and then he says they can't.

Hmmmm

Irn Bru wrote:

Tesstacious wrote:THE MOST PATHETIC SMEAR ATTEMPT YET!

Mr Farage told Brussels authorities that he had been receiving the free use of a barn as his constituency office in Britain since 2001 – but he did not tell the UK Electoral Commission.

A spokeswoman said the commission was now reviewing information supplied by Mr Farage, who was re-elected as an MEP last month, and considering it “carefully”.  She added: “We have not yet made a decision about whether any further action will be taken.”

A Ukip spokesman said “professional advice” did not suggest Mr Farage had to declare the benefit in the UK and he was “surprised” to learn he should have told the Electoral Commission.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/482112/Ukip-leader-Nigel-Farage-in-205-000-poll-gift-probe

So - all it involves is the free use of a barn, which, as an MEP, he declared to the relevant authorities in Brussels.  As he is NOT a British MP, why should he have to declare it to the UK commission?  And the Guardian and other lefty papers know this, yet they know the headlines will suck in the usual saps - and weren't they just right!

Tess, the Mail and the Express carried similar headlines - they're not lefty newspapers.

According to the article Farage offered to allow an independent accountant to audit his books and then later said he wouldn't. That's strange because that would have cleared it all up one way or the other but as it isn't going to happen then doubts over this will just linger on.

I quoted the Express article - the headline's similar, but not the content!

It's bullshit - as I said he's declared all he should to Brussels - he is an MEP not an MP!

Would be interesting to know.
But regardless of that, it does not detract from UKIP as a party.
And The desire to leave EU.
Iit's one question about some expenses of one person.
See the lefties jumping all over this while their own MPs have been fiddling theirs for years and some even did jail terms for it.
Didn't hear a peep out of them about that though do we...???

Tesstacious wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Tesstacious wrote:THE MOST PATHETIC SMEAR ATTEMPT YET!

Mr Farage told Brussels authorities that he had been receiving the free use of a barn as his constituency office in Britain since 2001 – but he did not tell the UK Electoral Commission.

A spokeswoman said the commission was now reviewing information supplied by Mr Farage, who was re-elected as an MEP last month, and considering it “carefully”.  She added: “We have not yet made a decision about whether any further action will be taken.”

A Ukip spokesman said “professional advice” did not suggest Mr Farage had to declare the benefit in the UK and he was “surprised” to learn he should have told the Electoral Commission.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/482112/Ukip-leader-Nigel-Farage-in-205-000-poll-gift-probe

So - all it involves is the free use of a barn, which, as an MEP, he declared to the relevant authorities in Brussels.  As he is NOT a British MP, why should he have to declare it to the UK commission?  And the Guardian and other lefty papers know this, yet they know the headlines will suck in the usual saps - and weren't they just right!

Tess, the Mail and the Express carried similar headlines - they're not lefty newspapers.

According to the article Farage offered to allow an independent accountant to audit his books and then later said he wouldn't. That's strange because that would have cleared it all up one way or the other but as it isn't going to happen then doubts over this will just linger on.

I quoted the Express article - the headline's similar, but not the content!

It's bullshit - as I said he's declared all he should to Brussels - he is an  MEP not an MP!

So what. He should just do as he said he would and allow an accountant to audit how he spent the money.

Tommy Monk wrote:Would be interesting to know.
But regardless of that, it does not detract from UKIP as a party.
And The desire to leave EU.
Iit's one question about some expenses of one person.
See the lefties jumping all over this while their own MPs have been fiddling theirs for years and some even did jail terms for it.
Didn't hear a peep out of them about that though do we...???

So on that score the Labour MPs and the Tory Peers who have fiddled their expenses does not detract from their respective parties either then?

I'll remember that one   

The parties are still going aren't they, they haven't disappeared have they???



See the lefties jumping all over this while their own MPs have been fiddling theirs for years and some even did jail terms for it.
Didn't hear a peep out of them about that though do we...???





But Farage has declared everything in Brussels, And I'm sure he's clever enough to have The rest of his accounts in order.....




This is a non story, politically motivated smear campaign.


Nothing more.

And The pot calling the kettle black somewhat don't you think iron brain.....???

Tommy Monk wrote:The parties are still going aren't they, they haven't disappeared have they???



See the lefties jumping all over this while their own MPs have been fiddling theirs for years and some even did jail terms for it.
Didn't hear a peep out of them about that though do we...???





But Farage has declared everything in Brussels, And I'm sure he's clever enough to have The rest of his accounts in order.....




This is a non story, politically motivated smear campaign.


Nothing more.

Well fancy that 'regardless of that, it does not detract from a party as a whole' just went out the window.

Lasted about 10 minutes.

Not gone anywhere, just like UKIP aren't going anywhere either.


That was the point I was making.



That was the point you were deliberately trying to misunderstand and twist into some sort of point scoring spin.







See the lefties jumping all over this while their own MPs have been fiddling theirs for years and some even did jail terms for it.
Didn't hear a peep out of them about that though do we...???





But Farage has declared everything in Brussels, And I'm sure he's clever enough to have The rest of his accounts in order.....




This is a non story, politically motivated smear campaign.


Nothing more.

Well, well, well. He says he declared it in Brussels, but he didn't declare it until April, after having the free office for years. Meanwhile he had been claiming expenses for an office.

But the UKIP chief is said to have failed to tell the Electoral Commission about an office he has been loaned rent-fee for more than a decade.

Under current legislation if found guilty he could be jailed for 12 months or be hit with a fine of up to £20,000.

He also faces fresh questions about his lavish European Parliament expenses.

Mr Farage has received £15,500 a year from Brussels since at least 2009 to pay for the upkeep of his constituency office, according to transparency reports filed on the party’s website.

He has had free use of the office, a converted grain store near Bognor Regis, since 2001.

But he did not inform the Electoral Commission until April, when they contacted him following news stories about his EU expenses. He has now declared £205,603 worth of benefits in kind over more than 10 years.

A Commission spokeswoman said: “Our party finance team is still reviewing the information supplied to us before deciding on any further action.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ukip-leader-nigel-farage-could-3685347#ixzz34WuDAbaz

It's in all the papers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10895939/Nigel-Farage-could-face-fine-over-undeclared-donations.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/13/nigel-farage-ukip-fine-_n_5490893.html

Oh the moral outrage from The lefties on here now......
But oh so silent about the labour MPs fiddling their expenses and even doing jail terms for it.....
The hypocrisy of THe left knows no bounds!!!

Oh so wrong, you will find Irn and I were just as angry about Labour politicians, in fact more so, because they let the side down.

Amazingly, you however, who professes to be unbiased, think Farage sticking his fingers in the pie is ok.

Tommy Monk wrote:Oh the moral outrage from The lefties on here now......
But oh so silent about the labour MPs fiddling their expenses and even doing jail terms for it.....
The hypocrisy of THe left knows no bounds!!!

But 'regardless of that, it does not detract from a party as a whole'.



People just want clarity over what happened to the money so best leave the Commission to carry out their work and publish their findings.

Go get em Nige!

I'd like Nige and his UKIP MEPs to take every penny and go on a bender for a week.

Vote UKIP   


edit: then go from the last pub straight to that European Parliament thingy they have over there (somewhere)

Did he fiddle anything?
I think he is clever enough to know that you vultures are out to get him and clever enough to have his accounts up to date.
Only now we hear how outraged you were about labour MPs fiddling.....
Oh and let's not mention Peter Gain, oh I mean Hain.....

Tommy Monk wrote:Did he fiddle anything?
I think he is clever enough to know that you vultures are out to get him and clever enough to have his accounts up to date.
Only now we hear how outraged you were about labour MPs fiddling.....
Oh and let's not mention Peter Gain, oh I mean Hain.....

I never said he fiddled anything. I'm just suggesting he should just answer the claims and clear his name.

I'm not out to get him

And anything Peter Hain has done does not detract from the party as a whole, does it?

It doesn't make the party disappear or detract from the party as a whole or the peoples desire to leave the EU.



Pretty simple to understand.



Only an iron brain like you would think they have something special but only turns out to be iron pyrite.....


Seems plenty of labour monkeys out there are fiddling one way or another, if its not with expenses then it is with children.



Or dodgy loans, or trying to sort out passports for people etc..... Wasn't that another Peter....???


Mandelson wasn't it....??


You might want to Google 'Labour25' too.....






Farage has declared everything, and I'm sure he will have his accounts in order.

He declared it years after claiming it and only when Brussels enquired and they are now holding an investigation.   I doubt very much whether he has his accounts in order.   If they were, he'd be happy to have the audited, all the other MEPs have had theirs audited, but he has refused.

Car crash waiting to happen and Farage's fingers caught in the till, but you keep on denying Tommy.  Must be scarey, because without him, there is no UKIP.

Sassy wrote:He declared it years after claiming it and only when Brussels enquired and they are now holding an investigation.   I doubt very much whether he has his accounts in order.   If they were, he'd be happy to have the audited, all the other MEPs have had theirs audited, but he has refused.

Car crash waiting to happen and Farage's fingers caught in the till, but you keep on denying Tommy.  Must be scarey, because without him, there is no UKIP.

Dream on Sassy - it's all bullshit by desperate people...

Tesstacious wrote:

Sassy wrote:He declared it years after claiming it and only when Brussels enquired and they are now holding an investigation.   I doubt very much whether he has his accounts in order.   If they were, he'd be happy to have the audited, all the other MEPs have had theirs audited, but he has refused.

Car crash waiting to happen and Farage's fingers caught in the till, but you keep on denying Tommy.  Must be scarey, because without him, there is no UKIP.

Dream on Sassy - it's all bullshit by desperate people...

No Tess, it's fact, he is a crook and the EU are looking into it.   As Irn said, even The Telegraph has the story.   He has been claiming for the office ever since he was made an MEP, but only declared the fact that he got it from free in April, when Brussels contacted him after reading about the free office.

Tommy Monk wrote:It doesn't make the party disappear or detract from the party as a whole or the peoples desire to leave the EU.



Pretty simple to understand.



Only an iron brain like you would think they have something special but only turns out to be iron pyrite.....


Seems plenty of labour monkeys out there are fiddling one way or another, if its not with expenses then it is with children.



Or dodgy loans, or trying to sort out passports for people etc..... Wasn't that another Peter....???


Mandelson wasn't it....??


You might want to Google 'Labour25' too.....






Farage has declared everything, and I'm sure he will have his accounts in order.

You're right in that these things don't make the party disappear or detract from the party as a whole. That's something I agree with you about and it is really simple to understand that.

And what are you bleating about with this 'something special' nonsense? What's that all about?

But these labour monkeys as you call them out there fiddling one way or another does not detract from the party as a whole, does it and they're not the only party with a track record of lying and fiddling are they? Who are these Labour people that have been fiddling with children? What's their names?

Are Labour Ministers the only one's that have done favours for people or taken favours when in government? I think you will find they are not.

Labour 25. Heard it

Conservative mayor of Bridgend in south Wales from 1984 to 1985 and a Tory candidate in two General Elections, downloaded 16,600 pornographic pictures onto his home computer at his home near Bridgend. Convicted and jailed for 3 years for downloading images of hardcore child porn http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/392220.stm

Tory Party MP for Billericay - Convicted for sex offences against teenage boys and forced to resign http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1136200.stm

Tory Party Mayor ( North Tyneside ) – Forced to resign after being arrested on suspicion of downloading child porn http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/3327249.stm

Tory Party MEP – Forced to resign after being caught smuggling drugs and gay porn through customs. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/269329.stm

Tory Party councillor and former Mayor (Wrexham) – Convicted and put on probation for 2 years, for the indecent assault of another man, which was captured on CCTV http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/2998019.stm

Tory councillor (Wirral) given a 3-year Community Order after being arrested with 2,000 indecent images of children on his computer http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7951240.stm

Plenty more where that came from. Want to carry on?


If Farage has declared everything, and his accounts in are in order then he has nothing to worry about if they are audited.

You do like to spread things around, don't you

That's why I vote UKIP.

Tommy Monk wrote:That's why I vote UKIP.

I thought that.

Fruitcake watch

https://fruitcakewatch.wordpress.com/

But as you say don't let this detract from the party as a whole.

Tommy, I can't believe you let that little gem fall into my lap - I really can't.

Dedicated to UKIP Nutters !!!!!!


 ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: 

Sassy wrote:Dedicated to UKIP Nutters !!!!!!


 ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: ://?roflmao?/: 

Flippin priceless.

But let's not let that detract from the party as a whole

[quote=Irn Bru][quote=Tommy Monk]That's why I vote UKIP.
[/quote]
I thought that.
Fruitcake watch
https://fruitcakewatch.wordpress.com/
But as you say don't let this detract from the party as a whole.
Tommy, I can't believe you let that little gem fall into my lap - I really can't.

[/quote]


Yes I did say that this will not detract from the party as a whole or the strong public desire to leave the EU....


But what 'this is', is nothing more than another politically motivated attempt to smear UKIP.


And as Farage has declared everything and will have his accounts up to date, I'm sure nothing will come of it either.


There is a question which I'm sure will be answered, and that is all it is.



So what exactly is there to detract from anything????



However, Labour have a history of criminal and otherwise dodgy behaviour by its members and MPs......


And will most certainly detract from the party as a whole....



See the difference Iron braincell????



The nugget of gold you have been getting so excited about is nothing more than iron pyrite.......



And while you and your gang of not very wise monkeys have been preparing to tear into and try to destroy UKIP for this nothingness, you still stand strongly behind your beloved labour with its vast array of proven criminals and otherwise dodgy members!!!!!

Surely if you cared that much about wrongdoing, you would be looking first to tear into and destroy the party who have been made up of so many proven to be doing so much wrong!!!!



The hypocrisy of the left knows no bounds!!!!!

Tommy Monk wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:
I thought that.
Fruitcake watch
https://fruitcakewatch.wordpress.com/
But as you say don't let this detract from the party as a whole.
Tommy, I can't believe you let that little gem fall into my lap - I really can't.

Yes I did say that this will not detract from the party as a whole or the strong public desire to leave the EU....


But what 'this is', is nothing more than another politically motivated attempt to smear UKIP.


And as Farage has declared everything and will have his accounts up to date, I'm sure nothing will come of it either.


There is a question which I'm sure will be answered, and that is all it is.



So what exactly is there to detract from anything????



However, Labour have a history of criminal and otherwise dodgy behaviour by its members and MPs......


And will most certainly detract from the party as a whole....



See the difference Iron braincell????



The nugget of gold you have been getting so excited about is nothing more than iron pyrite.......



And while you and your gang of not very wise monkeys have been preparing to tear into and try to destroy UKIP for this nothingness, you still stand strongly behind your beloved labour with its vast array of proven criminals and otherwise dodgy members!!!!!

Surely if you cared that much about wrongdoing, you would be looking first to tear into and destroy the party who have been made up of so many proven to be doing so much wrong!!!!



The hypocrisy of the left knows no bounds!!!!!

How can it be a politically motivated attack when it was requested by Brussels when they found out about the office and he didn't declare it UNTIL THEY FOUND OUT in April, when he has had the office ever since he became an MEP.   This is not a case of him declaring it year after year in Brussels and not here, he didn't declare it ANYWHERE until Brussels found out about it, then he declared it in Brussels, 4 years too late, and all the time he has been pocketing the money for the office that he hasn't been paying for.    Really Tommy, there's making excuses and there is pulling the wool over your own eyes on purpose.

Well, let us scrutinise every MEPs expenses then, not just one person eh???


"...MEPs receive an annual allowance of £44,000 which is intended to cover the cost of rents, telephone bills and all expenditure associated with the running of an office. The money is paid into a MEPs private bank account and the Parliament trusts individuals to use it in accordance with the rules. There is no requirement for receipts to be kept,..."


http://www.chrisdaviesmep.org.uk/farage_expenses_meps_vote_to_end_receipts_loophole

Lets, because every other non UKIP MEP has had their accounts audited, fancy that.


Days later he refused to do so saying he would not be singled out as the only one of 73 MEPs to have his accounts independently audited. In fact all UK MEPs other than those from Ukip have had their accounts audited.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/12/nigel-farage-europe-expenses-ukip

Defending potential expenses rip-offs and just accepting someone's word that it was used for the purpose it was intended for!

You couldn't make this up.

But even if Farage has ripped off the system then we shouldn't let that detract from the party as a whole. I'm sure we can at least agree on that.

This moral outrage from You see no evil hear no evil speak no evil labour monkeys is breath taking......




Jokers





What are the rules on MEPs expenses again.....???