UKIP MEP Tom Wise was arrested last night on suspicion of obtaining money by deception. We understand he spent the night in custody and is now helping Bedfordshire Police with their inquiries. The instigation is being supported both by the EU parliament authorities and OLAF – the EU's "anti-fraud" office - and is believed to be part of more wide-ranging enquiries into the affairs of MEPs in UKIP and their parliamentary Independence and Democracy group. The veteran Danish former MEP and group leader, Jens-Peter Bonde, has been mentioned in connection with these.

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OK We know you hate UKIP but at least get your facts straight.
Tom Wise was pushed out ages ago and sits as an independent and this is why he was forced to resign the whip.

Really?

http://www.tomwisemep.co.uk/ and ...
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/p ... N&id=28496

Yes really. He has been repeatedly asked not to do this.
Let's cut to the chase here; your sub text is to damage UKIP. The EU as you know hates us being there and at the moment is doing all it can to undermine the only true Euro-Realist group from the UK. You also know that in the coming weeks this black-op will begin in earnest and no doubt you will follow this with interest in your own unbiased way.
The bottom line is most UKIP MEPs are stepping down next year and we'll have a fresh team in place.
By all means criticise UKIP but what has happened here is loose change compared to the Tories in Brussels and we dealt with it quickly.

We are still waiting to hear from Tom's Lawyers as to why he has not removed the UKIP symbol and still calls himself a UKIP MEP as it is a breach of our copyright. We are also still waiting on the parliament services to explain why he is still a UKIP MEP as we have made it clear that he is not.

What can I say. You just can't get the staff......

If there was true equanimity in the application of justice in Brussels, there would never be a quorum to dream up and issue diktats, as the MEP's would all be in fecking jail...

??
Not a Parliament, Senate or Assembly in the world which would be quorate.

For some people there can be no reporting of anything bad which might impact on UKIP without it showing something like a "sub text".

Richard is well able to look after himself, but reactions like this do UKIP no favours.

I know ... doubtless I have a sub text too. <shrug>

I think you could possible be looking through rose-tinted glasses here. The fact is that this has been going on for years ... I first reported this in October 2005, when it had already been going on for some time, yet Wise is still in the Party. The whip was only withdrawn from him last year and still there has been no disciplinary action against him.

In the circumstances, therefore, I have been relatively restrained about Wise ... I have not mentioned, for example, his rather dubious wine trading business - in which Customs and Excise are taking a very keen interest - and have not dwelt on the role of Farage in the Lindsay Jenkins affair.

And yes, I have reported on Tory MEPs, and will continue to do so. But, while the Tories - so far - have been indulging in some sharp practices, none have been accused of overtly criminal activities, as have been the allegations against Wise. That is not "loose change" - it is a different order of malpractice altogether, and one which is entirely within the remit of EURef to report.

Could it be, therefore, that we are in "shooting the messenger" mode? If you don't want shit spread in the yard, clean out your stables.

And while we're kicking the UKIP...

Even though it is a small party it already exhibits all the cankers of party politics. It seems to be little more than an ego trip for NF and there is no evidence of any attempt to build a team that could credibly govern. Given the calibre of the Lords they picked up recently, the UKIP should be banging out reports, white papers etc. to show that they thought about where they would take the country and what they consider important and why.

Given that the UKIP will not get the MSM reporting the others get parcelled from the bubble, in order for the UKIP to get any 'personalities' they will have to use the blogosphere. Most blogs, as Richard tirelessly points out, repeat what they find interesting on the 'net, thus blogs from prospective MPs that seeded new research/policy would be noticed.

Cameron is an EU sell-out, so there is a vast electorate looking for old tory principles.
The UKIP have 2 years to buy credibility from the public, they have all the requirements, but they simply don't seem to understand.

Seems no matter what the party or the Parliament, they're all "at it". As to what is criminal or not, far too many have got away with what in the real world, would be theft and it is only their own thoroughly perverted definitions, that have allowed themselves to pretend that nothing of import took place.

As for UKIP I agree with Sandy, all anyone ever sees or hears is Nigel Farage, isn't there anyone else in the Party.

Fear not, the fuzz will be arresting all those MEPs with their snouts in the trough, all getting money under false pretences. They will all be charged and ... oh, um, well, maybe not. Somehow I don't see Tory or Labour or even Lib-Dims MEPs in the cells. Not even the Greens, not these days.

Good way to reduce their carbon footprints!

After they've traded away their Cabinet Footprints.

Oh right. Let me know when any of them are actually arrested. I guess I shall have a long wait.