Ukip is likely to be asked to repay tens of thousands of euros by European parliament finance chiefs who have accused the party of misspending EU funds on party workers and Nigel Farage\u2019s failed bid to win a seat in Westminster.<\/p>\n
The Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe (ADDE), a Ukip-dominated political vehicle, will be asked to repay \u20ac173,000 (\u00a3148,000) in misspent funds and denied a further \u20ac501,000 in EU grants for breaking European rules that ban spending EU money on national election campaigns and referendums.<\/p>\n
According to a European parliament audit report, Ukip spent EU funds on polling and analysis in constituencies where they hoped to win a seat in the 2015 general election, including the South Thanet seat that party leader Farage contested. The party also funded polls to gauge the public mood on leaving the EU, months before the official campaign kicked off in April 2016.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese services were not in the interest of the European party, which could neither be involved in the national elections nor in the referendum on national level,\u201d concluded the parliament\u2019s finance watchdog.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe constituencies selected for many of the polls underline that the polling was conducted in the interest of Ukip. Most of the constituencies can be identified as being essential for reaching a significant representation in the House of Commons from the 2015 general election or for a positive result for the leave campaign,\u201d the report continued.<\/p>\n
The ADDE also used EU funds for polling ahead of the Scottish and Welsh elections in 2016, the report said.<\/p>\n
Summarising, the report stated: \u201cThe administration discovered a substantial number of activities for which financing ought to be considered as non-eligible expenditure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ukip rejected allegations it had broken EU rules. \u201cWe have abided by the rules at all times,\u201d a party spokesman said.<\/p>\n
Ukip spokesman Gawain Towler rejected the report\u2019s central claim that the party and ADDE group had failed to comply with EU rules. \u201cWe have been scrupulously careful and we have abided by the rules at all times.\u201d Asked about the named individuals, he repeated: \u201cWe have abided by the rules at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"