Cruddas and Searchlight – Lies and Deception
There is not a shred of truth to the pack of lies submitted by Labour MP Jon Cruddas to parliament concerning alleged financial irregularities in the BNP.
John Walker, national treasurer of the BNP, has replied to each of the points raised, by Mr Cruddas, as follows:
Allegation: “The BNP’s 2006 accounts have still not been submitted to the Electoral Commission, more than five months (so far) after the due date.”
This is not illegal and is allowed for in terms of legislation. The delay was caused by the failure of former head of administration, Kenny Smith, to provide receipts for expenditure under his direct control. The accounts have been with the auditors for the last two months and are due to be signed off on 21 December.
Allegation: “The BNP failed to report a donation of £5,315 in the period 1 July 2007 to 30 September 2007 in contravention of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act 2000.”
Mr. Cruddas’ information is, as usual, out of date and factually incorrect. This is a minor issue and an amended Donation Returns has been sent and received by the Electoral Commission, who have expressed their satisfaction in this regard. There was clearly no intention to conceal the donation as it was announced, along with the name of the donor, on one of the BNP’s web sites at the time.
Allegation: “BNP financial records were shredded at the home of the party’s former national treasurer in 2004.”
No party financial records were shredded. They are held in electronic format, and cannot be shredded. This is pure fantasy on Mr Cruddas’s part.
Allegation: “The BNP has solicited donations from overseas to an organisation by the name of Civil Liberty, which Searchlight considers is merely a front organisation set up to circumvent the prohibition on donations to political parties from individuals who are not registered to vote in the UK.”
John Walker, BNP Treasurer, can categorically state that not one penny has been received by the BNP from Civil Liberty or any other ineligible body. Any suggestion otherwise is libellous. Civil Liberty was set up to support nationalists who have been persecuted for their beliefs. Civil Liberty has used none of its money for electoral purposes.
Allegation: “The BNP attempted to earn insurance commission by means of an insurance entity that was not authorised by the Financial Services Authority and there were serious doubts whether the activity was exempt from the requirement for authorisation”
This was a private initiative by a now former BNP official which was shut down within a week. The BNP was never the beneficiary of any such privately held scheme.
Allegation: “There is evidence that the BNP financed its insolvent position in 2006 by a failure to pay sums owed to HM Revenue and Customs in respect of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and value added tax (VAT).”
All tax bills for that year have been paid and are up to date. This is another pure fantasy, based probably on Mr Cruddas’ wishes rather than any fact.
Allegation: “There are allegations that the BNP has paid workers in cash to avoid tax and national insurance contributions and to enable them to claim state benefits.”
The BNP denies that it pays its staff in cash. Minor day expenses may be covered in this way, but no full time salaries are paid in cash.
Allegation: “The BNP claims to have spent at least £70,000 on printing equipment in 2005, but no such expenditure is shown in the accounts.”
This is a lie. The costs of the printing machines are clearly recorded in the party records.
The BNP finds it ironic that Mr Cruddas dares to accuse the British National Party of financial impropriety, when his own party has seen large numbers of its very senior members arrested by the police in the ongoing “cash for peers” scandal, and which is currently embroiled in a dispute with one of its donors over large amounts of cash given to the party under several false names.
It is well known that Mr. Cruddas’ seat is vulnerable to the BNP and his baseless accusations, made behind the veil of parliamentary privilege, are clearly libellous.
Read more about the unreliability of Searchlight here:
http://www.searchlightexposed.com
