ADDE funding row: '#UKIP must be held accountable' say Greens

Sky News has today (17 November) declared that it has obtained a leaked document alleging that the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe (ADDE) (and UKIP in particular) misspent almost £500,000 of EU funding on electioneering and its Brexit campaign. According to the leaked audit, UKIP broke EU spending rules by spending money on polling during its general election campaign in 2015 and ahead of the EU referendum.

Commenting on the news, Greens/EFA Co-President Philippe Lamberts said: “It is clear from the report that UKIP has run roughshod over the rules designed to protect the democratic system they purport to hold so dear. The misspending of taxpayers’ money by corrupt elites is exactly the sort of story they like to pedal, but they now appear to have been hoist by their own petard.

“This is not a case of meddling 'Brussels bureaucracy'. The rules, which are there to protect democracy, are crystal clear – EU funds cannot be used in any form for national campaigning or political party activities.”

Greens/EFA MEP and Vice President of the European Parliament Ulrike Lunacek added: “We expect the audit report to be confirmed at the European Parliament Bureau meeting on Monday (21 November), and look forward to a firm and unequivocal response from the Parliament authorities. The money must be paid back and UKIP held to account for its fraudulent manipulation of the British electorate.”

EU Reporter was told by a UKIP spokesman that "this has nothing to do with UKIP, speak to ADDE". However, UKIP does receive money from the EU as a member of ADDE, which is a political group in the European Parliament in which UKIP has several representatives. The money is meant to be spent on funding to promote the EU.

A spokesman for ADDE today spoke exclusively to EU Reporter in response to the allegations: “The parliament administration has for months taken an aggressive and hostile attitude over the audit, amounting to nothing short of deliberate harassment.

"We have responded to their queries with a mass of information and explanation justifying our activities and expenditure.  They have simply ignored our submissions and in several cases these submissions having been made repeatedly on their request.

"They have broadened the definition of "expenditure supporting a political party" so widely as to deny us the right to undertake any activity which might be remotely interesting to ADDE members.

"It has become increasingly apparent since Brexit that anything short of “group think” is no longer tolerated within the European Union. Any deviation will see the rules changed and goal posts moved.

"Everything the ADDE has conducted is to provide a more coherent overview of the opinions expressed by the population that is represented by the members of the ADDE.

"We will be taking this matter to court.

"Point 8 of the Audit of 2015 Accounts explicitly highlights the full knowledge of the EU’s decision and timing to demand a rebate without the proceeding time to properly fundraise. This shows that the EU has deliberately delayed the release of the ADDE and IDDE reports to immobilize the aforementioned grouping and to see the ending of the groups."

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