Labour MEP uncovers UKIP fudge

Labour MEP Richard Corbett has described the United Kingdom Independence Party's response to the allegations of fraud against UKIP MEP Tom Wise as “cynically misleading or incompetent beyond belief”.

Wise is alleged to have siphoned off almost £40,000 of taxpayers money into his own account by claiming it was the salary of an assistant, and is now being investigated by Olaf, the European anti-fraud watchdog.

UKIP announced loudly that  they had suspended Wise on February 28th but Corbett has discovered that they have actually avoided doing this, possibly to stop a damaging split among their Brussels MEPs.

Corbett, Deputy Leader of the Labour MEPs, said: “If you check with the European Parliament, it is quite clear UKIP have not in fact suspended Tom Wise, he is still a member of the UKIP's 'Independence and Democracy Group' in the Parliament."

Previously, when Ashley Mote was before the courts on benefit fraud, UKIP suspended him from the Independence and Democracy Group while Robert Kilroy Silk also left the group following internal rows with the party.

Richard added: “It appears in order to prevent a split in the party, UKIP have told the public they have suspended Wise, while actually doing nothing of the sort. Their actions with regards to Tom Wise are either cynically misleading or incompetent beyond belief.” /ends

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Notes for the Editor

• UKIP's website claims Tom Wise was suspended from the party on February 28th http://www.ukip.org/ukip_news/gen12.php?t=1&id=2892

• Tom Wise remains a member of the Independence & Democracy Group, in which UKIP sits. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch/view.do?country=GB&partNumber=1&zone=Eastern&language=EN&id=28496

• UKIP suspended Ashley Mote on in July 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3899969.stm . He has since joined the extreme-right group set up by Jean Marie Le Pen and Alessandra Mussolini in the European Parliament.

more information

Press enquiries: Contact Luke Thorne, Press and Communications Officer to Richard Corbett MEP

• phone 0113 245 8987
• e-mail luke@richardcorbett.org.uk