Farage taking legal advice over expenses allegations
Ukip leader Nigel Farage is taking legal advice after “outrageous” allegations about his use of European parliamentary expenses.
Nigel Farage claimed that a story on the front page of the Times was “politically motivated”, accusing the publication of being an “establishment newspaper”.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he said: “This whole story and even the line of questioning here is simply wrong.
“I’ve been here since 1999 and I’ve said since day one that I would use the money and the wherewithal provided by the European Union to fight against Britain’s membership of the European Union, but to do so within the rules of the parliament.
“And what we are seeing here from The Times – I mean not that I’m surprised because we have been expecting this – we are seeing yet another politically motivated attack from what is the establishment newspaper.”
According to the report in the Times, Mr Farage receives £15,500 a year to run his constituency office in Bognor Regis, which the paper claims is provided to him rent-free by local Ukip supporters.
A former office manager told the newspaper that the premises cost about £3,000 a year to run.
Office expenses
Mr Farage said “We have seen article after article like this and the Times are wilfully misleading people into thinking that I have claimed office expenses from Brussels, I haven’t.”
“We do not claim expenses for running offices or any other activity that takes place within our member state the United Kingdom, we get an allowance, a fixed rate allowance, and we can spend it as we see fit.”
He added that the allowance is £3,580 a month and “that is given to every MEP and we can spend it how we want to”.
Mr Farage insists the allegations were part of a smear campaign ahead of next month’s European elections, intended to derail the party.
“We don’t have to provide receipts for it, or anything like that. We are given recommendations to what it can legitimately be spent on, which includes the running of an office, paying for a mobile phone, buying equipment, hotel bills, restaurant bills, applying for subscriptions to websites by newspapers; there’s a list as long as your arm as to what this money legitimately can be spent on.”
A spokesman for the Times said: “The Times welcomes Mr Farage’s commitment today to open up his books to an independent auditor.
“As our story states, the reporting was based on Mr Farage’s own transparency reports.”