UKIP investigated over £118,000 black hole

The United Kingdom Independence
party is being investigated over a £118,000 black hole in its
accounts after donations made to the party appeared to have gone missing.

The Electoral
Commission is investigating why the donations, made by individuals
in five instalments, never appeared in any of the four main bank accounts used
by the party and bypassed the party treasurer Bruce Lawson.

The Sunday
Times reports that the Commission found out about the missing
money after it was leaked in a letter written by Lawson. In the letter Lawson
threatened to resign and warned that the controversy would ‘haunt’ the party for
years and create problems with authorities.

In the letter, sent to party leader Nigel Farage and his deputy David
Campbell Bannerman, Lawson wrote: ‘I joined UKIP because I thought we were
different to the other parties but even on the grounds of expediency I will not
be associated with this sort of behaviour.’

Lawson added that the missing cash was a ‘very serious situation’ and that
his faith in the transparency of party dealings was ‘greatly diminished.’

The Electoral Commission declined to comment other than to state: ‘We have
written to the party on a number of issues including the late submission of the
accounts.’

Further reading:

Accountants beating a path to Westminster

Andreasen holds on to ammunition against accounts

‘Inflation-busting’ fees hike at ICAEW