January 06, 2010

BNP faces prosecution for submitting ‘misleading’ accounts

The British National Party may face prosecution after providing accounts to the Electoral Commission that failed to give a “true and fair view” of its financial circumstances.

The far-Right party, which has already been fined for filing its accounts six months late, must produce further details by Friday. The news comes as figures released by the commission yesterday reveal how the party exaggerated its spending during the European elections, in which it won two seats, including that of Nick Griffin, the party leader.

Mr Griffin has often claimed that the BNP spent more than £500,000 during the campaign. In fact, the party spent much less, £282,843 — only £54,000 more than it did during 2004. Mr Griffin’s claims had raised eyebrows, —particularly because the party had declared less than £25,000 in donations since January 2008.

Simon Darby, the BNP deputy leader, yesterday blamed bureaucracy for the errors and said the party needed to exaggerate because “if we had said we wanted to spend 10p, it wouldn’t do us any good. ... there’s a bit of hyperbole with politics”. He refused to comment further on the discrepancy, saying that it was not a “worthy question”.

The BNP was fined £1,000 for filing its 2008 accounts in December — nearly six months after the original deadline. Even then, the commission concluded that the accounts were inadequate and requested further information.

In his report, which prefaced the accounts, Mr Griffin blamed poor accounting on changes in the party’s treasury department. He said that the accounts had become too big for one person to manage, and had since been outsourced to a chartered accountant. He said the changes were made “with the aim of presenting acceptable accounts for the accounting year 2009”. “We recognise that it is not acceptable to present inadequate accounts,” he wrote.

The independent auditor of the accounts concluded that the party’s financial statements did not “give a true and fair view” of its affairs. Silver & Co wrote: “In our opinion it cannot be said that the accounts comply with the requirements of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, as adequate records have not been made available.”

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said: “We have reviewed the statement of accounts and have concerns about them. We have written back to the party requesting additional information. Until we have received that information we cannot say what further action will be taken.”

TimesOnline

DG adds: You would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.

Other facts that came out of the accounts have already been highlighted on here, but two that deserve further mention concern membership numbers and the extortion of a massive loan from the Regional Accounting Unit - that is, BNP members' hard-earned money, paid over to benefit their local branches and groups.

On the matter of membership, the BNP's own figures for 2007 were 9,784. We all remember the hype about "rocketing membership figures", "hundreds joining", "best year ever" etc., etc. The BNP's figures for 2008 were 9,801 - an increase of just 17!

This begs the question as to how many of the alleged 4,000 apparently wetting themselves as they wait to join the BNP when the membership block is removed will turn out to be real and how many figments of Nick Griffin's fertile imagination.

On the matter of the "loan" made by the BNP's Regional Accounting Unit (RAU) to the central party, it seems that the membership has been well and truly turned over.

One of the most interesting items listed in the RAU's 2007 accounts was an acknowledgement that “During 2007 central office borrowed from the regional accounting unit", borrowings that were to be repaid by monthly standing orders.

The BNP's auditors, Silver and Co., took a dim view of this, saying that at the close of 2007 "... the party owed the Region £42,000 and the reason why this is the case is that it had insufficient funds, which places doubts on the ability of the Party to repay this money.”

These doubts were well founded, and a con had to be worked that would allow the BNP to keep its own branches deprived of their own much needed money. How it was worked came in this glib sentence, which appeared in the RAU's 2008 accounts:

“In 2009 certain costs were incurred on behalf of the Branches, by the Central Office, in connection with the European election. These are to be recharged, and will cover the money due by Central Office to the Branches."

So, "certain costs", unspecified, and "in connection with the European election" - and that cancels the debt owed to the branches on a loan they were never consulted about making?

How many times over did the BNP membership pay for Nick Griffin's Euro-seat? Or did this money really go elsewhere?

The RAU's treasurer (and supposed guardian of the branches' interests) David Hannam and his good friend Nicholas Griffin have some serious questions to answer, and we can but hope that they eventually come to be answered in the proper place, because we are certain sure that the gullible sheeple of the BNP will never have the wits to challenge the parasites who have for so long fed on them with such unalloyed contempt.

39 comments:

Antifascist said...

'Simon Darby, the BNP deputy leader, yesterday blamed bureaucracy for the errors and said the party needed to exaggerate because “if we had said we wanted to spend 10p, it wouldn’t do us any good. ... there’s a bit of hyperbole with politics”. He refused to comment further on the discrepancy, saying that it was not a “worthy question”.'

I love that. For 'hyperbole', read 'lie'. For 'not a “worthy question”', read 'I've got no idea how to answer that'.

These criminals and con-men should be jailed.

Anonymous said...

There's been some very good stuff on here recently. Well done people. :)

Barbara said...

STUPID criminals and conmen, I would add. It's not as if the accounting was a surprise.

James said...

"On the matter of membership, the BNP's own figures for 2007 were 9,784. We all remember the hype about "rocketing membership figures", "hundreds joining", "best year ever" etc., etc. The BNP's figures for 2008 were 9,801 - an increase of just 17!"

That's a killer! LOL

Anonymous said...

Hannam isn't responsible for the central accounts.

Unknown said...

"Hannam isn't responsible for the central accounts."

No. But he had to OK the RAU loan and he had to OK the con by which it was "repaid".

Mr Anon said...

He refused to comment further on the discrepancy, saying that it was not a “worthy question”

I should remember that for next time my boss asks me a question I can't answer. I wonder how long I'd keep my job...

Anonymous said...

In all honesty when I see Griffin and co today, I don,t see fascism per se but a berlusconi-esque populism (corruption, lowest common denominator rule, that sort of thing). His seedy party just shows the creeping approach to an authoritarian media orientated side show that shows what a sorry state politics is in at present. The popular reaction to question time ("aw bless" "poor nick" etc) is just one aspect of this....

Quite honestly, "fascism" like any other ideology is frowned upon in this climate as much as "socialism" or any program for reform conservative or otherwise.

The problem with griffin is how low he will sink. He just doesn't give a shit at all.

Anonymous said...

Fortunately Arthur Kemp doesn´t need to rip off BNP supporters, he allegedly gets paid by certain intelligence services.

Anonymous said...

This was written on Darby's blog yesterday, he didn't like being caught out by a lady reporter.

"A call from a certain reporter at The Times irritates me to an extent where I almost lost my temper. Trying to explain as reasonably as I could the answers to various crude and probing questions, every single word I spoke was twisted and distorted in an almost mechanical way. It got to the point where I simply could not take any more insinuations about being a thief and a crook and I simply terminated the conversation.

It has to be said that I can no longer deal with this journalist any more who is bordering on suffering psychological issues in my opinion. If The Times wants an opinion from us they'll just have to ask another reporter. One that can extract a response without adopting the attitude of a rookie prosecution barrister on horse tranquilisers."

Anonymous said...

Roll on Friday the 8th!

"Under the PPERA, failure to provide audited accounts is a criminal offence. A party's treasurer for the period covered by the financial records can be fined up to £5,000 unless they can prove that all reasonable steps were taken to secure accurate accounts."

M said...

Latest press release by Malatesta: -

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/01/444371.html?c=on#c240352

Scatto said...

The EDL have been boasting today that since the Wootten Bassett Islam4UK story came into being, there have been 10,000 new people applying for membership.

Are BNP members switching wholesale to the EDL, cos it's a cheaper neo-nazi organisation to belong to, and less financially corrupt, or have Trevor KKKelway's EDL caught the Nick Griffin learnt to lie about their membership numbers?

The British far right whether BNP, EDL or NF loves to talk absolute shite!

Eggbert said...

Posters on Indymedia are saying the EDL are just like the BNP a moneymaking business, living off the pockets of their members.

Any truth in this?

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/01/444230.html?c=on

Perhaps Searchlight can shed some light on the increasing sums of filthy lucre that Lake, Kelway and Co. are making from the EDL.

Bill Bow said...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for criminal charges to be brought against these crooks.

Anonymous said...

Roll on Friday! :)

BOYCOTT THE BBC said...

Tommy Robinson has made up with KKKelway is back swilling cheap Wetherspoons lager with his EDL chums, as two days ago, he was invited by the fascist-friendly BBC to speak on Radio 5, and the EDL are now using this interview to attract new members to the party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2uiP1EiZy0

The fascist-friendly twats at the BBC have got so much to answer for.

The uncensored YouTube interview is followed by postings from vile EDL members who talk sickeningly about beating up and exterminating Muslims, by the way, for anybody who doesn't realise what the EDL are really about minus their spin.

I don't understand why the BBC have become the mouthpiece of fascism and racism when just a few years ago they sneaking into the backrooms of rough pubs and were making brave documentaries about the BNP.

Can you shed any light on why the BBC are now giving airtime to British neo-Nazis, Antifascist?

NewsHound said...

BREAKING NEWS: THE POLICE IN STOKE HAVE MADE PLANS FOR THE EDL INVASION:

http://pitsnpots.co.uk/news/2010/01/police-well-prepared-edl

Angree said...

The EDl are cashing in on the death of a British soldier from Stoke, calling their fascist get together Michael Swain Day.

http://www.englishdefenceleague.org/100123-EDL-English-Defence-League-Stoke-demonstration-Michael-Swain-Day.html

pe said...

"Can you shed any light on why the BBC are now giving airtime to British neo-Nazis, Antifascist?"

How is Antifascist supposed to know that unless he's in charge of BBC policy? Maybe he is. I think we should be told.

Denise said...

Are we being trolled?

There seem to be persistent attempts by anonymous posters to big up the EDL.

sue l said...

The BNP are indeed in crisis which is why the EDL think they can make inroads as a political party, especially looking what a mess the National Front are making.

Seems to be a lot of EDL activity on that haven of BNP rebels, Northwest Nationalists, as well as on Stormfront.

Anonymous said...

I've just spotted this on a fascist blog, apparently there is more to come.

"Did you know that the BNP has paid £336,208 in the first eleven months of 2009 to three Dowson controlled entities?"

Anonymous said...

"The independent auditor of the accounts concluded that the party’s financial statements did not “give a true and fair view” of its affairs. Silver & Co wrote: “In our opinion it cannot be said that the accounts comply with the requirements of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, as adequate records have not been made available.”

Isn't "Silver" an anglo-Jewish surname? I bet that some in the BNP are now ranting about ZOG, Zionist conspiracies and how this 'independent' auditing company is controlled by a cabal in Tel Aviv...Blah Blah Blah! Montioring the far-right you get to know their BS after a while.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Fortunately Arthur Kemp doesn´t need to rip off BNP supporters, he allegedly gets paid by certain intelligence services.


I saw him driving an Aston Martin the other day.

Anonymous said...

It's obvious it's the EDL trollboys keep posting. They use language they think we use except they can't get it right.

Fuck the EDL. They just want LU to talk them up.

Anonymous said...

In answer to ? from Denise, how do you big up a SLUG?

tulip

Anonymous said...

Oddly enough, the abrupt subject change in the comments here came within minutes of mention of Arthur Kemp.

We've seen this before.

Unknown said...

"Oddly enough, the abrupt subject change in the comments here came within minutes of mention of Arthur Kemp.
We've seen this before."

I think they're coming as much from disaffected BNP as they are EDL. There always seems to be a warm little nest of them waiting to be approved.

Anonymous said...

The bigging up comments are probably from griffins cock sucking sidekick Jefferson

Anonymous said...

BNP members want somewhere comfortable for them to turn once Griffo bankrupts the BNP.

Antifascist said...

'Can you shed any light on why the BBC are now giving airtime to British neo-Nazis, Antifascist?'

Haven't the foggiest. I'll have to speak to my controllers at ZOG/MI5/CIA/Mossad etc and get back to you...

Anonymous said...

Soon Gri££in will be sitting in the South of France, scoffing his fat face with a handful of pork scratching, belching, farting and laughing his head off at all simpletons who trusted him.

Sami said...

"Soon Gri££in will be sitting in the South of France"

Not Croatia?

"I'll have to speak to my controllers at ZOG/MI5/CIA/Mossad etc and get back to you..."

Aha, a confession! Stormfront and co will fits when they read that. LOL

Anonymous said...

I don´t know about the Aston Martin but Arthur Kemp appears to be the type that travels way more than his disclosed finances would permit, if you know what I mean. His ex-wife has claimed that he was paid handsomely in the past for doing "dirty work" in the extreme right. These bizarre connections between government black-ops and extremist groups have been well documented.

Anonymous said...

"Hannam isn't responsible for the central accounts."

No. But he had to OK the RAU loan and he had to OK the con by which it was "repaid"

Yeah, but why do you care?

Anonymous said...

Simon Darby is the BNP National Treasuer, also Paid BNP Deputy Leader, also BNP Press Officer, Also Paid as adviser Brussels, Also paid staff London assembly. All begging money goes to Welshpool Griffins personnel PO Box. The member have been stiched up and ROBBED repeatedly. Hope the FRAUD Squad will be brought in to examine all BNP accounts including Trafalagar Club. Members are refusing to renew membership due to CORRUPTION by Griffin and Darby!!!!!!

Unknown said...

"Yeah, but why do you care?"

Why do you care that we care?

Anonymous said...

"I've just spotted this on a fascist blog, apparently there is more to come.

"Did you know that the BNP has paid £336,208 in the first eleven months of 2009 to three Dowson controlled entities?""

Only a handful of people would have information like that, either someone very close to Dowson or his accountant John Thompson (who also does the BNP accounts); or Philip Reddall, the BNP treasurer.

If it is correct, the fact that it has leaked is much more interesting than the figure, which would cover the whole operation of the Belfast call centre, use of the truth truck, and a fair amount of the BNP's printing.